Ito is actually a fierce ramen battleground 🍜
There are all kinds of unique ramen shops scattered around town, and this is one of the longtime legends.
The shop originally started near Izu-Kōgen Station, later moved to Yoshida, and eventually settled near Itō Station, where it is today.
The owner says the original flagship shop was Chukasoba Kihachi in Tokyo, although it has apparently closed now.
2026 marks the shop’s 34th anniversary, so it likely opened around 1990. Back then, tonkotsu-based ramen was still relatively uncommon, especially outside major cities. In places like Ito, many people probably had never tasted this style before.
Because of that, I sometimes imagine the early years must have been challenging before the restaurant built its loyal following.
Now, though, it’s hugely popular. There’s almost always a line.
The flavor is a gentle tonkotsu shoyu ramen. It’s topped with pork back fat, but don’t let that scare you off. It’s much lighter and cleaner than it looks, with a surprisingly smooth finish.
And the chashu? Practically dissolves the moment it touches your tongue. Tiny pork-cloud technology ☁️🐖
If you’re exploring Ito and love ramen, this is absolutely worth a visit.
