How the ticket machine works
Buy first, slurp second.
Insert cash, press the button for your dish, take the printed ticket and your change, then sit and hand the ticket to the staff. You order and pay in one step, before you sit down.
Soup bases (the kanji)
Read these four as symbols — they're the heart of the menu.
Building your bowl
Once you're seated, the same reading skills handle the rest of the menu — sides, drinks, and dessert.
Toppings
Read the next bowl yourself
Learn the katakana the toppings are built from, paste a button into the converter, or point the app at the machine and read it live — offline, even in a tiny shop with no signal.
Ready when you are
Read every shop, not just this one.
Kanapow turns any Japanese word into kana with tap-to-hear pronunciation, so ramen counters, izakaya menus, and station signs all become readable. Free on iPhone, and the Japan Trip mode works fully offline.
Download on the App StoreRamen ticket machine FAQ
How does a ramen ticket machine work?
Insert cash, press the button for your dish, then take the printed ticket (食券) and your change. Hand the ticket to the staff at the counter — you order and pay in one step, before you sit.
What are the four main ramen soup bases?
醤油 (shōyu, soy sauce), 味噌 (miso), 塩 (shio, salt), and 豚骨 (tonkotsu, rich pork-bone broth). They're written in kanji, so it's easiest to memorize the four shapes.
What does 替玉 (kaedama) mean?
An extra portion of noodles for your remaining broth, common at tonkotsu shops. Buy the 替玉 ticket when you sit down or partway through your bowl.
Is a ramen ticket machine cash only?
Many are cash only — ¥100 coins and ¥1,000 notes — though newer machines take IC cards. Have some cash ready just in case.