On May 17, 2026, the well-known Japanese chain ramen restaurant “Ichiran” appeared in a counterfeit version in Beijing. The signature, trademark designs, and even the menu content were almost identical, but filled with errors and inaccuracies. Japanese netizens expressed outrage over this situation. The headquarters of the Japanese “Ichiran” promptly responded, confirming that the legal department had begun handling related intellectual property rights matters.
“Ichiran” is famous for its unique spicy sauce and tonkotsu broth, and it enjoys high popularity in Japan and overseas.
Recently, a netizen posted photos on the international social platform X (formerly known as Twitter), pointing out the emergence of a “Ichiran Ramen” in Beijing that closely resembles the authentic version.
While the overall visual design adopts the iconic black, red, and green colors, upon closer inspection, discrepancies were found. The authentic sign displayed “Established in Showa 35”, while the counterfeit version changed it to “Established in Year 65 of the Nation’s Founding”; the English name originally was ICHIRAN, but the counterfeit version omitted the letter “I”, becoming “ICHRAN”. The original circular logo was also slightly modified. Not only the storefront but also the menu on the Chinese delivery platform “Meituan”, completely copied options like the authentic “Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen”.
This incident stirred up a huge discussion on social media platforms, with some netizens finding it outrageous, lamenting that “the imitation is so convincing that one could easily be fooled if not paying close attention”.
Many Japanese netizens criticized and sarcastically commented, “If even Jordan can turn into a counterfeit product, then this is just their daily routine.”
According to the Japanese media “J-CAST News”, Nara City councilor and former internet celebrity Hezumaryu, contacted the headquarters of “Ichiran” Ramen located in Fukuoka to inform them about this matter.
Regarding this infringement incident, the official response from Japanese “Ichiran” urgently clarified that all their stores are company-owned and have never engaged in any franchising or brand licensing. The official statement pointed out that Ichiran only operates directly owned stores overseas in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and New York, USA, and currently has no branch in mainland China, including Beijing.
The public relations department of “Ichiran” replied to media inquiries stating that the legal department has fully understood the situation and is currently discussing the next steps with their lawyers.