Akihabara, the most iconic district of Japanese popular culture, is a place packed with numerous places where tourists and mostly otakus can have a great time. From varied stores with tons of anime and manga merchandise, to game rooms and karaoke, as well as themed and classic restaurants. With all this repertoire of locations, one can get lost and not know all the benefits of Akihabara.
The mythical otaku district has a strong presence in manga, anime and video games. It has always been cited or shown as a stage (Lucky Star or Steins; Gate to name a few examples), and in turn real venues have also appeared in these works. As is to be expected in these cases, if a real place appears in a work of fiction (animated or live action) it is very likely that it will become a tourist attraction.
Using the term ‘tourist attraction’ may seem like an exaggeration. The most exact thing is to say that this place would become a mandatory visit point for any otaku. And that was the case at the Ryuken ramen restaurant. This place has been active for 43 years, and specializes in ramen whose broth is made with rib meat. It also offers other typical dishes from any self-respecting Japanese culinary corner, and the most affordable price is 480 yen (almost $ 5). As a bonus, the restaurant is located in front of a famous doujinshis shop, known as Tora no Ana.
Ryuken became famous due to his appearance in a mobile video game titled CUE! Idol Training. In this game, the goal is to get a group of cute and enthusiastic girls to become seiyuus and enter the anime industry. One of the heroines, a girl named Mahoro Mijayi, loves to eat ramen and so she visits Ryuken restaurant when she is walking around Akihabara in one of the scenes of the game.
Ryuken’s owner was shocked when one of his clients revealed that the game CUE! she had used his establishment as a setting. With that, the restaurant acquired the rank of ‘seichi’ (sacred ground), and since then customers have brought ‘offerings’ in the form of CUE merchandise! Idol Training. The influence of the game has been such that even the owner of Ryuken started playing it with the help of his otaku clients.
Social Media Author: [RonLaoHu]
