Cup Noodles Museum
カップヌードルミュージアム横浜
The museum dedicated to instant noodles: design your own Cup Noodle, see the original 1958 kitchen where ramen was invented, and learn why Momofuku Ando changed how the world eats
About Cup Noodles Museum
The Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama's Minatomirai district tells the story of how Momofuku Ando invented instant ramen in a backyard shed in 1958 and then invented the Cup Noodle in 1971. The museum has interactive sections explaining the invention and production process, a wall of 800 Cup Noodle flavors from around the world, and two main hands-on experiences: the 'My Cup Noodles Factory' where you design and fill your own cup (¥300, book online), and the 'Chicken Ramen Factory' where you make noodles from scratch (¥500, age 12+, reservation required). The museum is designed for broad appeal and works well for both adults with an interest in food history and design and families with children. Even without the hands-on experiences, the main gallery's exploration of instant noodle culture as a global phenomenon, specifically the famous '1 trillion meals served' statistic, is genuinely interesting.
Essential Tips
Book the My Cup Noodles Factory slot online before your visit. Slots open at 10 AM on the museum website and fill by midday on busy days. Walk-in spots exist but are not guaranteed
Closed Tuesdays (and the following Wednesday if Tuesday is a holiday), so check before planning a trip to Yokohama
The museum costs ¥500 entry plus ¥300 for the Cup Noodles Factory. Budget about ¥1,100 per person including the NOODLES BAZAAR food court
The history gallery and the Ando Shed reconstruction are the most substantive parts of the museum for adults without children. The factory is more entertaining than educational
The Chicken Ramen Factory (making noodles by hand, age 12+, ¥500) is only available with a reservation made separately. More educational than the cup factory but requires more advance planning
The Cup Noodles Museum in Osaka (Ikeda) is the original and has a slightly different format; if you are visiting both cities, one visit covers the concept adequately
Combine with the Minatomirai waterfront: Red Brick Warehouse, Yamashita Park, and Yokohama Chinatown are all within 25 minutes' walk and make a full Yokohama day
Don't Miss
My Cup Noodles Factory
The museum's main hands-on attraction. You start with a plain Cup Noodle cup, design and draw on the exterior, then choose your soup base (4 options) and 4 toppings from 12 choices, and watch the machine seal it in the distinctive cup format. The finished cup is placed in a plastic bag that inflates as you walk, a packaging method actually used in field environments. The entire process takes 20-30 minutes. Reserve a slot online before visiting; walk-in slots exist but fill early on busy days. ¥300 additional.
Instant Noodles History Museum
The ground-floor history section covers the development of instant ramen from Ando's 1958 backyard invention through to global distribution. A recreation of the shed where Ando developed Chicken Ramen is the centerpiece: a small wooden structure with a single kerosene stove. The section on the 'magic of flash-frying' (the process that makes noodles shelf-stable) is clearly explained and genuinely demonstrates why the invention was non-obvious.
NOODLES BAZAAR World Noodles of the World
A food court section on the top floor represents eight regional noodle dishes from across Asia in food stall format. The dishes served are small portions (tasting size) and the theming is extensive: the stalls are designed to resemble an outdoor Asian market at night. It is less a cultural experience than a themed eating experience, but the food is reasonable quality and the serving size is appropriate for a museum visit. Prices ¥400-700 per bowl.
What to Do Here
Museum Visit with Cup Noodles Factory
Reserve a My Cup Noodles Factory slot in advance (book at the official website). On arrival, check in for your factory time. Before the factory, walk the history gallery at your own pace (45-60 minutes), see the 800-variety Cup Noodle wall, and visit the Ando Shed recreation. Complete the factory workshop (20-30 minutes), seal and bag your finished cup, and end with lunch at NOODLES BAZAAR on the top floor.
