Quroshio Ramen / Thick Pork Chashu, Rich Broth, Local Ingredients Served in Chiba Pref. Shop with Garage Aesthetic

By Futoshi Mori / Japan News Senior Writer

15:06 JST, March 16, 2026

A palm-lined avenue stretches toward the sea, lined on both sides with buildings with orange roofs and white walls. The area in front of the west exit of JR Tateyama Station, near the southern tip of Chiba Prefecture’s Boso Peninsula, is brimming with a tropical atmosphere.

A five-minute drive north along the coastal road brings you to Quroshio Ramen, a popular ramen shop known for its thick slices of pork chashu.

The exterior is eye-catching. The shop, custom-built using galvanized steel and resembling a U.S.-style garage called a California garage, features a maroon and white color scheme. It gives off a rugged yet stylish vibe. Reminiscent of buildings found on the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii, few would guess it’s a ramen shop on first glance.

I was greeted by the friendly owner, Takeshi Nishimaki, 48, and ordered his recommendation, the special Quroshio ramen (¥1,380 at the time of the interview). First, he sliced two pieces of chashu — both over one-centimeter thick — from two different blocks.

“We actually have quite a few customers who come here specifically for the chashu,” Nishimaki said. He said that the shop is packed with locals on weekdays and tourists on weekends.

The finished bowl of ramen is even more striking than the shop’s exterior. The two massive slices of chashu sit prominently in the bowl, accompanied by green onions, bean sprouts, menma, a seasoned egg and three sheets of nori seaweed. Globules of pork back fat float on the surface of the broth.

I went straight for one of the chashu slices and was surprised by how tender and easy it was to eat – it practically fell apart the moment I put it in my mouth. The flavor was deeply infused, and I also detected a subtle, distinctive aroma that reminded me of chashu found in Yokohama’s Chinatown.

“Both pieces of chashu are made using pork shoulder loin — one is from a fatty cut, and the other is from a leaner cut,” explained Nishimaki. The fatty slice I ate first had a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture, while the leaner slice had a more substantial, meaty bite. However, since both were tender, eating them wasn’t at all tiring.

The broth, a blend of pork back fat, thick soy sauce and pork bone and seafood stocks, has a rich, deep flavor. The seafood stock, made using dried mackerel and dried sardines, accents the bowl with a faint aroma. It pairs perfectly with the medium-thick noodles made for the shop by Tokyo’s Asakusa Kaikaro, a noodle manufacturer with whom it has a long-standing business relationship. It’s a well-balanced bowl, and I finished it in no time, despite the generous serving.

Using high-quality, local ingredients

“I aim for the point just before the meat starts to fall apart,” explains Nishimaki.

His homemade chashu was born from extensive research, driven by a desire to serve “thick slices” to create “ramen with a powerful impact.” While the specifics of the recipe are a trade secret, he uses a pressure cooker with his own technique to achieve that high level of tenderness, and then spends two full days ensuring the flavor is thoroughly infused.

The ramen also contains a wide variety of local ingredients. The mackerel flakes used in the seafood broth are “Boshu-bushi,” a high-quality local variety that has been produced since the Edo period. The shop uses a traditionally brewed soy sauce from Miya Shoyu store in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, and the eggs are sourced from Tateyama. The rice used by the shop is also grown in Tateyama.

On weekends and holidays, the shop serves its “Rich Miso Ramen” topped with peanut powder from Kimura Peanuts, a well-known peanut shop in Tateyama. The peanuts apparently enhance the richness and aroma.

Moving from central Tokyo

Nishimaki was born and raised in Yanaka, Taito Ward, Tokyo. His wife, Miho, who is in charge of developing the shop’s concept, designing the menu and creating shop-related souvenirs, is from Shinjuku. The couple, both raised in the heart of the capital, moved to Tateyama during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A die-hard ramen lover, Nishimaki started working at a ramen shop when he was 20. He then trained at several different ramen shops.

After marrying Miho, whose family ran a barbershop, Nishimaki briefly worked in the barbering industry. However, even during that time, he kept making and studying ramen at home.

Nishimaki later returned to the ramen industry and was put in charge of a shop in Akabane, Kita Ward, Tokyo, where he served his own ramen for the first time. In 2017, driven by the desire to “make my mark with my own shop,” he opened his own independent ramen shop in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.

Business was going well, and the shop attracted many foreign customers. Located along the walking route connecting the New National Stadium — the main venue for the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 — and Harajuku Station, he dreamed of taking his business to new heights, capitalizing on the Games. However, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the Olympics were postponed.

Miho’s family has a vacation home in Tateyama, and the couple, who often visited there, grew fond of the area. They used to say, “Someday we’ll leave Tokyo and move to Tateyama.” Nishimaki said, “But with the pandemic, we decided, ‘Now’s the time,’ and moved up our plans.”

The couple moved to Tateyama and opened their first ramen shop in the city in November 2021. Determined to “make Tateyama their permanent home,” they had a Japanese company specializing in American-style garages build both their shop and residence at their current location, and they relocated in June 2024. Nishimaki says he loves all things American, including hip-hop and rap.

“People in Tateyama have traditionally preferred rich ramen with a strong flavor,” says Nishimaki. Having observed the preferences of locals at his first shop, Nishimaki decided, “I want to create a shop loved by both locals and tourists.”

When the shop was relocated, Nishimaki completely revamped the menu, shifting focus from niboshi ramen with a strong seafood broth to the current rich ramen with a strong flavor. The response has been positive, and he says the number of customers has increased.

For Nishimaki, his current ramen is the culmination of 28 years of effort. “I want to help lift up the Tateyama and Minami-Boso area through my ramen,” he said with a smile.

Quroshio Ramen

925-30 Nako, Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture. Lunch hours: 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner hours (Friday and Saturday only): 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Closed on Monday and Thursday. Business hours and days off are subject to change. For details, visit the shop’s official Instagram (quroshio.ramen) or official X account (@quroshio_ramen).

Japanese version

【ラーメンは芸術だ！】千葉県館山市の「黒潮拉麺」分厚いチャーシューがど迫力、地元産の食材使った濃い口ラーメン