Tokyo's top ramen restaurants, as determined by AI technology

With one out of every seven online reviews potentially being fake, it can be tough to know which restaurants are truly worthy of high praise.

Keeping this in mind, a Japanese company has used artificial intelligence to create a list of what they believe are the absolute best ramen spots in Tokyo.

TDAI Lab, a startup specializing in AI algorithm solutions, developed Wise Review to filter out unreliable reviews and identify the most 'amazingly delicious ramen shops in Tokyo.'

In total, over 4,000 ramen restaurant reviews were analyzed. To be included in the study, each restaurant had to have at least 100 reviews on Google, with only those written by reviewers who had posted five or more different reviews since January 1, 2019, being considered.

With Wise Review, TDAI Lab aims to create a more transparent environment for both vendors and customers.

'It automatically detects unreliable reviews, such as those from 'anti' (malicious reviewers) or 'sakura' (hired promoters), and AI highlights the true worth of establishments,' says TDAI Lab in their press release.

The new AI technology can also filter out questionable reviews, such as those that appear to be copied from product descriptions.

Tokyo’s top ramen restaurant

'Ramen is one of the most beloved dishes in Japan,' says Tomoki Fukuma, president and CEO of TDAI Lab, in an interview with Dinogo Travel.

'Additionally, its affordability makes it easy to gather a large amount of review data,' Fukuma adds.

So, which ramen shop claimed the top spot?

Known for its ginger shoyu ramen, Aoshima Shokudou, located in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, has been named the 'best ramen shop in Tokyo' by Wise Review.

This may not be a shock to many. The nine-seat restaurant always has a line of eager customers. Interestingly, it was ranked 13th on Google before Wise Review created its list.

'Thirteen isn't a huge gap,' Fukuma says. 'The shop that dropped the most lost 339 positions.'

Taking second place after Aoshima Shokudou is Ramen Jiro Hibarigaoka, located in western Tokyo, which was previously ranked as the top ramen restaurant on Google.

The top five also include: Ramen Jiro Mita in Minato City, Motsuke in Hachioji, and Ramen Hayashida, located in the bustling Shinjuku area of Tokyo.

Upcoming features

Currently, Wise Review is only accessible in Japanese. However, visitors to Tokyo can use it to find ramen spots nearby and see their rankings based on the color of the bowl. A red bowl indicates a ranking in the top 100, while a yellow bowl represents rankings 101-200.

Users can click on individual ramen restaurants to view all their reviews, including those that have been removed (marked in red).

Among the reviews flagged as unreliable was a two-star comment that said, 'There’s a long wait if you visit around 11:30, so skip it.'

The website currently lists around 1,000 ramen restaurants. Visitors can filter the list by either the best Wise Review score or the original rating.

'Our next step is to expand to other review platforms. We’re also considering applying this technology to various types of eateries, like izakayas,' says Fukuma.

This technology could also be adapted to analyze reviews in other industries, from hotels to medical institutions.

One surprising outcome of the Wise Review for Fukuma?

'My favorite ramen spot dropped from 212th to 269th. It had too many unreliable five-star reviews,' says Fukuma.

'But I’m not changing my mind. It’s still the best ramen place I know,' he adds.