CupNoodles Museum Yokohama is a museum dedicated to instant noodles, one of Japan’s best-known food inventions and a product enjoyed around the world. Through a variety of exhibitions and hands-on activities, visitors can learn about the history of instant noodles, the importance of invention and discovery, and the entrepreneurial spirit that makes new ideas possible.
This is not simply a museum where visitors look at displays. It is an interactive food education facility where people of all ages can see, touch, make, and taste things. One of its most popular experiences is creating an original Cup Noodles product by designing the cup and choosing the soup and toppings.
The familiar Chicken Ramen mascot, Hiyoko-chan, welcomes visitors at various spots throughout the museum. The cheerful character adds a playful touch to the experience, making the museum particularly appealing to families.
At NOODLES BAZAAR – World Noodle Road, visitors can sample noodle dishes from different countries at food stalls. The selection includes unusual international noodle dishes, as well as a uniquely flavored Cup Noodles soft-serve ice cream. It is an especially enjoyable stop for anyone who loves noodles and wants to discover new tastes.
At My CUPNOODLES Factory, visitors can create a one-of-a-kind Cup Noodles product. First, they purchase a special cup from a vending machine and decorate it with their own design. They then choose one soup flavor from four options and select four toppings from a choice of 12 ingredients.
There are as many as 5,460 possible combinations, allowing visitors to create a flavor that is uniquely their own. Once the ingredients have been selected, the cup is sealed and packaged so that visitors can take their original Cup Noodles home as a souvenir.
This experience combines creativity with the fun of choosing ingredients, making it a memorable activity for children and adults alike.
At the Chicken Ramen Factory, visitors can make Chicken Ramen, recognized as the world’s first instant noodles, by hand. The workshop takes approximately 90 minutes and allows participants to experience the production process from beginning to end.
Starting with wheat flour, participants knead and stretch the dough, steam it, season it, and then dry it using the special flash-frying method known as instantaneous oil-heating drying. This is the technique that made it possible to create instant noodles that can be prepared quickly by adding hot water.
By experiencing the process themselves, visitors can gain a better understanding of the ingenuity behind this everyday food. The workshop requires advance reservations.
The Instant Noodles History Cube introduces the development of instant noodles in Japan and around the world. Approximately 3,000 packages of instant noodle products are displayed together, with a particular focus on products made by Nissin Foods.
The exhibition shows how instant noodles developed from a new invention into a food enjoyed across the globe. Today, approximately 100 billion servings of instant noodles are consumed worldwide each year, illustrating the extraordinary reach of this Japanese invention.
Visitors can explore the variety of package designs and products that have appeared over the years, discovering how instant noodles have evolved and spread to different countries.
The Momofuku Theater presents the story of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant noodles and founder of Nissin Foods. Through a CG animated film presented in a manga-inspired style, visitors can learn about the challenges, discoveries, and behind-the-scenes stories involved in his inventions.
The screening lasts approximately 14 minutes and offers an entertaining introduction to the development of instant noodles.
This exhibition faithfully recreates the small research hut where Momofuku Ando worked alone to develop Chicken Ramen. The modest workspace provides a glimpse into the environment in which he pursued his ideas and worked toward creating the world’s first instant noodles.
Seeing the reconstructed hut helps visitors imagine the determination and experimentation behind an invention that would eventually become part of everyday life around the world.
A panoramic display stretching approximately 58 meters along the wall traces Momofuku Ando’s inventions, discoveries, and business achievements.
Through this long visual presentation, visitors can follow his journey and learn how his ideas developed into successful products and a globally recognized food business.
The Creative Thinking Boxes introduce the philosophy of creative thinking that guided Momofuku Ando throughout his life. His approach is expressed through six key ideas, including making use of anything as a source of inspiration, never giving up, and not being restricted by conventional thinking.
The exhibition uses a variety of interactive displays to communicate these ideas. Visitors can explore dioramas, rooms featuring optical illusions, and installations in which touching the walls causes large CG images to appear across the surfaces.
These playful experiences encourage visitors to look at familiar things from different perspectives and discover how imagination can lead to new ideas.
NOODLES BAZAAR – World Noodle Road is a food area where visitors can sample noodle dishes from eight countries in a casual food-stall setting. The menu was supervised by the former director of the National Museum of Ethnology, bringing an international perspective to the selection.
The dishes range from Italian pasta to Korean cold noodles and Thai tom yum noodles. Visitors can enjoy a variety of flavors and discover how different cultures have developed their own noodle traditions.
One of the most unusual items is Cup Noodles-flavored soft-serve ice cream. It is topped with the same kinds of ingredients found in Cup Noodles, creating a distinctive combination of sweetness and saltiness. This unexpected flavor is a fun experience for adventurous visitors.
Cup Noodles Park is a field-athletic and gym-style attraction where children can experience the process of manufacturing Cup Noodles through play. A series of playground equipment represents different stages of production, allowing children to learn about how instant noodles are made while moving around and having fun.
This area is especially popular with young children and elementary school students. It is intended for preschool-aged children and younger elementary school children, and height restrictions apply.
The museum is built around the theme of Momofuku Ando’s creative thinking. Its aim is to help children discover the pleasure of invention and exploration while developing an entrepreneurial spirit.
The overall museum concept was produced by art director Kashiwa Sato, who brought together the exhibitions, interactive installations, and visitor experiences into a unified environment.
CupNoodles Museum Yokohama opened in 2011 to commemorate two milestones: the 100th anniversary of Momofuku Ando’s birth in 2010 and the 40th anniversary of his invention of Cup Noodles in 1971. Cup Noodles was the world’s first cup-style instant noodle product.
Since opening, the museum has attracted more than one million visitors annually. It has also received the Grand Prix of the Kanagawa Tourism Awards, establishing itself as one of Japan’s leading corporate museums.
Before leaving, visitors can stop by the museum shop to browse original merchandise and other souvenirs related to instant noodles and the museum’s exhibitions.
Whether you make your own Cup Noodles, try your hand at producing Chicken Ramen, explore the history of instant noodles, or sample international noodle dishes, the museum offers a wide range of experiences for visitors of all ages.
CupNoodles Museum Yokohama is an entertaining destination for families, food lovers, and anyone interested in Japanese inventions. It offers a fun way to discover how a simple idea developed into a food enjoyed by people around the world.
10:00-18:00
Tuesdays (or the following day if Tuesday is a national holiday)
Year-end and New Year holidays
Adults (college students and older) 500 yen
Free for high school students and younger
Some facilities in the museum require a separate fee.
8 min. walk from Minatomirai Sta. or Bashamichi Sta. on the Minatomirai Line
12 min. walk from Sakuragicho Sta. on the JR or Municipal Subway Line
5 minutes from the Minatomirai Interchange on the Metropolitan Expressway Kanagawa No. 1 Yokohane Line