Recommended bowl: Original Toyama Black

Opened by master Aoki Seikan in 1947, this is the original Toyama black ramen. When the bowl was first created it was meant to be an 'okazu' or side dish, and at the time it was common for customers to bring in their own rice from home to eat with their ramen. The soup contains chicken carcasses, but the real draw is the shoyu tare, made with five types of soy sauce and one secret ingredient. Noodles are supplied by Niimura Seimen. This original flagship is still in the same location since 1947, however it closed down by the original owners in 2000, and was sold to a larger company which has since franchised it. There are now a handful of branches in Toyama, but of course this one remains the most famous.