Published: February 26, 2026 | Reading Time: 9 minutes
Ramen is probably on your Japanese travel itinerary whether you planned it or not. If it's not, you probably need a better tour guide. You've seen the pictures, maybe watched a documentary about a chef who's spent 40 years perfecting one broth — and now you're standing in front of a vending machine at the entrance of a tiny shop with eight seats, the menu entirely in Japanese, and a line of locals behind you. The bowl will likely be great. Getting to the point of ordering it is the part that trips people up. These 20 words cover what you actually need: the broth types, the toppings, the customization options, and the few phrases that help you not look completely lost once you sit down.
On This Page
1. Why Ramen Vocabulary Matters2. The Four Broth Types3. Noodles & Texture4. Toppings5. Customization & Ordering Options6. Ordering Phrases & Etiquette7. Beyond Ramen: Keep Learning8. Frequently Asked Questions1. Why Ramen Vocabulary Matters
Most tourist-area restaurants have English menus or picture menus, or both. Ramen shops often don't. The really good ones — the ones with a line at 11 AM — tend to be single-focus places with hand-written chalkboards, laminated Japanese-only menus, or a ticket vending machine where you have about 30 seconds to pick before someone expects you to move. Knowing what the words mean is the difference between ordering what you want and pointing at something and hoping.
Beyond just ordering, a few of these words let you customize your bowl — noodle firmness, broth richness, extra fat, extra garlic. That customization is a real part of the ramen experience at many shops, and it's completely inaccessible if you don't know what you're being asked.
2. The Four Broth Types
Most ramen shops specialize in one or two of these styles rather than doing all four. Before you walk in, it's worth knowing which one you're about to eat — both so you know what to expect, and because some shops will ask you to confirm at the counter.
- とんこつTonkotsuPork bone broth
Rich, milky, and heavy — the result of boiling pork bones for hours until they break down completely. Originally from Fukuoka (Hakata) in Kyushu, but now found all over Japan. If someone asks what kind of ramen you want and you don't have a preference, this is a safe, crowd-pleasing answer.
- しょうゆShoyuSoy sauce broth
Clear to amber-brown in color, with a savory, slightly sweet flavor from soy sauce seasoning. Usually based on chicken or dashi stock. The most common style in Tokyo. If the menu just says ramen without specifying, it's probably shoyu.
- しおShioSalt broth
The lightest of the four. Clear or pale gold, seasoned with salt rather than soy or miso. Often made with chicken, seafood, or both. If you've been eating rich, heavy food for three days and need something that won't sit like a brick — this is it.
- みそMisoFermented soybean paste broth
Rich and complex with a slightly earthy, umami-forward flavor. Associated with Sapporo in Hokkaido, where it developed partly to stand up to cold winters. Often served with corn and butter as standard toppings in the Hokkaido style.
Two More Broth Terms Worth Knowing
You'll also see these two words on menus, usually as descriptors rather than broth base types:
3. Noodles & Texture
At many ramen shops — especially Hakata-style tonkotsu places — you'll be asked how you want your noodles cooked. This happens at the counter, right after you sit down. If you don't know these words, you'll either stare blankly or just say hai to whatever they ask and end up with a default. Which is fine. But knowing gives you control over the actual experience.
- 麺MenNoodles
The word for noodles. Knowing this one lets you parse a lot of menu items — men katame means firm noodles, men yawarakame means soft. You'll also see it in compound words like kaedama (extra noodles — covered below).
- かためKatameFirm noodles
The preferred choice for most ramen regulars — noodles with more bite, less likely to go soggy in the broth. If you've ever had noodles turn to mush before you finished the bowl, this is the word that prevents that. Often shortened to kata.
- やわらかめYawarakameSoft noodles
Cooked longer, softer texture. Some people prefer it — nothing wrong with that. If you're not sure, the default (futsuu) is usually somewhere in the middle and is completely fine.
