I had heard that there was an Cup Ramen museum somewhere in Japan before, but I had no idea it was in Osaka. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a meetup for visiting the museum as well as the chance to take a short hike. As a former university student, I felt like I had no choice but to take a pilgrimage to this holy ground of instant ramen.

After arriving in Ikeda, which is a bit north of the city, I met up with the group, which was made up of about 9 people. We set off from the station and headed to the nearby museum. We started out at the part of the museum where you make your own Cup Noodle cup. For about 300 Yen (~$3) you buy a cup, get to draw on it with markers, take it to the station where they have you add the noodles using a crank, and then you get to pick the flavor and toppings. Since I can’t draw, I decided to try and be funny and named my creation カップカップヌードル (kappu kappu nuudoru: kappu = Cup, Kapp). I decided to try the bold flavor combination of Curry flavour, with Kimchi, cheese, onions, and corn. Hey, I never claimed to have good taste.

After we finished making some ramen, and then taking a quick look around the museum, we went to the Ikeda Castle ruins for lunch. Though the castle no longer stands, there is a watchtower-like building that still remains and a quiet park around it. We stopped there for quick visit and a quiet lunch before heading out on a short hike.

We hiked up a hill to a spot with a beautiful vista overlooking much of the Ikeda area. It was a steep climb, but the air was crisp and clean, so it was very enjoyable. We all took a break at the top and chatted for a while before deciding to end our tour and head on back to the station.

Upon arriving home the ramen was quickly consumed. Verdict: pretty good!

A few additional pictures: Gallery