If you peruse the shelves of any supermarket or convenience store in Japan, you may be surprised at the sheer amount of cup noodle varieties on offer. They’re affordable and quick to prepare, especially since Japan’s incredible convenience stores have hot water boilers available to use on site – perfect for the traveler on the go!
If you’re a fan of the humble, hearty budget meal and want to learn more about their history, there’s one place you shouldn’t miss during your time in Japan, and that’s the Yokohama Cup Noodles Museum.
The history of Cup Noodles
Before you visit the Cup Noodles Museum, you’d be forgiven for not knowing a thing about the history behind them – but the museum goes into the backstory of how the supermarket shelf staple came into existence. It all started back in 1958 with Momofuku Ando‘s chicken ramen creation, invented with the goal of assisting the food shortage that was prevalent across Japan in the postwar period.
In the history portion of the museum, you’ll also see wall to wall displays of various cup noodles that have been on the market, both in the past and in the present. A few things that put the popularity of cup noodles into perspective for me at the museum were that around 100 billion servings of instant noodles are eaten around the world each year, and that here in Japan there are around 800 new varieties of instant noodles released annually. Mind boggling!
A do-it-yourself Cup Noodle experience
The Cup Noodles Museum even offers a fun “do it yourself” cup noodle experience! You’re given a styrofoam noodle cup that you can decorate with your own design (markers are available on each table!) and then once you’re done designing it, you’re able to take it up to one of the counters to get your desired ingredients added in.
You’re able to choose from one of four soup bases for your noodles, including the regular variety, curry, seafood or chili tomato – and then you’ve got a choice of four different add-ins, including the likes of egg, green beans, fish cakes, green onions, and even garlic chips!
The museum also has a fantastic eatery located inside, called the World Noodles Bazaar. There, you’re able to enjoy a host of different noodle dishes from all corners of the globe, with the likes of Vietnamese pho, Malaysian laksa, Indonesian mie goreng and Italian pasta available for sale. Each noodle dish is 300 yen, and they’re portioned out in half-size servings, allowing you more stomach room to enjoy several of them!
Yokohama Cup Noodles Museum Information
- Address: 2-3-4 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture 231-0001.
- Prices: Adult admission is priced at 500 yen. Anyone high school aged or younger gets free admission. The “My Cup Noodles Factory” experience is an additional 300 yen.
- Official website: Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama
Access by train
- The Cup Noodles Museum is located under 10 minutes’ walk from either Bashamichi or Minatomirai Station on the Minatomirai Line.
Access by bus
- The Yokohama Akai Kutsu Tourist Bus has a stop right by the Cup Noodles Museum, aptly titled the Kokusaibashi Cup Noodles Museum-mae Stop.
Access by car
- If you’re headed to the Cup Noodle Museum by private vehicle, there is a small parking lot (40 spaces) on site.
- There are various other paid multi story parking lots in walking distance.