- 替え玉KaedamaExtra noodles
This is the word that makes Hakata-style tonkotsu shops legendary. When your noodles are almost gone but you still have broth left, you call out kaedama and a fresh batch of noodles gets added to your bowl. It's a small fee (usually 100–200 yen) and very much worth doing once. Don't wait until your broth is cold.
4. Toppings
Standard bowls come with a set of default toppings. Some shops let you add more, and many ticket machines have topping buttons you can select alongside your base order. These are the ones you'll actually encounter — worth knowing both so you know what's in your bowl and so you can ask for extras.
- チャーシューChashuBraised pork belly or shoulder
The main protein in most ramen bowls — slow-braised pork, usually rolled and sliced. Quality varies a lot between shops. When a shop's chashu is good, it's genuinely one of the better bites of food you'll have. Chashu-men means a bowl with extra chashu, if you want to go all in.
- 味付け卵 / 煮玉子Ajitsuke tamago / NitamagoMarinated soft-boiled egg
A soft-boiled egg that's been marinated in soy sauce, mirin, and sometimes sake until the white is brown and the yolk is jammy. Often listed as ajitama for short on menus and ticket machines. If the base bowl doesn't include one, it's worth adding — usually 100–150 yen.
- のりNoriDried seaweed
The thin sheets of dried seaweed standing upright in the broth. Mostly there for presentation, but they absorb broth quickly and add a bit of umami as they soften. Let them soak for a minute before eating.
- メンマMenmaBamboo shoots
Fermented and seasoned bamboo shoots — pale yellow, slightly crunchy. One of the most common ramen toppings and one that confuses a lot of first-timers who aren't sure what they're eating. Now you know.
- ねぎNegiGreen onion / scallion
Chopped and scattered on top — adds a fresh, slightly sharp bite that cuts through rich broth. Some shops use white leek instead of green onion. Either way, it's usually listed as negi on the menu.
- もやしMoyashiBean sprouts
Common in miso ramen especially. Adds texture and lightens the bowl slightly. In Sapporo-style miso ramen, you'll often get a generous pile of them along with corn and a pat of butter.
5. Customization & Ordering Options
At Hakata-style tonkotsu shops in particular, you'll often be handed a small form or asked verbally about your preferences. The questions come quickly. These are the words that let you answer them without just nodding at everything.
- にんにくNinnikuGarlic
A common add-on at tonkotsu shops, usually offered as fresh minced garlic that you can stir into the broth yourself. The answer is ari (yes, I want it) or nashi (no, skip it). Worth saying yes to at least once, especially on your first bowl — it's a significant flavor change.
- 背脂SeaburaBack fat
Pork back fat, offered as an optional addition that gets ladled over the top of the bowl. It melts into the broth as you eat and makes an already rich tonkotsu even heavier. If you want the full, unapologetic Hakata ramen experience, say yes. If you're already nervous about the fat content, skip it.
- 辛さKarasaSpice level
Some shops ask about spice preference. The word for spicy is karai; karasa nashi or karakunai means no spice. If you're at a shop that offers a spicy option as an upgrade and you're comfortable with heat, it's usually worth trying — they've calibrated it for the broth.
- 大盛りOomoriLarge serving / extra noodles
An upgrade to a larger portion of noodles in the same bowl. Usually available at no extra charge or a small fee at some shops. If you're hungry — and ramen bowls can be smaller than they look — this is the word you want.
- 半ライスHan raisuHalf serving of rice
A small bowl of plain white rice, often free or very cheap at tonkotsu shops. The intended use: when you finish the noodles, add rice to the remaining broth and eat it like a porridge. This is not a tourist gimmick — it's how regulars finish the bowl and avoid wasting broth they paid good money for.
6. Ordering Phrases & Etiquette
Most ramen shops are set up to minimize conversation — ticket machines, counter seating, and clear visual menus make the ordering process fairly self-contained. But a few phrases help, especially when the machine doesn't have an English option or when the staff asks a follow-up question after you sit down.
- 一人ですHitori desuI'm alone / one person
The first thing you'll likely need to say when you enter. Counter ramen is one of the few dining situations where eating alone is completely standard — no one will look twice. Just hold up one finger and say hitori desu and you'll be pointed to a seat.
