Kouya no Ramen is a ramen shop with a Wild West theme. It’s one of the popular ninja-style ramen shops around Hamamatsu.

The place

You can spot the sign from far away.

The other side

They really commit to the concept. That said, so many people come here that parking is a bit of a struggle..

Ticket machine

Besides the ninja-style ramen, they sell all sorts of other kinds too. I suspect it’s because the ninja style is so intense that they offer menu items regular customers can enjoy as well. Ninja-style ramen is just too strong for some people.

Inside

They were hard at work.

Jim Beam

Details like this stay true to the concept too.

Oh my..

Overall they pull off the Wild West vibe nicely. I have no idea what ninjas have to do with Westerns, though.. but I guess that’s just how it is..

Inside

It’s pretty spacious.

Instagram

Gotta keep up with the trends..

Seating

Even this follows the Wild West theme..

Shina soba

I added an ajitama..

Noodles

The shina soba here is a rich soy sauce ramen known as ninja-style, or Enshu Black. It’s so salty you can’t finish the broth.. It’s a ramen with a certain Showa-era feel to it.. I suspect it might be the prototype of Jiro-style ramen.. The flavor here is so intense that people either love it or hate it, but it’s addictive and I find myself craving it now and then. The chashu was cooked nice and tender too..

Harami don

This one is seriously delicious. It’s grilled harami (skirt steak) piled on a heap of green onions, and for 400 yen, the meat just melts in your mouth.. A yakiniku place could easily charge a thousand yen for the harami alone. Maybe that’s why everyone who comes here orders it.. Who knew a side dish could be this good..

Assorted decor

Flour and a mill

They have things like this in the shop too.

Inside

Great food and a fun visit. Finding a renowned shop tucked away in the mountains like this is part of the charm of the countryside. As long as you have a location and a parking lot, people will come no matter where it is.. Running a business this way looks like a good life.

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