The Most Legendary Ramen Shop In Japan

2 hours outside of Tokyo, lies Japan's #1 ramen shop. Starting at 6 A.M., Iida Shota and his handful of apprentices work endlessly to craft every component of their ramen from scratch, including fresh noodles, a premium pork chicken hybrid soup that takes 2 full days, hand-cut scallions in perfect circles, Jidori chicken wontons, roast Kurobuta pork chashu, and much more. Located in the quiet seaside town of Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Ramen Iida Shoten serves 60 guests a day, but getting a seat may be difficult.

What makes their ramen the best in Japan? I found out quite quickly.

5 months of editing later, I am proud to present one of my favorite stories.

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Ramen Iida Shoten:

Japan, 〒259-0303 Kanagawa, Ashigarashimo District, Yugawara, Doi, 2 Chome−１２−14

Iida Shoten Official Accounts:

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Music Credits:

Kainbeats - you're glowing

HOYO-MIX / Yu-peng Chen
Island of Crystal and Pearl
Legend of Redemption
Myriad of Lights (Fleeting Colors In Flight)

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[tridek]

You know what? At this point I think I'd watch you make films about pretty much anything, food related or not.

[alvinzhoufilms]

some music thought processes:

1:46 - I wanted to capture the calm and quiet of Yoneda-san working by himself in the early hours of the morning. While capturing this scene, it was serenely peaceful, with the spare squawk of a bird or the crackling of the charcoal being ignited. I wanted a song that captured working in a slow environment, even though the work itself is not slow. I discovered @kainbeats during the editing process, and his ability to create a gentle but evocative atmosphere with his piano and beats set him apart from the countless "lo-fi" songs I've heard, so I knew I wanted to use his music for this scene. The song is you're glowing - kainbeats.

11:40 - When Iida-san starts up the noodle cutting machine, it felt like the atmosphere in the room instantly kicked up to 5th gear (literally), a stark contrast from his calm demeanor while making the noodle dough. He began to move swiftly rhythmically while shaping the noodles in a systematic fashion that it reminded me of a dance. Not a slow dance, but a faster one, and that made me think of something with higher energy, almost like a song from a nightclub (:

15:25 - The ramen shop is located in Yugawara, a seaside town with so much beauty next to the water. I was immediately reminded of Watasumi Island from Genshin Impact, and how beautiful and evocative the soundtrack for that island was. I hoped to evoke similar feelings by using the Watasumi Island OST in this scene, which focused on delicate but bright soundscapes, reminiscent of not only the island, but the water that surrounds it. The song is Island of Crystal and Pearl - HOYOMIX.

21:07 - 31:20 - During actual restaurant service, Iida Shoten would turn on classical music for its customers to enjoy during their stay, which I thought was quite fun. This gave me the idea to portray not a single, but 3-part service scene that followed the 3-movement structure commonly found in classical music. Being classically trained myself, I thought it would be fun to incorporate the typical flow of many famous pieces, going from allegro-andante-presto agitato. Initially I had thought about using the 3 movements from Moonlight Sonata, but the first two didn't fit quite right. I ended up going with 3 very recognizable pieces that I enjoy - Prelude (Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major) by Bach, Piano Concerto No. 21 2nd movement by Mozart, and the 3rd movement of Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. It was my first time attempting an extended edit for this scene in this style, so I walked around Japan listening to these songs for days to try and imagine how it would play out. A fun time (:


32:23 - One of my favorite songs from the Liyue OST in Genshin Impact. I wanted to capturing the quiet atmosphere after a hard day's work, along with the camaraderie between Iida-san and his staff, simply sitting down and enjoying a meal. One of my favorite shots is at 33:06, where Iida-san is alone in the kitchen, cooking for his apprentices and staff, rather than the previous scene when it was the apprentices preparing his ramen while he ate alone at the table.

