Ramen Girls Festival 2018 ラーメン女子博

This second edition of the Ramen Girls Festival takes place from April 26 to May 6, 2018, and this time it'll be held, not in Yokohama like last time but in Nakano, Tokyo. The idea for the festival was launched by blogger Satoko Morimoto, who enjoys eating no less than 600 bowls of ramen a year! Despite the name everyone's welcome at the festival, both men and women: it's about changing the "masculine" image of ramen. It's true that until recently, women tended to avoid eating ramen, not just because of the high amount of fat in the dish, but also because the smell tends to permeate clothes. Not only that but many ramen restaurants were usually full of men, and the atmosphere could be intimidating. Morimoto argues that women have just as much right to eat a good bowl of ramen in public, and we couldn't agree more! Ramen is one of the best-known Japanese dishes, and it would be a shame to miss out.

The 2018 festival

Entry to the festival is free and allows you to access a dozen ramen booths throughout the day, each offering its own recipe. This is a great opportunity to discover ramen specialties from different regions of Japan, just a few meters from each other. Of course, there are also several beverage stands of all kinds, from fruit juice to the inevitable Asahi beer. The price is around $8 for a bowl of ramen, and you get what you pay for. In fact, choose your bowl well, because you won't be hungry for a second helping! The stalls stop serving from 20:30 (19:30 on Sunday), so don't be late!

いただきます！ Let's eat! 

Useful information :

Address : 4 Chome-13 Nakano, Tokyo 164-0001

Hours : from 11:00 to 21:00 (20:00 on Sunday)

Access : Nakano Station (JR Chuo-Sobu and Chuo lines, Tozai Line)

Price : Free admission; bowl of ramen around 900 yen ($8)

Official website (Japanese only)