Japan is home to many culturally rich attractions that stand centuries and millenium old. But in the modern day, the age of new cultural food trends are just as hot as ancient artefacts and ruins. The asian staple of Cup Noodles in everyday life has become an iconic item representing not only Japan but the wider Asian continent. From hundreds of different flavours by different brands, cup noodles are now an essential part of our lives.
Yokohama’s Cup Noodles Museum
Here in Yokohama, Nissin’s Cup Noodles Museum is dedicated to satisfying the crave and interest that this small meal has garnered across the globe to fellow foodies near and far. From your traditional cup noodle flavours to a whole customisable section from the broth powder, to toppings and even the packaging on the outside of the cup.
The Cup Noodles Museum has 11 different sections! Can you believe that?!
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Address: 2 Chome-3-4 Shinko, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0001, Japan
Chicken Ramen Factory
Located on the 3rd floor of the museum, this Chicken Ramen Factory teaches you how to make Chicken Ramen from scratch, involving kneading, spreading and steaming the wheat flour, and drying it with a flash frying method. After making your own freshly made instant noodles, you can take it back to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. Entry costs 1000 yen ($8.80 SGD) for Junior High School and ages above. While below that, entry costs 600 yen ($5.28 SGD).
One workshop takes a full 90 minutes and below is the schedule with timings for these workshops. Reservations for up to 20 persons can be made on their website or through telephone from 10:00am, up to three months prior to the desired date.
Schedule:
10:15 / 11:00 / 11:45 / 13:15 / 14:00 / 14:45 / 15:30 / 16:15
Opening Hours: 10:15AM – 17:45PM Daily
My Cup Noodles Factory
Also located on the third floor is the more iconic and famous attraction at the Cup Noodle Museum, My Cup Noodles Factory. Here, visitors can go through the whole production process of creating their own heart’s desired cup noodles to bring home or to enjoy there. This process is great fun for kids and adults alike where there are countless customisable options to make your dream cup Noodles.
Guests start off by buying a simple empty nissin cup, they can then go on to design the exterior of the cup with pens and markers. You need to then add the noodles to the cup, and then choose the soup flavour as well as toppings. After you are happy with your flavours, the cup will be sealed, shrink wrapped, and will be air packaged for you to be able to bring back home overseas. That’s how well packaged it is.
Visitors can customize their Nissin Cup Noodles from these options:
Each cup is 500 yen ($4.40 SGD) including taxes. The whole process of creating your cup noodle takes around 45 minutes.
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (No entry after 17:30)
Instant Noodle History Cube
Come check out the Instant Noodle History Cube while you’re there to see how it all started with over 3,000 different packagings and how they have evolved over time. This is a free attraction to visit so do remember to drop by. This attraction is located on the second floor of the museum.
Momofuku Theatre & Workshed
Take a break from all the activity by having a seat and watching a short movie about the history of instant ramen and how Momofuku Ando overcame challenges to create such a global iconic food and cultural trend. This movie is kids friendly and is only 14 minutes long, so you don’t have to worry about your children getting bored.
After the short film, pop over to Momofuku’s shed where you can take a look at where the very first ramen was originally made. It really is a step back in time to see how such innovative ideas can be made of the simplest tools. Both attractions are also located on the second floor of the museum.
Noodles Bazaar – World Noodles Road
At World Noodles Road, feast yourself on various different kinds of Noodles. In Momofuku Ando’s journey to find the original noodle, he discovered 8 different types of noodles from different corners of the globe. These 8 noodles are featured at this bazaar for you to try! This immersive asian night market experience will allow to satisfy any noodle cravings you might have had from touring the rest of the museum.
The prices here for various dishes range from 500 yen ($4.40 SGD) for one serving of noodles. An international dessert costs 400 yen ($3.51 SGD), while a glass of juice costs 200 yen ($1.76 SGD), or a self serve drink costs 250 yen ($2.19 SGD). You can find the bazaar on the fourth floor of the museum.
Opening Hours: 11AM – 6PM (last order at 5:30)
Cup Noodles Marble Coaster
A neat little contraption that you can view is the Cup Noodles Marble Coaster where 4,000 marbles are poured through a Nissin cup noodle assembly line. This is located on the first floor and faces outside towards Kokusai Odori Blvd. You do not need a ticket to view this attraction and crowds on the street and view it for free.
Operating Hours: 10AM – 6PM
Other than these zones mentioned here, there still are the following zones to explore:
- Cup Noodles Park
- Creative Thinking Boxes
- The Momofuku Ando Story
- Museum Shop
Don’t forget to take home your own personally made cup noodles from the factory, or get a souvenir from the museum shop.
