Let's go to the Cup Noodles Museum in Ikeda, Osaka!

And of course, its popularity isn't limited to Japan. The annual global consumption is an astronomical 102.7 billion servings (source: source). It's an unimaginable amount, but since it's apparently eaten in almost every country in the world, it's definitely worth considering the title "global food." Even astronauts now take it with them on their "space travels." Incidentally, this writer's household always has five of these staples in stock. How many times have they saved us when we got home late or in times of financial difficulty? Who invented this amazing thing?

So, I'd like to introduce you to the Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda, located in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture. It's no secret that Ikeda is the birthplace of instant ramen. Momofuku Ando, the inventor and founder of Nissin Foods, lived in a research shed in his garden, where in 1958 the world's first instant ramen, the now-famous Chicken Ramen, known for its "instantly delicious, incredibly delicious" flavor, was born. The Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda was built in 1999 to communicate the history of instant ramen and the importance of the inventions and discoveries that took place during that process.

The first thing that catches your eye is a reproduction of Ando's "research shed." It's a wooden shed that looks like it could have appeared in a story like The Three Little Pigs... Outside, you can see a bicycle that was once used to transport bags of flour on its carrier, and a chicken that was turned into soup. At the entrance, there's a reproduction of noodles being spread out to dry. The interior is about 4.5 tatami mats in size. There's a bare light bulb and a pendulum clock. There's a wok, bowls, scales, ladles, strainers, steamers, and other kitchen utensils you'd find in any household. I had an image of instant ramen being made in a more high-tech way, so I was surprised to learn that it was made in a "kitchen" like this. Apparently, Ando holed himself up here for an entire year, sacrificing sleep to devote himself to developing it.

By the way, why did the soup have to be chicken? One day, while Ando was cooking, the chickens he kept next to the research shed suddenly started to act violently, startling his young son, who stopped eating chicken. However, he enjoyed eating ramen made with chicken stock. That's when he decided to make the soup chicken-flavored. Ando later said, "There is no country in the world that doesn't eat chicken, so chicken flavor has been accepted worldwide."

First, let's start with why "ramen" was chosen. A monitor on the wall showed footage of the city after the war. One winter night, just after the end of the war, Ando saw a line of people waiting more than 20 meters long in front of a ramen stand in a black market in Osaka. Even in the cold, people were willing to go to such lengths for a bowl of ramen, and it made him realize how important "food" is to people...It was this realization that led him to develop instant ramen.

Apparently, the completed Chicken Ramen was initially made by the whole family. The wife made the soup, and the children helped with bagging. They all worked together to box it up and then carried it around. Then, one day, at a tasting event held in a department store in Osaka, Chicken Ramen captured the hearts of housewives! It was a huge success, after all, it can be made with just hot water. Sensing the success, Ando wanted people all over the country to try this ramen, so he built a factory with the aim of mass production through full automation.

Wanting to spread instant ramen around the world, Ando went to America with Chicken Ramen to inspect it. Naturally, the Americans were very interested. But then he encountered a problem: America doesn't have rice bowls or chopsticks. But an American buyer broke some Chicken Ramen into pieces, put it in a paper cup, poured hot water over it, and began to eat it with a fork. This is when Ando had an idea: "cup noodles"! And so, in 1971, "Cup Noodles" was born. This is truly the "ultimate instant ramen" that only requires hot water.

There was also an exhibition of Cup Noodles from around the world. They seem to be made to suit the climate and tastes of each country, with varieties like tomato, creamy, vegetable-rich, and spicy. Oh, I've tried the Thai Tom Yum flavor. It had a nice hot, sour taste and was delicious.

On July 26, 2005, the Space Shuttle Discovery successfully launched. Alongside Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, the world's first space ramen, "Space Ram," took off. The soup was available in four flavors: soy sauce, miso, curry, and tonkotsu. The noodles were designed to rehydrate even at the boiling point of 70 degrees Celsius in space. Even in the zero-gravity environment, where tastes are said to change, the ramen tasted just as good as it did on Earth, and Noguchi himself was "surprised" by how delicious it was. Eating ramen on the shuttle, Noguchi looked incredibly happy. After returning, Noguchi reportedly brought back a photo of the "Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda" (the area where it is located) taken from above Earth. While we weren't able to see the museum, there is an arrow pointing to the area, so keep your eyes peeled!

First, we went to the "My Cup Noodles Factory" at the back of the museum. It was already bustling with groups of young people, couples, and families. We also saw many tourists from Asia, including China. This is a corner where you can create your own original Cup Noodles by drawing on the familiar Cup Noodles container and choosing your favorite toppings and soup. Let's get started!

Then, first, we used colored pens to freely design something in the blank space in the center of the cup. Glancing at the people next to me, some people were decorating with colorful flowers, some were copying the Chicken Ramen character "Hiyoko-chan," and some were drawing some kind of mysterious creature... Now, what should I do? I'm confident that I'm no artist. After much deliberation, I grabbed my green pen and wrote "Delicious" in bold letters. It's fine because it's delicious, but I was surprised at my own straightforward sense of style.

