Breakfast Ramen in Tokyo: How to Start Your Day with a Bowl of Noodles
- Frank
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
Breakfast ramen in Tokyo is not the norm.
In fact, Tokyo is famously bad at breakfast. Most restaurants don’t open until 10 or 11 a.m., cafés are limited, and many travelers quickly learn that convenience stores end up filling the gap.
That’s what makes breakfast ramen so interesting.
Scattered around the city are a handful of ramen shops that quietly open their doors early. Some serve gentle, shoyu-based bowls that make perfect sense in the morning. Others…absolutely do not (think super heavy ramen).
Here are four very different places in Tokyo where breakfast ramen actually works.
Mensouan Sunada (麺創庵 砂田)
Open from 8:00 a.m. (Closed Mondays & Thursdays)
If you want a calm, sensible entry point into breakfast ramen, this is it.
Sunada serves a clean, shoyu (soy sauce)-based bowl inspired by Shirakawa-style ramen. The soup leans on Nagoya Cochin chicken, with no chemical seasoning, and the noodles are a real highlight. They're springy and perfect for a lighter morning bowl.
This is ramen that feels appropriate at 8 a.m.
They’re also known for their dumplings, which pair beautifully with the ramen if you have the appetite. I missed them on my visit, but they’re worth ordering if you get the chance. Map Link
Ramen Horiuchi (らぁめん ほりうち 新宿本店)
Open from 8:00 a.m. daily (Sundays from 10:00 a.m.)
Horiuchi is old-school Tokyo ramen through and through.
This is a light, classic shoyu ramen built on a pork and chicken soup base. Nothing flashy. It’s the kind of bowl salarymen have been eating for decades before or after work.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add natto to your ramen here. Yellow and foamy natto is not for everyone, but undeniably memorable.
They also serve a dipping-style ramen with a stronger, more assertive flavor, giving you options depending on how awake you’re feeling.
Rokurinsha (六厘舎 東京ラーメンストリート店)
Open daily from 7:30 a.m.
If you’ve ever seen long lines for tsukemen (dipping ramen) in Tokyo, there’s a good chance Rokurinsha was involved.
This shop is a pioneer of rich tsukemen, combining pork-based depth with strong fish flavors. It’s bold. It’s heavy. And later in the day, the wait can be brutal.
That’s why morning is the move. Arrive early and you can sit down without the chaos. The soup is thick, intense, and deeply satisfying. This is absolutely not a “light breakfast,” but if you’re already up, why not go all in?
Rokurinsha’s reputation also traveled overseas, helped along by chefs like David Chang praising it publicly. On Tokyo Ramen Street, it remains one of the most popular stops - and mornings are when it shines.
Ramen Jiro Mita (ラーメン二郎 三田本店)
Open from 8:30 a.m. (Closed Sundays & holidays)
Let’s be honest. Most people should not start their day with Jiro. But some people do - and that’s what makes Tokyo great.
Ramen Jiro Mita is the origin point of Jiro-style ramen: a fatty, pork-heavy soup, massive portions, thick noodles, and a mountain of vegetables topped with garlic if you want it. The ordering system is famously intense. The portions are unapologetically huge.
It’s a cult favorite among university students and devoted regulars. For breakfast, it’s less about nourishment and more about commitment. You don’t come here casually. You decide who you are first - then you order.
Why Breakfast Ramen in Tokyo Works
Some bowls ease you into the day. Others throw you straight into the deep end.
If this idea sounds appealing - but you’d rather not navigate it alone - we also run a Breakfast Ramen Tour in Toky (with mini bowls), designed to show you how locals actually do it, without overdoing it.
Early bowls, good pacing, and a proper start to the day!
Because in Tokyo, breakfast doesn’t have to be toast.
