Kokutei Honten
熊本ラーメン 黒亭 本店32°47′ N 130°42′ ERamen¥
Kokutei's original shop suits riders who want a bowl of Kumamoto ramen from one of the city's oldest names, and it is a plain local ramen shop near Kumamoto Station.
Road closure
Kumamoto is rebuilding after the 28 July 2026 earthquake, and most roads and lines are open
An M7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region on 28 July 2026, and Uki and Yatsushiro took the worst of it. The Kyushu Shinkansen fully reopened on 18 September and JR's Kagoshima line between Uto and Yatsushiro on 10 October. The Minami-Kyushu Expressway stays closed between Yatsushiro JCT and Yatsushiro-minami IC while its bridges are repaired, and aftershocks continue. Aso and Amakusa are open to visitors, and their towns ask travellers to come.
Checked 2026-10-11 · bousai.go.jp
What to order
- Kumamoto ramen with roasted garlic oil
Hirabayashi Takeyoshi, an abstract painter who had trained at the first Kumamoto ramen shop, opened Kokutei with his wife Kinuko in Nihongi in 1957. The shop calls Kumamoto ramen a local branch of Kyushu's pork-bone ramen, set apart by roasted garlic and a garlic oil that takes the edge off the pork smell.
The noodles, soup and roast pork are still made at Nihongi every day and sent to the branches downtown on Shimotori and at Sakura Machi.
Worth knowing
- The Shimotori branch stays open until 23:30 if you eat late.
Quick answers about Kokutei Hontenよくある質問
What are the opening hours of Kokutei Honten?
Kokutei Honten keeps these hours: Mon–Sun 10:30–21:00.
What should you order at Kokutei Honten?
At Kokutei Honten, order kumamoto ramen with roasted garlic oil.