Cup Noodles Fans? Want to design your very own cup noodles and pick your favourite toppings? Find out how in this complete guide to Yokohama Cup Noodles Museum!
Cup Noodle – Everyone’s Best Friend
Everyone must have the experience when you are tired at night, feeling rumbly in the tummy, but too lazy to cook and all delivery places are closed. Who would be the best friend to save you from staving until next morning?
Cup noodle are everyone’s best friend and they will come into rescue.
Ever since invented by Momofuku Ando, founder of Japanese Cup Noodle giant Nissin, Cup Noodle has definitely became a global diet. Nissin Group, the global #1 noodle seller, has sold their 40 billionth cup noodle in May 2016!
Beside being the food staple for college students, Cup Noodle is also featured prominently in popular culture. The 60-foot giant cup noodle sign was featured in New York’s Time Square for 10 years. And more recently, it was also eaten by all of the characters in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV!
What is the Cup Noodles Museum
The Cup Noodles Nuseum is created to honor Mr Momofuku Ando and showcase all the Cup Noodles ever created by Nissin. The museum has emphasis on creative thinking and is designed to stir the creativity and curiosity of every visitors. Visitors can learn about the inspiration that lead to how Momofuku Ando created the first instant noodle in the world by seeing, touching, playing, eating, and having fun!
Cup Noodles Museum is located in Yohohama, close to Tokyo. Note that there is also an Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka!
Address: 2-3-4 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0001 Japan
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (last admission 17:00)
Holidays: Tuesdays (when Tuesday is a holiday, closed the following day), year end / new year holidays
Admission: Adults: 500 yen (tax included) / high school age children and younger admitted free
Website: http://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/english/
Getting to Cup Noodles Museum
The Cup Noodles Museum is located in Yokohama, about 30 minutes from Tokyo. It is inside the Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 area, Across from the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris Wheel and Cosmo World Amusement Park.
The easiest way to get there from Tokyo is by riding the Keihin-Tohoku Line to the JR/Shieichikatetsu Sakuragicho Station. From there, it will be around 10 minutes walk to the Cup Noodles Museum!
Tickets for Cup Noodles Museum
Unlike the Ghibili Museum and Doraemon Museum, there is no need for to purchase tickets in advance for the Cup Noodles Museum. You can just walk in to the museum and purchase the ticket on spot.
We visited during a weekday afternoon in October and the museum was not too busy. Just watch out for the school groups where the students go on field trips to make cup noodles!
Let’s check out what is inside the Cup Noodle Museum!
Instant Noodles History Cube
The first exhibit inside the Cup Noodles Museum in the Instant Noodles History Cube, where all Nissin products ever created are beautifully showcased!
The first ever Chicken Ramen was created in 1958 by Momofuku Ando
Cup Noodles was invented in 1971
More noodles featuring Nissin’s Hiyoko-chan
Instant ramen from all across the world
Outside the showcase, there is a replica of Momofuku’s work shed where he created the world’s first Chicken Ramen back in 1958! It is amazing to see how world changing creation is created so long ago without any use of modern technologies and equipment!
My Cup Noodles Factory
The best part of the Cup Noodles Museum is the My Cup Noodles Factory! You can design your own noodles cup, pick your own flavor from over 5,460 flavor combinations, and get a very cool looking cup noodles carrying pack! We will be showing you all the 8 steps!
Step 1 – Purchasing the Cup from the Vending machines
The first step is to purchase an empty cup through the vending machines! Each of the cup cost 300yen, and they are specially made for the My Cup Noodles Factory!
Step 2 – Washing Hands
Cleanliness is very important in the Cup Noodles making process! Everyone must sanitize their hands with alcohol!
Step 3 – Designing your own cup
Decorate your very own Cup noodle with all the colorful markers and sharpies! Draw anything you want, though Hiyoko-chan is very popular!
Step 4 – Insert the noodle
This is a cool part. After designing your own cup, go to the counter and you can insert the noodle by spinning the wheel! This can’t really be shown though photos, so be sure to check out the Youtube video at the end of this post!
Step 5 – Choose Soup Flavors and Ingredients
Create your very own delicious Cup Noodles! You can pick one soup broth and four ingredients! There are in total four soup broth to choose from – Regular, Curry, Seafood, Tomato. And for ingredients there are 12 different kind, whith the most popular being the Hiyoko-chan naruto!
Step 6 – Seal the Noodle
The staff will then airtight sealed your noodle. Your very own cup noodle is ready!
Step 7-8 – Putting the noodle in the Air Package
The last step is to put the noodle in the shrink wrap, blow air into it, and make a cool bag so you can carry your custom made Cup Noodles around!
Chicken Ramen Factory
Beside making Cup Noodles, there is another workshop where you can create your own Chicken Ramen! Unfortunately it was fully booked the day we visited, so be sure to book ahead online! (Booking site: http://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/status/index.php#st_factory)
Noodles Bazaar – World Noodles Road
On the top floor of the Cup Noodle Museum is the Noodles Bazaar – World Noodles Road. You can try eight specialty noodles from across the world, including the Italian pasta, Kazakhstan Logman, China Lanzhou Beef Ramen, Korea cold ramen, Vietnam Pho, Thailand Tom Yum Goong noodles, Malaysia Laksa, and Indonesia Mie Goreng! Everything is only 300 yen!
Beside the world ramen, there is also mini Chicken Ramen. This is what we got as we wanted to try the original chicken ramen made from inside the museum. And we just can’t resist Hiyoko-chan!
For only 150 yen, you can pick 2 ingredient out of 8! Like everywhere else in Japan, this ramen shop also use the vending machine system.
After giving the tickets to the staff, you can pick your ingredient
The freshly made Chicken Ramen is ready!
Museum Shop
Finally before we leave the museum, we stopped by the Cup Noodles Museum Shop, where you can buy many special editions Nissin cup noodles, Museum gifts, and of course, more Hiyoko-chan goods!
Halloween Cup Noodles
Hokkaido Donbee Udon
Hiyoko-Chan goodies
Please also check out our full video tour of the Cup Noodles Museum on YouTube!
Hope you enjoy this post and created your very own Cup Noodle in Yokohama, Japan! In the mean time check out my Instagram – Mizzmok for more lifestyle ideas!
This is one of the coolest posts I have ever seen! I can’t believe you get to make your own cup of noodles and actually see what it is life behind the scenes.
Isaly Holland | http://www.memoriesbyisaly.com
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