Neko to Tsuki / Top-Quality Tokyo Ramen Served by Female Shop Owner and Staff; Location Filled with Warm Atmosphere

By Futoshi Mori / Japan News Senior Writer

10:06 JST, April 10, 2026

A small ramen shop with the charming name “Neko to Tsuki” (Cat and Moon) in Chofu, Tokyo, serves a carefully crafted, gentle-flavored ramen. The owner, Mizuki Ogawa, and all the staff are women. The shop is filled with a soft, warm atmosphere.

It’s about a 4-minute walk south from the Keio Line’s Nishi-Chofu Station. When I arrived at the shop on the first floor of a building and was taking photos from the outside, Ogawa greeted me with a smile, saying, “Thank you for coming today,” as she opened the door.

When I previously visited as a customer, I tried the limited-edition “Umakara Tantanmen.” The mellow yet spicy broth was exquisite, and it was the first time in a while that I’d enjoyed a refreshing sweat from eating ramen. This time, I ordered the shop’s standard menu item, “chuka soba” (¥900 at the time of my visit). Given the choice between broth made with soy sauce or salt, I opted for the salt version.

The dish features a light, translucent broth, with white, medium-thin straight noodles forming a beautiful pattern. Topped with a single slice of chashu pork and two meatballs, it’s garnished with komatsuna Japanese mustard spinach greens for a touch of color. The overall impression is simple and elegant.

The broth is light yet has depth, and it’s absorbed smoothly into the body. I could feel my body welcoming it. Ogawa explained, “In addition to clams and kombu seaweed, I make the broth using seasonal dried ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and bonito flakes.”

The broth is also used for the soy sauce-flavored chuka soba. The difference lies in whether a blend of three types of salt — including rock salt — is used, or a blend of three types of soy sauce. Ogawa said, “Soy sauce gives the broth a sharper edge than salt.”

The glutenous noodles are also incredibly delicious. Ogawa took a liking to the noodles from “Deguchi Seimen,” a long-established noodle maker in Hakodate, Hokkaido, which she encountered during her training days.

“The [noodle maker’s] president is very passionate about his research and makes various suggestions. These noodles go perfectly with my broth,” says Ogawa. Custom-made noodles made from a blend of wheat, including Hokkaido-grown wheat, are shipped to the shop by air.

One of the toppings — a single ball of fried fish paste — is fried upon order so customers can enjoy it piping hot. Along with a white chicken meatball, a slice of homemade pork shoulder chashu and komatsuna greens, these toppings maintain a perfect balance within the bowl without overshadowing the simple, high-quality ramen.

“My ramen isn’t heavy on your stomach,” Ogawa said. Indeed, my stomach felt light even after I finished off the broth. The secret lies in the oil. She uses a blend of dried sardine oil, olive oil and scallion oil. To prevent oxidation, Ogawa avoids making large batches and always ensures she uses fresh oil.

Another highlight of the shop’s ramen is the house-made onion and pepper paste. Adding it to your ramen after eating around half gives it a refreshing spiciness that really whets the appetite. It’s kept in a small jar on the counter, and you can add as much as you like.

The menu features a variety of dishes based on chuka soba, and there is always limited-edition ramen available.

On the day of my visit, there were three limited-edition options. Among these, the “Sengyo Soba (fresh fish ramen)” — made with broth simmered with sea bream, skilfish and dried ingredients, seasoned with junmai ginjo Japanese sake — was Ogawa’s recommendation, and it was well-received by customers.

Decision amid pandemic

Although all the staff, including six members who work rotating shifts, are female, Ogawa said, “It just happened that way.” She explained that all six were customers of the shop.

They liked her ramen so much they decided to work there. Ogawa ensures that her staff strictly adheres to her motto: “Treat customers with kindness and make sure they leave satisfied.” I felt that this approach creates the shop’s warm atmosphere.

The shop opened in July 2023. It all began during the COVID-19 pandemic when she decided to open her own shop. Originally from Utsunomiya, Ogawa left her hometown around the age of 20 to work in the beauty industry in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and later moved to Chofu after getting married. When the pandemic hit, she was working part-time at a branch of “Shibasaki-tei,” a famous ramen shop in Chofu.

The pandemic struck the food service industry directly, and some of her part-time colleagues were forced to quit.

Amid the anxiety over her unstable employment status and the gloomy atmosphere that had engulfed society, Ogawa decided, “I’ve always loved cooking, so I want to open my own shop and see the smiles on my customers’ faces.”

She consulted with the owner of Shibasaki-tei, trained there for one year and seven months, and finally opened her shop.

Ogawa is a huge cat lover who keeps three cats at home. The shop is stuffed with small cat figurines.

She named the shop using a character from her own name and the Japanese word for cat. She says her friends have always called her “Mie-chan” or “Chan-Mie.” The full name of the shop is “Neko to Tsuki chan mie noodles.”

The small shop with seven counter seats is thriving, drawing mainly local customers. The number of regulars has also grown. Ogawa works hard every day, enjoying the happy expressions of her customers.

She is aiming for her next goal, saying, “Someday, I want to open a shop with table seating where families can come and relax.”

Neko to Tsuki chan mie noodles

2-21-5 Kamiishihara, Chofu, Tokyo. Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner: 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (from 5:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays). Closed on Tuesday evenings, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For more details, visit the shop’s official X (@chanmienoodles).

Japanese version

【ラーメンは芸術だ！】調布の小さなラーメン店「猫と月」、シンプルで淡麗な味に心も体も温まる