Undeterred by the heavy rains that have flooded it three times since August, Ramen Mitake in Oamishirasato, Chiba Prefecture, has reopened in a show of resilience driven by community support.

Takahiro Ikeda, the 47-year-old owner of the local ramen shop, described the ordeal as “like something out of a TV drama or manga.”

Encouraged by neighboring business owners and loyal customers, Ikeda got back to work earlier this month and developed a new dish, Oami Kimchi Ramen, to symbolize his determination to rebuild.

On Sunday, about two weeks after the shop reopened, around 50 people were lined up outside before opening time.

“I was deeply concerned about the damage and have been talking with friends about visiting the shop together to show our support,” said Tsutomu Takatsu, a 55-year-old construction worker from Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture.

A regular customer who lives nearby also expressed relief, saying he was glad the shop had reopened.

Ikeda said the shop was flooded to a depth of about 90 centimeters…