I am Ichiro Furuya, the founder of Nantsuttei ramen restaurant. At the age of 27, I discovered my life’s calling in the ramen business. Prior to that, I had been aimlessly wandering through life with no clear direction. It all changed when I saw a long line of people outside a ramen shop on TV, and I knew that was what I wanted to do.

I traveled to Kyushu to learn the secrets of ramen-making. After trying various ramen shops, I found my favorite flavor in Kumamoto and studied there while working at a liquor store. One year later, I opened Nantsuttei in my hometown of Hadano.

My real training began when I opened the shop. Even though it was located in a poor area and had no customers, I believed that if I created a unique flavor, people would come. I spent weeks experimenting until I finally found the perfect combination of a rich and creamy pork bone broth, perfectly paired noodles, and secret recipe "Ma-yu" black roasted garlic oil.

Word of mouth slowly but steadily drew in more customers, and the media began to take notice. We eventually moved the main restaurant to its current location in 2003, opened branches in front of Shinagawa station and in the Kawasaki Station building, and even launched a branch in Singapore in 2010.

For us, the flavor of Nantsuttei is not just about the taste of our ramen, but also about providing cheerful service and an unpretentious place to eat that is open to everyone. We want everyone to savor that experience, and with our hearts filled with gratitude, sincerity, enthusiasm, harmony, and a sense of challenge, we continue to move forward one step at a time.

If you want to know more about the story of Nantsuttei, you can read my book "Umaize Baby Densetsu" (The "It's Tasty, Baby" Legend), which tells an uplifting story about my journey.