Komazawa Olympic Park is hosting a ramen festival with over a dozen booths serving Japanese noodles from different prefectures. You can go for a simple shoyu (soy sauce) or shio (salt) ramen, or a bowl with rich tonkotsu pork broth, or one topped generously with beef. Be warned though: some stalls are expected to have up to two hours wait time, as they are exclusive to the festival or have won the Ramen Grand Prix in recent years.
The event is split into three parts, each with a different set of vendors. The ramen restaurants that are participating in the first part (October 24 to 27) include Katsuryu from Ibaraki prefecture with its rich paitan (cloudy white chicken broth) ramen topped with uni, and Kaga Miso Menyūkai from Ishikawa prefecture, whose signature miso ramen is a voluminous bowl topped with seared pork belly.
The second part (October 28 to 31) features Hokkaido prefecture's Tsunatori Monogatari with its slightly spicy signature miso noodles with grilled braised pork and char siu pork, and Kasaoka Ramen Ichigendo from Okayama prefecture with its rich shoyu-based broth and generous toppings of green onion and sliced roast chicken.
Lastly, the third part (November 1 to 4) features Oita prefecture's Hakuryu with its rich tonkotsu (pork-based) soup, as well as Shinshu Menyukai from Nagano prefecture serving up hot and spicy tantanmen noodles.
In short, you’ll find every kind of ramen that your heart desires at Tokyo Ramen Festa. Admission is free while a bowl of noodles costs ¥1,000. Meal tickets can be purchased at Seven Eleven outlets nationwide in advance or at the venue. We highly recommend purchasing tickets earlier rather than later, as it can run out towards the end of the day.
The festival runs from 10.30am to 8.30pm, with the exception of October 27, October 31 and November 4, when it closes at 6pm.