Tips:
- Book the My Cup Noodles Factory slot online before arriving; the official website takes reservations from 10 AM each day for the same day
- Closed Tuesdays; check the calendar before planning a trip
- The finished cup is a practical souvenir; the cup survives travel if packed with clothes
- The Chicken Ramen Factory (hands-on noodle making, ¥500, age 12+) requires a separate advance reservation and is less popular than the cup factory but more educational about the actual production process
Minatomirai Full Day
Start at the Cup Noodles Museum in the morning, then walk 10 minutes along the waterfront to Red Brick Warehouse (Akarenga), which has shops, restaurants, and waterfront views. Continue 5 minutes to Yamashita Park and the historic ship Hikawa Maru. End in Yokohama Chinatown for dinner (10-minute walk from Yamashita Park).
Tips:
- The waterfront walk from Cup Noodles Museum to Yamashita Park is approximately 30 minutes with stops
- Red Brick Warehouse (Akarenga) has free entry; the building itself is a former Meiji-era warehouse with good views of the Yokohama Bay Bridge
- Book the Cup Noodles factory for 10 AM opening and you will be done by noon with the afternoon free for the waterfront
Plan Your Visit
Opening Hours
general
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (last entry 5:00 PM)
closed Days
Tuesdays (and the following Wednesday if Tuesday falls on a public holiday)
Best Time to Visit
Weekday mornings for shorter factory queues. Book the My Cup Noodles Factory slot online in advance for any visit; slots fill by midday on weekends and many weekdays.
Avoid:
Weekend and holiday afternoons. School holidays are extremely crowded.
Nearby
Red Brick Warehouse (Akarenga)
Restored Meiji-era warehouses with shops, restaurants, and waterfront terrace. Free entry. 7-minute walk along the waterfront.
0.5 km
Yokohama Landmark Tower
Yokohama's tallest building with a sky garden observation deck on the 69th floor. 10-minute walk.
1 km
Yamashita Park
Waterfront park with the historic ship Hikawa Maru. Gateway to Yokohama Chinatown (5-minute walk from the park east end).
1.5 km
Yokohama Chinatown
Japan's largest Chinatown, 200+ restaurants. 25-minute walk or 5 minutes by subway.
2 km
Gallery
Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama in the Minatomirai waterfront district
My Cup Noodles Factory: design the cup, choose your soup, select four toppings (¥300, book ahead)
The Ando Shed: a reconstruction of the backyard shed where instant ramen was invented in 1958
The flavor wall: 800+ Cup Noodle varieties sold globally, organized by country and decade
History
founding
The Cup Noodles Museum opened in 2011 in Yokohama's Minatomirai district, operated by Nissin Foods. A related museum, the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, had operated in Ikeda, Osaka since 1999 at the site where Ando invented Chicken Ramen. The Yokohama museum was designed as a larger, more interactive expansion with a focus on the global impact of the invention and hands-on experiences.
significance
Momofuku Ando's invention of instant ramen in 1958 is considered one of the most significant food innovations of the 20th century. The Space Ram (vacuum-pack instant ramen for zero gravity environments) developed by Nissin for the 2005 International Space Station mission and the global distribution of Cup Noodle to over 80 countries are both documented in the museum. The 'trillion servings' milestone was passed in 2021.
name Origin
The museum's name is a direct use of the 'Cup Noodle' brand name: the Nissin product invented by Momofuku Ando in 1971 that replaced the original Chicken Ramen in a bowl format with self-contained packaging. The museum is operated by Nissin Foods and the branding directly identifies the company's flagship product.
Getting There
Minato Mirai Line
Station: Minatomirai Station (Minato Mirai Line)
Exit: Exit 2
Walk: 8 minutes to museum entrance
The Minato Mirai Line runs direct from Shibuya to Yokohama's waterfront stations. Exit 2 faces the Minatomirai district; follow signs toward the waterfront.
Walking from Yokohama Station
Station: Yokohama Station (JR / Tokaido Line / Subway)
Exit:
Walk: 20 minutes along the waterfront
A flat waterfront walk from the east side of Yokohama Station through the Minatomirai district. Passes Landmark Tower and the Red Brick Warehouse area.
Location
2-3-4 Shinkoo, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0001
Nearest: Minatomirai Station (Minatomirai Line) (8 minutes from Minatomirai Station Exit 2)
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