The Yo-Kai Express ramen vending machine at Haneda Airport has introduced two new menu items in collaboration with the popular ramen chain Ippudo! Guests can now enjoy Ippudo’s Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen and Ippudo’s Plant-based Tonkotsu-style Ramen. Guests can also enjoy Chicken Yuzu Shio Ramen, Tokyo Shoyu Ramen, Kyushu Tonkotsu Ramen, and Sapporo Spicy Miso Ramen. Each order only takes 90 seconds to prepare, so if you’re rushing to chow down before your flight, this is the way to go!   *Yo-Kai Express is a start-up company headquartered in Silicon Valley developing ramen vending machines. The company’s name comes from the word yokai (monsters) and reflects the brand’s desire to entertain people whenever and wherever they are. 

teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM, located in Toyosu, Tokyo, have completed the refurbishment of their outdoor food stand, opening Vegan Ramen UZU Tokyo on October 8 2021. The new shop allows customers to eat vegan ramen from Kyoto in a new art space from teamLab. In addition, the teamLab Flower Shop & Art will be opening, a shop where customers can purchase orchids previously used in one of the group's art pieces to take home with them.        

Menu

 

Vegan Ramen Flower (Cool): ¥1,980 (Tax Incl.)

 

Vegan Ramen Tea: ¥1,650 (Tax Incl.)

 

Vegan Ramen Soy Sauce: ¥1,320 (Tax Incl.)

 

Vegan Ramen Miso (Spicy): ¥1,320 (Tax Incl.)

   

Newly Released Works

  Reversible Rotation - Non-Objective Space, teamLab, 2021     Table of Sky and Fire, teamLab Architects, 2021     Floating Flower Garden: Flower, Myself and Cognate, Garden and Myself as One

      teamLab Planets Original Tote Bag      The menu at Vegan Ramen UZU uses no animal products like meat or fish, instead condensing the taste of vegetables into a delicious ramen that you can enjoy in a space designed by teamLab. Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto first opened in March 2020 to great popularity, with many customers queuing for over an hour to get inside the store. At the new Tokyo store, customers can enjoy a bowl of vegan ramen while enjoying teamLab's latest art installations, the Non-Objective Space and the Table of Sky and Fire.Not only that, you can also take home some of the orchids used in the Floating Flower Garden: Flower, Myself and Cognate, Garden and Myself as One exhibit that was held from July 2, along with a section of teamLab merchandise such as stickers, patches, postcards, and more, at the newly opened teamLab Flower Shop & Art store.   Look forward to tasting this healthy ramen while immersed in an artistic space!  

Gion's Tatsumi Bridge, a picturesque area plucked straight from a painting. From there, continue south and into the backstreets, you'll find the popular Kyoto Ramen store, Ramen Muraji.The bridge takes you over the Shirakawa River which flows into Lake Biwa, with the connecting street spanning a distance of only 180m, with paths the width of three adults. Once you head into the alley, the scenery will completely change.    The asphalt becomes cobblestone, surrounded by Kyoto-style lattice windows. Here you'll find Ramen Muraji, located in a renovated 100 year old Kyoto-style building, perfectly blending into its surroundings. At first glance you wouldn't believe it to be hiding a ramen shop,  with many people calling their discovery of the shop a once-in-a-lifetime encounter as they wander the streets of Gion.The back alleys of Gion retain the history of Kyoto, with hidden shops shrouded by curtains, gently glowing lanterns, and carefully handwritten signboards. Each spot has been crafted to become a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with those who visit.   

Ramen Muraji was built in the alley

Tatsumi Bridge, an area famous for retaining the distinctive Gion look.

Muraji's Speciality White Chicken Ramen

Gion has been popular with Kyoto tourists for years, surrounded by attractive buildings and cityscapes. Located here is the Yasaka Shrine, a world heritage site which hosts the annual Gion Summer Festival. While the locals rarely explore the area, Gion is full of traditional beauty that has inspired many novels, maintaining the culture and history that has been passed down for generations. Why not relive the splendor of Gion at Ramen Muraji, a shop that was born 、With its long history and culture that weaves towns, humans, and spirits together, why not relive the splendor of Gion with a historical cup of Muraji ramen?  Ramen Muraji is a space where anybody can enjoy ramen, surrounded by Kyoto-style interior decor and Japanese-style decorations. Their chicken ramen, boiled in a plain water soup, boasts a selection of carefully selected ingredients that condenses the taste of Kyoto's unique food culture. Kyoto Sake matched to the flavor of the ramen is also available.   Enjoy the charms of Kyoto's food for yourself at Ramen Muraji.  

As a company aiming to bring a new kind of happiness to many people, Ramen Kourakuen have announced their new slogan: All New Happy! In order to spread the message even further, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has been appointed as Kourakuen's new CKO - Chief Korekara (Future) Officer. Their new goal is to work towards each step of the New Happy 5 Plan in order to spread cheer across Japan.Plus, a new Kourakuen commercial featuring Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be released nationwide.   The special commercial will be promoting the new student discount set, where students will be able to enjoy ramen meals for ¥550 on weekdays, plus the mobile order service which allows customers to order their ramen in advance, meaning it'll be ready when you arrive.The students and workers shown in the commercial are so satisfied that their face morphs into Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's as she dons the Kourakuen logo on her cheek. Make sure to check out Kyary's China themed hair and costume!   

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Japanese ramen restaurant chain Tenkaippin. To celebrate, they have joined hands with men's apparel brand MONO-MART to release a collection of ramen-inspired t-shirts in collaboration with Japanese illustrator Isogai Hitohisa. The limited-edition collection dropped on ZOZOTOWN on June 10.    

Tenkaippin | Comment

"Thanks to all of our customers, Tenkaippin turns 50-years-old this year. It's a turning point for us, and so we've decided to develop products in collaboration with an apparel brand for the first time. We hope it helps to spread word of the Tenkaippin name amongst the youth. Designs include photos of when we first opened, illustrations drawn for us, and more. Please enjoy Tenkaippin through these super rare tees!"Each t-shirt in this collection is branded with Tenkaippin's logo along with their 'KOTTERI' logo. There's another with a photo of the brand's legendary founder Tsutomu Kimura, another with the encouraging message 'Righht effort,' and more. Other designs include illustrations by Isogai Hitohisa on the back, various photos, and so on.

Kamo Dashi Chuka Soba ROKU is a new ramen restaurant set to open at GOOD NATURE STATION, a shopping facility in Kyoto, on December 12, 2020.   The restaurant is produced by Yuki Iwasaki, a chef at VELROSIER which acquired its first Michelin Star in Michelin Guide 2021 Kyoto, Osaka & Okayama. It will serve ramen in a variety of duck-flavoured dashi broths made with duck from Kyoto and France.

Duck Sei Tanmen | ¥1,000

Duck Shiro Tanmen | ¥1,000

ROKU will initially offer three types of ramen dishes which includes the two pictured above as well as a special served each season. The Duck Sei Tanmen uses a broth made from a blend of duck meats and has a distinctly refreshing yet rich taste. The Duck Shiro Tanmen uses the same broth but adds chicken to the base together with mayu burnt garlic oil. The restaurant also makes its own thick noodles to enjoy with the soup. No tare sauce is used, allowing for customers to enjoy the umami flavour of the dashi and the various ingredients added.   The ramen bowls used are original wares created by TOKINOHA, a Japanese crockery brand specialising in traditional Kiyomizu ware which are perfect for enjoying your ramen.