What Is Menya Musashi Iwatora in Akihabara Like? Menu, Prices and Hours from an Akihabara Tour Guide

Guide · Akihabara

Part of: Where to Eat in Akihabara: 11 Shops Compared

I ate here on 29 October 2026 and photographed the ticket machine screens. Prices below are what the machine showed that day. Hours and address were checked against the official Menya Musashi page on 4 November 2026.

Menya Musashi Iwatora is a tsukemen (dipping noodle) shop in Akihabara, part of the Menya Musashi group. The dipping bowls on the machine run from ¥1,190 to ¥2,400, the machine works in English, and the shop is open 11:00 to 22:00. It is about three minutes from JR Akihabara. It costs more than IFU, which I wrote up in Where Can You Eat Ramen for Under ¥1,000 by Akihabara Station?

What is Menya Musashi Iwatora?

A ramen and tsukemen shop on the Electric Town side of Akihabara. The sign reads 麺屋武蔵 厳虎. The official Menya Musashi page writes the last character with a variant form, 巌虎, and romanizes it Iwatora. It is the same shop, so you may see either spelling online. The official page says the shop's specialty is chashu bacon: pork belly soaked in a chashu sauce for several days, smoked, then heated on an iron.

The group's other Akihabara shop, Menya Musashi Bujin, is on the Showa-dori side. This article is only about the Iwatora shop.

How much does it cost?

On the dipping noodles screen, the four bowls in each soup style cost ¥1,190, ¥1,590, ¥1,820 and ¥2,400. I did not photograph the ramen, miso, limited-edition or side-menu screens, so I cannot give you prices for those.

The same four prices repeat in each of four soup styles: Normal, Thick (labelled "No.1 in popularity in our store" on the screen), Seven flavor chili pepper, and Thick seven flavor chili pepper. The ¥1,590 bowl in the Thick style carries a "Most popular" tag. The screen does not show a price difference between soup styles.

Does the ticket machine have English?

Yes. The first screen offers five languages: Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Korean. The English screens are fully translated, including the category buttons: Dipping noodles, Ramen / Soupless noodle, Miso ramen, Limited edition and Side menu.

Two labels on that screen are worth knowing. Dipping noodles is tagged "Chef's Recommendation". Miso ramen is tagged "Autumn/Winter only", so it may not be on the machine in spring or summer. I did not photograph the miso screen.

How big can the noodle portion get?

Very big. After you pick a dipping bowl, the machine asks for the amount of noodles. The options are Regular, Medium, Large, Twice, 2.5 times, Triple and 3.5 times, and none of those carries a surcharge on the screen. Four times is +¥100 and five times is +¥150.

The weight chart at the bottom of that screen lists raw noodle weights from 180 g for Regular, 220 g for Medium and 270 g for Large, up to 540 g for triple, 630 g for 3.5 times, 720 g for 4 times and 1 kg for 5 times. If you are unsure, pick Regular or Medium. Triple is three times the Regular amount.

I did not record which size I chose for the bowl in the photo below, so I will not tell you how it filled me up.

What goes on the counter?

The counter has the usual chopsticks, tissues and sanitizer, plus two shop seasonings that are labelled in Japanese: tabasco powder (タバス粉, in a red pot with the shop name) and lime vinegar (ライム酢, in a glass pourer). I did not ask what the powder is, so I have not tried to describe its taste.

The room is a counter with stools and an open kitchen. The official page lists 15 seats.

Can you pay with a card?

I could not confirm it. The machine has coin and banknote slots and a "balance inquiry" button, which points to some kind of stored-value card, but I did not see which cards are accepted. The official Menya Musashi page lists no payment methods. Bring cash.

Is there anything for vegetarians?

Probably not, and I could not confirm any vegetarian option. The allergen row printed above each bowl on the dipping screen shows icons that look like egg, wheat, soy, fish, pork and chicken. Pork and chicken are on every one of the four rows I photographed. The signature topping is smoked pork belly. If anyone in your group avoids meat or fish, check the ramen and side screens yourself or choose somewhere else.

Is it good for people with allergies?

It is better than most. The first menu screen says "Allergy labels are listed on the product page", and each group of bowls has a row of allergen icons above it. Icons are small and I could not read every one, so show them to staff if the allergy is serious.

When is it open, and where exactly is it?

11:00 to 22:00, with no regular closing day listed. The address is 1-3-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, about three minutes on foot from the Electric Town exit of JR Akihabara. Look for the black frontage with orange tigers and a red noren curtain with the shop name.

Open in Google Maps →

Should I come here or go to IFU?

It depends on the budget and the hour. IFU is a miso ramen shop where most bowls are under ¥1,000 and it opens at 5am. Iwatora is a tsukemen shop where the dipping bowls start at ¥1,190 and it closes at 22:00. If you want a big portion of thick noodles and a strong dipping soup, come here. If you want the cheapest hot meal near the station, or you need to eat early or late, go to IFU.

All the shops I have eaten at and photographed are side by side in one table on Where should you eat in Akihabara?

In one table

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to speak Japanese to eat at Menya Musashi Iwatora? No. Pick English on the first screen, choose a bowl and a noodle amount, pay, and hand the ticket to staff.

Is the miso ramen available all year? The machine tags it "Autumn/Winter only". I visited in late October and did not photograph the miso screen.

What is the difference between the soup styles? The screen labels them Normal, Thick, Seven flavor chili pepper and Thick seven flavor chili pepper. I did not compare them side by side.

Does it take reservations? I did not see anything about reservations. It is a small counter shop with a ticket machine, so I would not expect them.

Can we eat here on an Akihabara tour? Yes, if nobody is vegetarian and you are fine with a meal above ¥1,000. Tell me in advance and I will plan it.

Sources and honesty note

Prices, menu names, noodle options and language buttons are transcribed from photographs I took of the ticket machine on 29 October 2026. The sign reads 厳虎. The address, the 11:00–22:00 hours, the absence of a regular closing day, the 15 seats and the three-minute walk come from the official Menya Musashi page for the Akihabara shop, checked on 4 November 2026. I did not photograph the ramen, miso, limited-edition or side-menu screens, so those prices are not in this article. Card acceptance, IC card acceptance, topping prices and whether any vegetarian option exists are unconfirmed.

No affiliate links. I wrote this because guests keep asking me where to get tsukemen near the station.

About the author. I am Yuuki, an anime tour guide based in Akihabara. I run private anime tours in English most weeks, and I have watched over 1,500 anime series, which is either a qualification or a warning depending on your point of view.

See the Akihabara anime tour →