You have probably seen the photos: a mountain of bean sprouts, thick pork, and very thick noodles. That is Jiro-style ramen, one of the most loved bowls in Tokyo.
Yet you rarely see visitors from abroad in these shops. The reason is usually not the food. It is the ordering: at most Jiro-style shops, a staff member asks you about toppings in quick Japanese right before serving — this is called “the call.”
One shop removes that problem completely: Ore no Ikiru Michi (俺の生きる道) in Hakusan, Tokyo. Here you choose everything on a touch-panel ticket machine, so there is no call at all.
I visited the shop, and I have also cooked its frozen version at home. This guide shows how to order at the shop, and how the two compare.
At the shop — no call. Choose noodles, garlic, vegetables and back fat on the touch panel. The screen is in Japanese, so use my word list. Cash only.
At home — the same shop’s bowl is sold frozen on Takumen.com (delivery in Japan only). It comes with seasoned back fat on the side, just like the shop.
Best order for a first visit — 150 g of noodles and back fat “on the side” (free).
What is Ore no Ikiru Michi?
The name roughly means “the path I live by.” The owner, Mr. Kobayashi, is a former professional baseball player. He opened the shop in 2016 under the name “Yume wo Katare Tokyo” and renamed it in 2020.
Its frozen ramen has won the grand prize of the Otoriyose Ramen of the Year (a Japanese award for mail-order ramen) three times in a row and is in its hall of fame.
Shop information (from my visit in August 2026)
| Address | 5-36-14 Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 📍 Open in Google Maps |
| Name in Japanese | 俺の生きる道 白山店 (search this in your map app) |
| Nearest station | Hakusan Station (Toei Mita Line), Exit A1 — about a 5-minute walk |
| Hours (posted at the shop) | 11:00–15:00 / 17:30–22:00 |
| Closed | The sign said “open every day,” but some websites list Sunday as a closing day. Check the shop’s social media before you go. |
| Seats | 13 counter seats |
| Payment | Cash only |
| Pork | The soup is made from pork bones, and the topping is pork. I did not see a pork-free option on the machine. |
From Exit A1, take the stairs up to street level and go right — a postbox is your landmark. Turn right at the corner and walk straight along the sidewalk.
How to order at the shop (no call)
A sign at the entrance says it plainly: “Noodle amount, garlic, vegetables and back fat — your order is complete at the ticket machine.”
Japanese words to look for on the screen
You do not need to speak, but the touch panel is in Japanese only. The only English I saw was two stickers: “CASH ONLY” and “THE TICKET COMES OUT FROM HERE.” Take a screenshot of this list before you go.
| On the screen | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ラーメン | ramen | Ramen |
| 注文 | chūmon | Order (under each bowl) |
| 麺量 | men-ryō | Noodle amount |
| チャーシュー | chāshū | Pork slices |
| 野菜 | yasai | Vegetables |
| にんにく | ninniku | Garlic |
| 背脂 アブラ | seabura abura | Back fat |
| なし 少なめ 普通 | nashi sukuname futsū | None Less Regular |
| マシ マシマシ | mashi mashi-mashi | More Extra-extra |
| 別皿 | betsu-zara | On a separate dish |
| 辛アブラ | kara-abura | Spicy back fat |
| 決定 | kettei | Confirm your options |
| 次へ | tsugi e | Next (go on to payment) |
| 最初から やりなおす | saisho kara yarinaosu | Start over |
The flow is: tap 注文 under ラーメン, choose your options, tap 決定, then tap 次へ and pay.
Step 1: Choose your bowl on the touch panel
The standard Ramen is 1,100 yen. Soupless noodles (“shirunashi”) and salt soupless noodles are 1,150 yen.
Step 2: Choose your options
After you pick a bowl, the screen asks about each option in turn:
| Option | Choices |
|---|---|
| Noodle amount | 300 g is standard (free). 150 g is 50 yen less, and 500 g is +200 yen |
| Pork | 1 slice is standard (free). 2 slices +250 yen / 3 +400 yen / 4 +600 yen |
| Garlic | None / less / regular / more (free) / extra-extra (+100 yen) |
| Vegetables | None / less / regular / more (free) / extra-extra (+100 yen) |
| Back fat | None / less / regular / more, served on the side (free) / extra-extra (+100 yen) / spicy (free) |
Step 3: Pay, hand over your ticket, and sit down
The machine takes cash only. I believe it accepted a 10,000-yen note, but smaller notes are safer.
The ticket comes out below the screen. Hand it to a staff member. I was told “O-suki na seki ni suwatte kudasai” — please sit anywhere you like. Water is self-service. Then just wait. Nobody asks you about toppings.
On a Saturday in August (a holiday week), I arrived at 11:01 with one customer ahead of me and no line. I ordered at 11:03, and my bowl came at 11:08.
That was right after opening, in Obon, the summer holiday week. The shop is known for lines, so expect a wait around noon and on ordinary weekends.
Even with 150 g, the bowl looked like a full Jiro bowl.
