博楽軒

Just outside the station that I use is a little ramen shop. It’s never crowded, and I’m never hungry enough to go in. But today I needed ramen.

You see, I had just finished the annual JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) and felt like celebrating. Celebrating with ramen.

So I went in. One of the best things about this shop is that it is run by a little old lady and a little old man. I always see them when I walk by. It seems like the shop is only open when they feel like opening it.

Inside, it was just me and another old lady eating. Eventually, another old lady came by to chat with the owners. It was pretty much an old lady ramen party. Everyone involved was over 80 years old today. Imagine spending your golden years running the neighborhood ramen shop, just chatting with friends, and making the occasional bowl.

So even though the ramen was pretty normal shoyu soup, the air of this place was fantastic. The master even mustered the courage to talk to me about Obama on my way out. It’s a good thing.