Yokohama's Cup Noodles Museum

Good for the Soul

Aly Lawson Oct 01, 2013 - 1 min read

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Get to know the creator, Momofuku Ando, as you admire his statue, work shed, and story. And don’t forget to take pics at the wide wooden staircase, suspended noodle sculpture, and room that makes six-year-olds taller than basketball players

History and whimsy combine at Yokohama’s Cup Noodles Museum-slash-factory. Inspiring and aesthetic to no end, it’s colorful and fun yet minimalist and pristine—like an animated movie that meets both kid and adult expectations

The My Cup Noodles Factory is the highlight, where you can decorate your container, pick the seasoning and select four toppings. Within a month, open up the nifty pillow of air packaging to enjoy your creation

If kids are in tow, check out the Cup Noodles Park, where they can be a ramen cup themselves and follow the manufacturing process, AKA the playground equipment. And in the Chicken Ramen Factory you can make the actual noodles

If this legit museum makes you hungry, head to the top floor, where the Noodles Bazaar offers tasty noodle lunches from all corners of Asia. See if anything stacks up to the simple beauty of the world’s first instant ramen

Before you go, take in the bay view from the balcony and ponder the simple beauty of chicken ramen

All you really need to know is: it’s cheap; you don’t have to book in advance; and it’s a nice, short walk from Minatomirai or Bashamichi Station. And the grounds surrounding the museum make for a pleasant stroll.

People usually have a favorite from their travels thus far in life. A destination on a pedestal until it’s knocked off by a new gem. Both Japanese and tourists alike tend to find the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama to be that special spot, however temporary. Be sure to snap pictures every step of the way. The big Cup Noodles cup with the little chicken on top is a great first photo opp in front of the wide wooden staircase. As you make your way, you’ll remember why inventors are so cool—why the rest of us are jealous of their ability to never give up as well as glad to have been graced with their inventions.

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Find out more about Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama.

Aly Lawson @aly.lawson

I'm an American freelance writer living in Japan. I'm also a wife to a naval aviator and "mom" to a three-legged yellow lab, Butters. When I'm not writing, I like to just lay there, or read or run or clean, but mostly just lay there. Lie there? Maybe I'm not a writer after all.