In the shadow of Canal City Hakata stands Ichiryu, a world-class tonkotsu ramen yatai that dwarfs the competition if simply by the size of its queues. Rameniac makes it a point to visit this modest tonkotsu ramen stand whenever he’s in town, sometimes once, twice, even three times over the course of a stay. Yep, it really is that good. That’s all you need to know!

Hakata Ikousha represents the new wave of post-boom regionalized tonkotsu ramen, with a solid foundation in pork bone basics, innovative presentation, and the savvy to branch out across Japan. Next stop, the world? Judging by the youthful enthusiasm of Ikousha’s staff, the future is in good hands.

Shinpuku brings a taste of Kyoto to the hallowed environs of Raumen Stadium 2. How do the mellow, shoyu-infused stylings of one of Japan’s oldest ramen shops play in a town known for its pork bones? Don’t forget your passport on the way through the noren...

Kitakyushu ramen is well-represented at Canal City Hakata’s Raumen Stadium 2. Stylistically, Kokura ramen shops might not be all that different from their famous neighbors to the southwest, but blow-for-blow, Murasaki is one noodler that can definitely hold its own against the Hakata elite!

Canal City Hakata’s Raumen Stadium 2 is a bountiful bevy of prominent, predominantly Kyushu-area ramen shops! A star stand out on the food court, Isshin Furan swears by its Miyazaki stylings with a multi-hued menu of top-notch tonkotsu. Alliteratively speaking, of course.

Ramen in Fukuoka is typically served in smaller portions than in other parts of Japan. You can order kaedama and add extra noodles or, like, rameniac, simply adopt a bowl-and-a-half strategy. On the way back to the hotel from eating ramen, rameniac makes a pit stop for well, more ramen. Warning. Don’t try this at home, kids.

Rameniac burns a morning towing his luggage around Fukuoka’s Hakata district in search of the perfect hotel - wherever’s closest to the perfect bowls! First up, Aka Noren has been around for over fifty years, and the ramen is so old-school you might not even recognize the Hakata ramen it purports to have originated!

Now that we’ve named the 22 popularized styles of ramen, it’s high time we began… at the beginning. Join rameniac on his pilgrimage to ground zero for tonkotsu ramen, deep in the heart of Fukuoka prefecture. Taiho, it’s off to Kurume we go!