Oshima

Why this shop

Oshima is the most decorated miso ramen shop in Tokyo. It is also not in Tokyo's ramen center — it sits on a quiet street in Funabori, an Edogawa-ku neighborhood east of Nihonbashi, 8 minutes from Funabori Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line. The trip out here is the point: Oshima took the TRY Ramen Awards miso category five years running — from the 2014–15 guide through the 2018–19 guide — triggering Hall of Fame retirement, after first winning the newcomer miso prize in the 2013 awards. Tabelog Top 100 Ramen has selected the shop in both 2024 and 2025.

What's on the counter is pedigreed Sapporo miso, not a Tokyo interpretation. The owner trained for over a decade at Sumire (すみれ), Sapporo's legendary miso house, before opening Oshima in 2013 as one of a small handful of Sumire-lineage shops in Japan. The broth is thick, pork-forward, and fermented-deep — the kind of bowl that makes sense in January more than August. If you have only one miso bowl on your Tokyo trip, this is the one.

What to order

Order the 味噌らーめん (Miso Ramen, ¥1,200). This is the bowl every award was given for. The broth is ground-pork-heavy Sapporo style, finished with Sumire-style lard and topped with crunchy bean sprouts, a finely chopped ginger accent, and a slice of chashu — a finish true to Sumire's Sapporo lineage.

The こく辛みそ (koku-kara miso, ¥1,280) is a spicier, deeper variant that regulars alternate with the standard bowl. The shop also serves shoyu and shio versions (both ¥1,200), but miso is the reason to come. Sides include a small curry (¥500) that regulars order alongside the bowl.

Practical notes

Oshima is 8 minutes on foot from Funabori Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line — about 25 minutes from Shinjuku. Walk out of the station and follow the main road; the shop sits on a residential side street, marked only by a modest signboard.

The shop uses a touchscreen ticket machine with photo-labeled buttons. The line forms outside; when staff signal, you step in to buy your ticket, then return to the queue until seated. Payment is cash only — no credit cards, no IC cards, no QR payments. Seating is 16 total: 8 at the counter and 8 across two small tables, with children's chairs available. The entire shop is non-smoking.

Opening hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00–15:00 and 17:00–20:30. Sundays and holidays run 11:00–16:00 and 17:00–20:00. The shop closes Mondays (the following day if Monday falls on a holiday), and may close early when the broth runs out. The menu is in Japanese only.

How to visit

Oshima is a Dedicated Trip — not because it's impossibly hard to reach, but because Funabori is not on the typical tourist route and the bowl is best experienced in cold weather. Aim for a weekday evening (17:00–19:00) or a late weekday lunch after 14:00 to avoid the worst of the rush; weekday peaks often run 30–45 minutes and weekend lunches can stretch past an hour.

Bring cash for the bowl plus toppings (plan for ¥1,500 total). If you visit in summer, know that miso ramen is heavy by design — it is a winter food, and a bowl this rich can feel excessive when it's 32°C outside. The best time to sit at Oshima's counter is any day below 10°C.