It was past noon and approaching evening. I was driving around looking for a place to eat. I spotted a flag and found a yellow curtain in a small alley. The place didn't look very busy from the outside. The inside was dark, but the staff turned on the lights for me. It had a small tavern-like atmosphere with only one woman working. There were no other customers. It didn't seem like a popular ramen shop. The menu mainly consisted of various types of ramen, starting from 750 yen for salt or soy sauce ramen. They had unique options like rock seaweed ramen and seaweed salt ramen. I ordered the safe option of miso chashu ramen for 1050 yen. The ramen that was served had a subtle appearance, but the rock seaweed was impressive. It had finely chopped green onions, wakame, rock seaweed, and 7 slices of chashu. The soup had a sparkling layer of lard on top, just the right amount. The flavor was balanced, not too strong or weak. The noodles were cooked perfectly. The chashu was tender and flavorful. The rock seaweed added a nice touch, and I liked the spiciness of the finely chopped green onions. Honestly, I thought I made a mistake by entering, but it turned out to be a delicious miso ramen.

Miso ramen for 800 yen, rice for 200 yen - a ramen lunch in Urakawa. The main road is a bit off, but the ramen flag is out so it's not hard to find. The appearance of the shop may not be fancy, but inside, a friendly and polite old lady welcomes you, creating a nice atmosphere. I ordered miso ramen and rice. The rice comes with pickles. The miso ramen has a slightly spicy and rich soup with straight noodles, one slice of chashu, plenty of seaweed like wakame and nori on top. The taste was delicious! If you're nearby, it might be worth stopping by.

On the second day in Urakawa, heavy snowfall caused traffic paralysis, forcing me to wade through knee-deep snow for 4 kilometers without sidewalks. Feeling hungry with no convenience store in sight, I saw a ramen shop near the town hall called Nobori. An elderly lady, presumably the owner, was frantically shoveling snow in front of the shop. Despite my offer to help, she insisted I come in. The extreme weather brought people closer together. I learned that they hadn't seen such heavy snow in over 40 years. The Iwanori ramen had delicious noodles from Nishiyama, a generous amount of lard in a soy sauce broth. It was the perfect ramen to warm up in the cold. The lady offered to make it richer if I wanted, but it was just right for me. The soup, made with chicken bones and pork, was topped with plenty of seaweed, adding a flavorful touch. After wandering in the snow without finding food, I appreciated the shop's presence even in such weather. I decided to give them a higher rating. Thank you, lady.

Located in Urakawa Town, this ramen shop is a bit off the main road, with the entrance connected to a cafe facing the highway. The interior is not very spacious, with counter and table seating available. The shop is run by a friendly older lady, giving it a nostalgic diner vibe. The menu is limited to three types of ramen: Iwanori, negi, chashu, and spicy. Upon asking for a recommendation, the lady suggested the Iwanori Shio ramen for 850 yen, so I ordered that. After an 8-minute wait, the ramen arrived. The broth seemed to be a light, old-fashioned animal-based soup, but the strong flavor and aroma of the Iwanori topping made it hard to judge. The medium-thin noodles were cooked slightly firm, with a smooth texture. Since I couldn't quite grasp the soup's flavor, I plan to try the regular ramen on my next visit.