If you’re a fan of CUPNOODLES and looking for a chance to explore the history of it, how it’s made and to create your very own CUPNOODLE, then you’ll want to visit the CUPNOODLES Museum.
There are two in Japan, one in Yokohama and another in Osaka. I’ve visited both and found the experience to be different, so in this article, I’ll share my thoughts on each museum.
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CUP NOODLES Museum in Yokohama
The museum in Yokohama is the largest of the two and is located about 8 minutes by foot from Minatomirai Station, which is less than an hour from Tokyo Station.
There are tons of things to see and do here for kids, such as the following:
My CUPNOODLES Factory
This is where you can make your own cup noodles and take it home. Requires a ticket for entry, which you can pick up from the museum. You have to pay 500 yen for your ramen as well.
Cup Noodles Park
Kids can play in this indoor park while learning about how cup noodles are made. There are slides, a ball pit, touch panel games, and a tunnel.
It costs 500 yen for entry and children need to be at least three years old.
Chicken Ramen Factory
Here you can make chicken ramen from scratch. Kids need to be at least age 7 to participate and it costs 600-1000 yen depending on the age.
NOODLES BAZAAR
This is one of my favorite spots since you get to enjoy noodles from different countries.
CUP NOODLES Museum in Osaka
This museum is located near Ikeda Station, which is about 30 minutes by train from Umeda Station. In fact, Ikeda is actually where instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando, which is why the museum is located here.
The Osaka museum is considerably smaller than the one in Yokohama. Some things are the same, such as the CUPNOODLES Factory and Chicken Ramen Factory, but unfortunately they don’t have the NOODLES BAZAAR or the Cup Noodles Park.
I visited this museum with my daughter so I’ll share my experience visiting here with a four-year-old.
We went on a weekday and it wasn’t that crowded. We were able to get tickets to make ramen at the CUPNOODLES Factory but my daughter was too young for the Chicken Ramen Factory.
If you’re interested in visiting the Chicken Ramen Factory, I highly recommend making a reservation in advance online because tickets sell out quickly.
My daughter was enthralled by the Instant Noodles Tunnel that greeted us when we entered the room. She also had fun with the interactive displays that told the origin story of CUP NOODLES, which required you to turn handles or lift flaps.
After she had explored enough, we decided to make our CUP NOODLES.
Making CUP NOODLES
We lined up and got our empty CUP NOODLES container from a vending machine. Then we handed our tickets to the staff who showed us where to sit.
My daughter liked decorating the cups using markers and drew cute pictures of us on both of them and Baikinman from Anpanman. There’s no time limit so you can spend as much time as you want. Some people created really amazing cups!
We lined up again, this time to put noodles and seasoning in our cups. The line moved quite fast and in less than 10 minutes, it was our turn.
My daughter turned the lever to place the noodles into the cup, which she was very happy to do.
Next, we got to choose up to four seasonings. There was so much to choose from, such as eggs, imitation crab, corn, and cheese.
My daughter went with the Chicken Ramen character naruto, meat, corn and kabocha, while I got kimchi and cheese.
Then we got to watch as they placed the lids on our cups and then sealed them.
Lastly, we placed the sealed cups into bags that we puffed up with air to give it an extra layer of protection. (And I’m sure it’s just for fun as well!)
When we were done, we were hungry so we headed to the nearby Ippudo for some ramen for lunch (they have kids’ meals, too!).
Is the CUP NOODLES Museum Worth It?
I’ve always enjoyed visiting the museums, and although the one in Osaka is smaller than the one in Yokohama, I still recommend visiting it, especially if you want to visit Minoh Falls on the same day. (I recommend visiting the falls first and then the museum because you don’t want to be carrying your noodles with you on the short hike.)
If you’re looking for other things to do in Osaka, especially with kids, make sure to check out my article on places to go.
Wondering where to stay? I have an article about that, too!
