Shigemi Kawahara

Shigemi Kawahara, the Ramen King, is the founder of Ippudo, Japan's highly acclaimed ramen emporium. He is also the founder and CEO of Ippudo's parent company, Chikaranomoto Company, which includes some of Japan's finest restaurants.

Kawahara earned the title of Ramen King and a place in the Ramen Hall of Fame after three consecutive first place wins on a Japanese television program where ramen mavens compete to create the best ramen.

Born and raised in Fukuoka City, Kyushu, Kawahara is the youngest of four brothers. He became interested in the restaurant and hospitality industry after graduating from college and consequently worked and trained in a number of European restaurants in Japan. In 1979, at the age of 27, Kawahara opened his first restaurant and bar After the Rain in Fukuoka city. Kawahara opened the first Ippudo, with seating for ten, in his hometown in October 1985. Since then Ippudo has grown to include 44 ramen shops in Japan, serving nearly twenty thousand customers per day.

Kawahara's attention to detail and hospitality redefined Japan's ramen experience. Ippudo was the first ramen shop that allowed diners to enjoy quality ramen in a carefully crafted setting. Each Ippudo is known for serving a unique signature ramen dish and all of the locations offer seasonal dishes. Ippudo was also the first to refer to broth by color Aka (red) and Shiro (white), which soon became a standard industry practice.