Step 4: When you finish
Put your bowl up on the counter and wipe your spot with the cloth. That is all.
What it was like
- Soup: pork bone and soy sauce, slightly emulsified. Mellow — not as heavy as the thick, creamy style, and not as sharp as the clear style.
- Noodles: thick and wavy, chewy and a little soft.
- Pork: thick pork shoulder, tender when you bite into it.
- Vegetables: soft, and already seasoned.
The best part: back fat on the side, for free
Choose back fat “on the side,” and it comes in a separate dish. You can add it to your bowl — or put some noodles into the dish and mix. That turns it into “abura soba,” a different dish in the middle of your ramen.
There is black pepper and chili oil on the counter. A little of each makes a spicy version.
Coming with children?
Honestly, it is difficult with small children. There are only 13 counter seats, and I did not see any child seats. With school-age children who can sit at the counter, it is possible, especially with the 150 g option.
The same shop at home: the frozen “Yume no Ramen”
If you live in Japan, you can have this shop’s ramen at home. Its signature bowl, Yume no Ramen (with seasoned back fat), is sold frozen on Takumen.com, an online shop for frozen ramen from famous shops.
The box has three packs: noodles, soup, and seasoned back fat with chunks of pork shoulder. The label says 730 g in total, with 290 g of noodles.
I weighed everything
| My measurement | |
|---|---|
| Frozen noodles (with the bag) | 329.5 g |
| Soup (with the bag) | 416.0 g |
| Seasoned back fat with pork (with the bag) | 341.5 g |
| Noodles after boiling | 470.0 g |
| Finished bowl (with vegetables and garlic) | 1,674 g |
That is a lot of ramen. My wife and I shared one bowl, and it was just right for the two of us.
How I cook it
- Warm the soup pouch in boiling water for 12 minutes, and the back fat pouch for 3–5 minutes. The same pot is fine.
- Shake the soup pouch well before opening it. If the oil separates, the soup tastes thin.
- Boil the noodles in at least 2 liters of water for about 5–7 minutes. I take them out 30 seconds to 1 minute earlier than the package says, so they stay firm.
- Add boiled bean sprouts and cabbage and chopped garlic (not included — buy them at a supermarket).
🛒 Ore no Ikiru Michi “Yume no Ramen” on Takumen.com
At the shop vs. at home
| At the shop (Hakusan) | At home (Takumen.com) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 1,050 yen (my order, 150 g noodles). Cash only | 1,544 yen + shipping (September 2026) |
| Noodles | 300 g standard (150 g or 500 g also possible). I chose 150 g | 290 g → 470 g after boiling |
| Soup | Slightly emulsified, mellow | Mild pork and soy, easy to drink |
| Pork | Pork shoulder, tender | Chunks of pork shoulder in the seasoned fat |
| Back fat | On the side, free | Seasoned fat in a separate pack |
| Vegetables | Included, soft and seasoned | Buy and boil them yourself |
| Wait | No line at 11:00 on a holiday Saturday. Expect a line around noon | None |
| With small children | Difficult (counter seats only) | Easy |
What surprised me most was the back fat. The frozen version also comes with the seasoned fat in a separate pack — the same idea as the shop. So you can make “abura soba” at home too.
The portion is about the same. The shop’s standard ramen is 300 g of noodles (shown on the ticket machine), and the frozen version has 290 g. I chose 150 g at the shop, so I have not eaten the 300 g bowl there myself.
Ordering from Takumen.com (for people living in Japan)
・Delivery is within Japan only (Takumen’s guide says nationwide, except some remote islands).
・The website is in Japanese. Your browser’s translate feature works well enough to order.
・You need a kitchen and at least two pots.
・Visiting from abroad? This is not a souvenir. It cannot be shipped overseas, and the soup contains pork — many countries restrict bringing meat products in.
How to order
- Create a free account on Takumen.com
- Add “Yume no Ramen” to your cart
- Enter a delivery address in Japan
- Pay — credit card, Rakuten Pay, PayPay, Paidy, cash on delivery, or Yamato deferred payment
- It arrives frozen by Yamato cool delivery, usually in about 2–5 days
Shipping: order several at once
Shipping is 1,100 yen plus 176 yen per serving (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu). One serving costs 1,276 yen to ship, but ten servings bring it down to about 286 yen each (as of September 2026).
🛒 See “Yume no Ramen” on Takumen.com
Popular bowls often sell out. I check the stock every day: Jiro-style ramen in stock today (in Japanese)
FAQ
More (in Japanese)
- My full visit report: Ore no Ikiru Michi Hakusan (with a photo route from the station) (in Japanese)
- My full review of the frozen “Yume no Ramen” (in Japanese)
About the author
Menkatsu Papa — a Tokyo-area dad who has been eating Jiro-style ramen for over 20 years. I visit the shops, and I have cooked more than 30 frozen bowls at home and weighed them. This site is mostly in Japanese; this guide is my first page in English. If it helps, I will write more.
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