In the birthplace of instant chicken ramen, there is the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM Osaka Ikeda. From the first chicken ramen ever made to the creation of “Space Ram”, instant ramen eaten by astronauts in outer space, and the cup noodles that have taken the world by storm, you can enjoy learning about the history of cup noodles.
At the “My Cup Noodles Factory”, you can even make your own original cup noodles!
What kind of place is the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM?
Andō Momofuku, the inventor of instant ramen, created the world’s first cup noodles, and became the founder of Nissin Foods. Ikeda City in Osaka, the birthplace of cup noodles, CUPNOODLES MUSEUM Osaka Ikeda was started in 1999 to detail the invention of instant ramen, with the hopes of spreading the message that everyone has the chance to be an inventor.
The museum is five minutes by foot from the Hankyu Takarazuka Line’s Ikeda station, which is 20 minutes away from Osaka Umeda station.
When the museum first opened in 1999, there was only an exhibition room, with two seminar rooms offering an appointment-only 90-minute chicken ramen-making workshop.
To accommodate visitors who wish to just browse through the exhibits, the museum reopened in 2004 after a renewal, featuring twice the amount of space, as well as the opening of the “My Cup Noodles Factory”.
With stationery provided for you to design your own cups, you can make your own unique cup noodles. Though no appointment is required, it can get crowded on weekends and holidays, so be sure to plan with time to spare if you would like to try it out. (300 yen per cup, 400 yen from April 1, 2020)
Try making your own custom cup noodles!
First, buy a cup from the vending machine (300 yen per cup, 400 yen from April 1, 2020). After disinfecting your hands with alcohol, find a vacant seat.
Markers are provided at the tables, allowing you to draw and write on the cups to create your own, unique cup. As there’s a space provided to write the date, don’t forget to fill it in. The cup noodles are good for a month after being made.
After you’ve finished designing your own cup, the next step is to make the actual cup noodles. Besides Japanese, the route has signs in both English and Chinese (simplified) as well.
The noodles are inserted into the cups!
First, noodles are inserted into the cups. After passing your cups to the staff, they will set your cups on top of the noodles, and you spin the handle of the setting machine to push the noodles into your cup.
After six turns, you’ll hear a bell chime, which is when you stop.
The noodles are set perfectly into the cup.
Select your soup and toppings!
Next, you pick …
