Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop

Founded in 1946, just after the end of World War II, for more than 70 years, Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen is now considered to be the origin of Hakata ramen. The ramen shop, which calls itself “Ganso Akanoren,” actually did not have a name at the time of its establishment, and students at Kyushu University started calling it “Akanoren,” which is how it got its name. The third generation has taken over the ramen store and continues to operate it in Daimyo, a downtown area of Fukuoka, but during that time, several other stores have been allowed to split the goodwill and open their own stores.

I had long been interested in this store, which is the center of the ramen shops bearing the “Akanoren” name, and one evening I visited the store to see what kind of ramen I could expect. I was filled with anticipation and curiosity, because this restaurant is said to be the “origin” of Hakata Ramen, which is now counted as one of the “three great ramen” in Japan along with Sapporo Ramen and Kitakata Ramen….

Chinese-based set menus are available all day long…Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop is such a restaurant

I arrived at Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop around 7:00 p.m. on a weekday. I had heard rumors that there was always a long line of customers waiting to get in, but on this particular day, there was no line at the restaurant, probably due to the rain. I entered the restaurant easily without waiting in line.

The space inside the restaurant was spacious for a ramen shop, and by my rough count, there were 40 seats, including 6 counter seats. It has a somewhat teishoku-ya-like atmosphere. In fact, looking at the menu, there are many set menus such as “fried chicken set meal,” “hormone set meal,” “fried vegetables set meal,” etc., in addition to ramen. I think this is a good place for those who want to fill their stomachs with a hearty set meal.

Unbelievably cheap nowadays! What is the 780 yen per bowl chashu-men at Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop like?

This time I ordered everyone’s favorite “chashu-men” at Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop. The price of this chashu-men is 780 yen (including tax), which is unbelievably cheap these days! Isn’t it amazing? It is true that ramen in Fukuoka is less expensive than in Kyoto or Osaka, but 780 yen for a chashu-omen…I thought to myself, “Is this place priced as it was in the Showa period?

After about 5 minutes of waiting, the chashu-men arrived in front of me. The soup was muddy, so it was hard to tell how much pork was in it… but the first thing I thought “WHAT?” was the color of the soup. It is more soy sauce-colored than any other tonkotsu ramen I have ever had in Fukuoka.

I actually took a sip of the soup, and it tasted just as I imagined it would from the outside, with a very strong soy sauce flavor. It also looks quite oily, but the pork bone flavor and smell are not that strong. If anything, it tastes more like the popular tonkotsu soy sauce ramen than Hakata tonkotsu ramen. In that sense, there is a sense of “Is this the origin of Hakata ramen?” However, in terms of taste, I think it has a familiar taste that many people have had somewhere before.

On the other hand, the noodles to go with this soup are the ultra-thin, straight, flat noodles typical of Hakata tonkotsu ramen. However, when I actually tried it, I got the impression that it was somewhat rustic compared to the recent particularities of other restaurants. I don’t mean that in a bad way. In a good way, it seems old-fashioned or nostalgic… Perhaps this is the unique charm of this restaurant, which cannot be found in other popular ramen stores that have recently opened.

Now, I counted the chashu pork, which I had been waiting for, and found that there were three pieces in all. It was a little bit sad for a chashu ramen…but each piece was quite large and thick, so it was worth eating. 

This is how I tried the ramen at the Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop, which is said to be “the origin of Hakata ramen,” and I was a little surprised at the difference from the mainstream style of Hakata tonkotsu ramen today. To put it bluntly, it is right in between Hakata tonkotsu ramen and the nationally popular tonkotsu soy sauce ramen. It is a relatively easy-to-eat tonkotsu ramen in the sense that there is little deviation from the taste of ramen you are used to eating…. If you are new to Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen, you may want to try this restaurant’s ramen first.

Examples of other menu items at Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop (prices include tax)

• Ramen 580 yen
• On-tama ramen 700 yen
• Wakame ramen 700 yen
• Kimchi ramen 730 yen
• Menma ramen 730 yen
• Wontan ramen 780 yen
• Wontan ramen with chashu pork 880 yen

You can order ramen for souvenirs… To get to Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop, a 6-minute walk from the nearest station, Akasaka Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line.

Ganso Akanoren Secchan Ramen Tenjin Head Shop also sells ramen for souvenirs. These souvenir ramen are sold in the restaurant and at the store in Fukuoka Airport, but they can also be conveniently ordered through mail order using Amazon and Rakuten. Why not try the taste of “the source of Hakata ramen” at home first? The link for purchase is below, if you would like to use it.

行列名店ラーメン 元祖赤のれん節ちゃんラーメン 6食 博多ラーメン

Amazon参考価格：3472円、楽天参考価格：3472円

Amazonで買う

楽天で買う

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

It is an 8-minute walk from Tenjin Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line.