Iekei Ramen Kakushinka Tokyo

1Before entering the shop

Located within "Tokyo Ramen Street" on B1F of Tokyo Station Ichibangai, about a 1-minute walk from Tokyo Station Yaesu Underground Central Exit. Open continuously from 09:00 to 23:00, seven days a week. It's a rare Iekei shop inside a station that opens at 9 AM, catering to morning ramen (asa-ra) demand. On weekday mornings, after 1 PM during idle times, and on weekday evenings, it's often possible to enter without a wait. During weekday lunch peaks, there's a queue of 8-10 people, and on Saturday nights, a consistent wait of 15-20 minutes. 2. Purchasing meal tickets and ordering There is a ticket vending machine at the storefront with photos and English display support. It features the signature "Kakushinka Special," "Ramen" (regular 1,000 yen), "Noritama Ramen," "Chiiyu Soba" (oil soba), "Chashu-men," and toppings like "Ajitsuke Seabura" (seasoned back fat), "Rice" (cheaper at lunch), and "Negi Char-han" (green onion chashu rice). Pre-purchase: Buy your meal ticket at the vending machine before joining the end of the queue. Payment is by cash and public transport e-money (Suica/PASMO, etc.) only; credit cards or QR code payments are not accepted. 3. Seating and receiving your order Layout includes 16 counter seats and 3 tables. Staff will guide you to an empty seat. When handing over your meal ticket, you verbally convey your "okonomi" (preferences) call (okonomi kōru), standard for Iekei, for "noodle hardness" (men no katasa) choosing from "katame" (firm), "kata" (firm), "futsu" (regular), "yawa" (soft), "yawa" (soft), and "oil amount" (abura no ryō) choosing from "abura oome" (extra oil), "futsu" (regular), "abura sukuname" (less oil). Soup richness (aji no kosa) is fixed at default and cannot be selected. Many staff members are non-Japanese but can assist in English, providing clear guidance for beginners. Service is speedy, typically around 5 minutes. 4. Others The tables are well-stocked with the shop's original flavor-changing items. "Kakushinka no Ninniku Miso" (Kakushinka's Garlic Miso) adds garlic depth, "Sappari Shouga" (Refreshing Ginger) lightens the taste in the latter half, "Steve Jobsu" (Steve Jobs Vinegar) is apple-vinegar based, and "Che Guevara Yu" (Che Guevara Oil) is a chili oil with ingredients. Although uniquely named, they offer a wide range of combinations. Standard Iekei eating methods are recommended: dipping nori (seaweed) in the soup and wrapping it around noodles, and for the affordable lunch rice, doing "raisu dobon" (dropping rice into the soup).