33:36 - My favorite scene in the entire video. To me, this was the most important song choice of the entire video. I hunted for days to find something that would capture the feelings of meeting up with old friends after not seeing each other for months, maybe years. I wanted it to feel like even though that day was temporary and everyone would have to eventually go back to their lives, that all that mattered was that you and your dearest friends were together in that moment. After struggling for a whole week to find the right choice, I remembered one of my favorite events from playing Genshin: Lantern Rite. It was a once-a-year event in-game where you could see all of your favorite characters gather in one place - celebrating, eating, drinking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. When I found the 2024 Lantern Rite theme, it was perfect. To be fully honest, I got emotional many times while editing this scene, which is why I knew it was the right song. It said everything I wanted to say with this scene without a single word. The music is Myriad of Lights, Fleeting Colors In Flight.

thanks for reading my brain ramblings

fun fact: this file was 200 gb and took more than 2 full days to upload whoo!

[chalmersmathew]

Literally teared up towards the end. Not only a volunteer event for refugees, but also an opportunity to enjoy community with other ramen masters without any pretense of thinking of one chef/bowl being better than another. The multiple cadences of the song behind it AND capping it off with the ingredient list including ‘love’…I mean, damn, true cinema right there. His love for the craft served as a perfect denouement to it all, easily your best video yet!

[canadian_grim_reaper]

I absolutely loved when the owners of another ramen shop came to visit and learn what Iida Shoten was doing to to improve their own. It would be so easy to see them as rivals and keep your secrets. The chef is truly living up to what he said about sharing his craft in honour of those who taught him.

Another great documentary, Alvin!

[AntsBBQCookout]

i love the sequence starting at 4:27, showing the teacher's back and then the position is mimicked by the apprentice followed with an epic flame burst and an explanation of the teacher apprentice relationship. Both beautifully shot and also so intentional to tell the story in a captivating way.

[Commoncurates]

9:04 wow when they shove the ends of the cut off scallion back into the scallion. Eliminating waste and the cut is still uniform

[sidchuownz]

"Why do I love ramen? The moment I feel like I understand it, I suddenly have no idea." What an incredible way to describe love in an abstract way. Sometimes you can't quantify or pinpoint why you just love something. The deeper you try to find out why, the more you realize something just compels you without reason. Chef Iida's philosophy in cooking and life is both motivating and infectious. Wonderful story telling, Alvin. Thank you.

[michaelnichxls]

25:03 the way the guy relaxed after taking a first sip, as if he can finally decompress after months

[Rhiannercakes]

The fact he doesn't completely keep his ramen process a secret and lets other ramen shops come in and learn is truly what cooking is all about. Sharing your experiences so everyone can have the best of the best there is to offer.

[ElvianEmpire]

the cinematography and composition is outstanding. loved every second of it.

[tylerjohnson]

Alvin, you are doing an incredible job of capturing human moments through food in every video on this channel. Thanks for the great work.

[kingdavid_tech]

I think something I always enjoy the most seeing is the family dinner. We see all the chaotic atmosphere that goes into the cooking but there is always something beautiful when everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy that same food together. Shows that the customers aren't the only ones walking away with a taste of love and passion.

[alvinzhoufilms]

small correction @ 13:48 - 15 million yen, not 1.5 million yen.

[jsuperhalo]

Man it was so touching when he said being able to serve ramen for free with love would be a nice life. What a nice human being. Thank you for making this and showing off such great sides of humanity to the world.

[joepbally]

Honestly these restaurants just prove time and time again that to create something amazing you need passion above all else

[TheMissingLink]

Alvin you are legit an AMAZING filmmaker. As much as I miss the personal cooking videos...this is so insanely next level its mind blowing. Your personal aesthetic and tone is divine. These films are so warm and cozy while also being so nuanced and insightful. You manage to not only showcase the subject matter, but you really dig deep into the people that you are filming -- their emotions and lives really shine. Amazing stuff.

[kapishagrawal]

I have huge respect for Japanese people for their complete devotion to their work they are so dedicated to deliver best experience it's mesmerizing. The music blended so well with every part of preparation and serving it was truly an immersive experience.

[priyachoudhary]

didn't expect Genshin Liyue OST here but it made the whole video so much emotionally elevated. amazing.

[WalkingWild]

only 16k view after 9 hours is a sin for this.

Your previous film left me impressed more with your composition and cinematography, but less memorable. For this film, you have honed in on capturing emotions and pushing for a high end that left a strong emotional impression after the film ends. Thank you for your inspiration.

[qawiemmt]

i love how they dont mind sharing their work with other ramen chef who wanted to learn and understand more about their ramen method.. sharing knowledge without hesitation is always so cool, all the best to all the chef