- これをくださいKore o kudasaiThis one, please
If the shop doesn't have a ticket machine and you're ordering at the counter, point at the menu item and say this. Works every time, no additional vocabulary required.
- 普通でFutsuu deNormal / default, please
The most underrated phrase at any customization-heavy ramen shop. When they ask about noodle firmness, broth richness, and garlic level and you just want a good bowl without making five decisions — futsuu de tells them to give you the standard version. It's what most regulars order on their first visit to a new shop anyway.
- おいしいですOishii desuIt's delicious
Worth saying as you leave, especially at a small owner-operated shop. Ramen chefs who've spent years perfecting a broth do notice when someone says this. You don't need to perform enthusiasm — a straightforward oishii desu, arigatou gozaimasu as you stand up is plenty.
- ごちそうさまでしたGochisousama deshitaThank you for the meal
Said as you leave the restaurant. A set expression of gratitude for the meal — not just the food, but the effort behind it. At a ramen counter where the chef is right in front of you and has been cooking since 6 AM, this lands noticeably better than just walking out. Most Japanese diners say it automatically.
A Note on Ticket Vending Machines
Many ramen shops — especially busy ones — use a券売機 (kenbaiki), a ticket vending machine near the entrance. You buy your meal ticket before sitting down. A few things worth knowing:
- The most popular item is usually the first or largest button on the machine. If you're paralyzed by choice, that one is probably the shop's signature bowl.
- Topping add-ons are usually smaller buttons off to the side — look for words like ajitama (marinated egg) or chashu.
- If the machine only accepts cash and you only have large bills, there's almost always a change slot. Don't panic.
- Hand the ticket to the staff when you sit down, or leave it on the counter in front of you — they'll pick it up.
7. Beyond Ramen: Keep Learning
Ramen vocabulary is a useful slice of the larger world of Japanese food language — and food language is one of the more practical reasons to learn Japanese before a trip. Once you can read katakana, a huge chunk of menu vocabulary becomes readable on sight, because Japanese uses katakana to write foreign loanwords. ビール (bīru) is beer. コーヒー (kōhī) is coffee. Even ラーメン (rāmen) is ramen.
If you want to go further — enough to read menus, navigate signs, or start to understand what people are saying to you — the gap between phrase-memorizing and actual comprehension is listening practice. The best way to build it before a trip is regular exposure to native Japanese content at a level you can follow along with.
Tools That Help Before You Board the Plane
A few things to consider depending on where you are in your Japanese:
- Learning kana: Katakana takes about a week of regular practice and makes menus dramatically more readable. Our Kana Challenge works through both hiragana and katakana with audio and timed quizzes — see our full kana learning guide if you want a structured approach.
- Building listening comprehension: Reading native Japanese content while listening to it read aloud trains your ear and vocabulary at the same time. YoMoo provides daily Japanese articles with TTS audio and instant word lookups — practical in short daily sessions.
- Structured grammar and fluency: If you want to go beyond phrases and actually build conversation ability, Fluency Tool covers JLPT-focused content, shadowing exercises, and grammar activities with AI voice recognition.
Also worth reading: our guide to building Japanese vocabulary naturally and how immersive reading works as a learning method.
The Short Version
Know your broth type before you walk in. Learn katame if you care about noodle texture. Say kaedama when the noodles run out. Say gochisousama deshita when you leave. Everything else is optional — but the bowl will be good regardless, because Japan takes ramen seriously in a way that doesn't really require your participation to pull off.
Explore the "Essential Phrases" Series
Ramen is just the start. Here are the other guides in this series for specific situations you'll actually run into:
Survival Phrases
The 20 phrases that cover most daily situations — greetings, ordering, directions, emergencies.
Read Now →
On Transportation
Trains, buses, IC cards, and how to ask for help when the transfer doesn't make sense.
Read Now →
Ramen Vocabulary
You're here. Broth types, toppings, customization, and what to say at the counter.
Current Article