Shoyu (醤油) ramen uses a soy-sauce-based seasoning called tare as its primary flavoring agent. The tare is mixed with a clear or semi-clear broth — usually chicken, pork, dashi, or a combination — to produce a deeply savory bowl with a distinctive brown colour and salty-sweet depth.
Shoyu ramen is widely considered the original Tokyo-style ramen. The first ramen shop in Japan, Rairaiken (est. 1910 in Asakusa), served a shoyu-based noodle soup influenced by Chinese lamian.
The soy sauce used varies by region: dark koikuchi in Kanto, lighter usukuchi in Kansai, and tamari in parts of Chubu. Each produces a different colour, salinity, and umami profile. Premium shops often blend multiple soy sauces and age the tare for months.
In instant form, shoyu ramen is the most common Japanese variety. The seasoning packet is typically a blend of powdered soy sauce, chicken extract, sugar, and MSG. Many Thai and Korean instant noodles also use soy-based seasonings but with regional aromatics (lemongrass, gochugaru) layered on top.
Key characteristics: clear to semi-clear brown broth, balanced salt-umami, versatile base that pairs with wavy medium-thickness noodles.