Next, you can choose your soup. Choose from four types: regular (soy sauce), seafood, curry, or chili tomato. Apparently, seafood or chili tomato is popular among women, while regular or curry is popular among men. This time, I chose the classic regular. Incidentally, the staff's recommendation is the "rich curry with cheese" type.

Now it's time to choose your toppings. You can choose four from 12 varieties, including freeze-dried shrimp, crab-flavored kamaboko, char siu, cheese, and corn. Since I was there, I asked for the non-purchased Chick Naruto, the limited-time special toppings, asparagus, and egg. It's quite fun to imagine the flavors and choose. Then, put the lid on, wrap it in film, and finally, seal your "My Cup Noodles" in the air bag and it's done...I hate to say it myself, but I think it looks good. The design is "delicious." I'm sure it's delicious.

If making the noodles makes you hungry, head to the tasting room. There are vending machines here, selling regional limited edition products that aren't usually available in the Kansai region, as well as cup noodles (featuring Naruto on an airplane) that are only available to passengers in business class or above. Both versions of Donbei Kitsune Udon, which have different soup and other flavors for eastern and western Japan, are also sold, so why not try comparing them? Enjoy the view of the courtyard while thinking about all the hard work and ingenuity you've just witnessed! (Ramen made at My Cup Noodle Factory/Chicken Ramen Factory cannot be eaten here. The products available are subject to change.)

Well, it's now 2:25 PM. Let's head to the Chicken Ramen Factory on the second floor. We're seated at several tables in a spacious room resembling a cooking lab. Our companions are a group of four nurses from Kyoto, a third-grade boy and his mother, and two senior men who live nearby. We each put on the aprons and bandanas provided, and everyone, regardless of age or gender, wears the cute chick-patterned bandanas. After listening to a brief explanation, we all head to the work tables.

Next, the dough is pressed down with a rolling pin. This is also surprisingly hard, and it's quite difficult unless you put your weight on it. I realized that making noodles requires a lot of physical strength. Once the dough is about 1cm thick, it's time to put it in the noodle machine. Turn the lever around and around, and pass the dough through the rollers to make it smooth. Not just once or twice, but about 10 times. When making udon, there's a step where you stomp on the dough with your foot to give it some texture, and this step is apparently similar to that. My right arm is tired. Sweat is starting to form on my forehead.

After aging for a while, the noodles are passed through the noodle machine again, and finally stretched to 0.7 mm and about 2 m in length. Next comes the noodle cutting. The noodles come out of the noodle machine's cutting blades, thin like bamboo blinds. They are then quickly cut with scissors to a length of 20 cm. This is said to be just right for slurping. 100 grams are then measured out to make one serving.

Now the noodles are done. While the staff steams them, I continue with the illustration. Once again, it's time to struggle with the packaging. The elementary school boy sitting across from me has powerfully written the phrase "3 minutes in boiling water, 1 minute in a pot, Chicken Ramen." His penmanship is quite tasteful. The nurses next to me have arranged the chick into a snowman or taking a bath. The packaging is colorful and fun. Not wanting to be outdone, I added orange stripes to the background.

The noodles are then poured into a mold and finally placed in 160-degree oil. This is dangerous and difficult, so a staff member does it for you. The noodles turn golden brown in the sizzling oil. This is the "Flash Oil Heat Drying Method" that has been used since Ando invented it. It's impressive to see it in person. Phew, it's finally done. The finished noodles are packaged in the bag we designed earlier, and they're finished. The orange stripes look really good.

I glanced at the clock and saw that 90 minutes had passed. Time flew by. It was so much fun watching the flour change shape and become noodles. The nurses next to me were saying things like, "It was so much fun," "I was so impressed that I was able to make it myself," and "Eating it is easy, but making noodles is so hard." I all agreed.

By the way, you need to make a reservation to participate in the Chicken Ramen Factory. The participation fee is 500 yen for junior high school students and above, and 300 yen for elementary school students. Children above elementary school age are eligible, but those in third grade or below will need a leader to assist them with the work.

Located in northern Osaka, Ikeda City has long developed as a key logistics hub. The Nose Kaido, which runs north-south through the city, connects Osaka's Hokusetsu region and the Nose and Tamba areas further inland with the large city of Osaka, and was bustling with people transporting lumber, kimonos, sake, and other goods. Remnants of this history can be felt in the old townscape, where sake breweries such as Goshun and Midoriichi, which continue to produce fine sake, continue to produce fine sake. At the Rakugo Museum, you can reminisce about Ikeda in the Edo period through Kamigata rakugo stories set in Ikeda, such as "Ushihome" and "Ikeda no Boar Kai." Ikeda City was once known as the "Northern Capital." Viewing the city from Ikeda Castle Ruins Park, located on a small hill, is also recommended.

For inquiries, please contact Ikeda Guest Information