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Reconstruction of the small wooden shed where instant ramen was invented, inside the Ikeda museum
Photo: Richard, enjoy my life!, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Osaka · museum

Cupnoodles Museum Osaka Ikeda

カップヌードルミュージアム 大阪池田

A hands-on museum in Ikeda, Osaka, birthplace of the world's first instant noodles. Entry is free; design your own Cup Noodle or hand-make Chicken Ramen.

Stone exterior wall of the instant ramen museum in Ikeda with the museum's name
Photo: Camodr25, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The town where instant noodles were born

In 1958, here in Ikeda, Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Foods, invented the world's first instant noodles: Chicken Ramen. Cupnoodles Museum Osaka Ikeda opened on the site of that invention in 1999, and uses the history of instant noodles to show "the importance of invention and discovery".

Inside is a faithful reconstruction of the research shed where Chicken Ramen was developed, so you can see for yourself the kind of place a world-changing invention came from.

A tunnel lined with around 800 packages

The Instant Noodles Tunnel is lined with about 800 different packages, starting with Chicken Ramen, so you can trace at a glance how instant noodles spread.

Make your own Cup Noodle and Chicken Ramen

At My Cupnoodles Factory you draw whatever you like on a cup, choose a soup and toppings, and make a Cup Noodle that is the only one of its kind in the world. Places are first come, first served, with seiriken (numbered tickets) handed out in the museum on the day (there is a charge).

At the Chicken Ramen Factory you make Chicken Ramen with your own hands, from kneading the flour right through to the flash-frying method (shunkan yunetsu kanso-ho) that fries and dries the noodles in oil. This one requires an advance reservation (there is a charge).

Getting there

It is about a 5-minute walk from Ikeda Station on the Hankyu Takarazuka Line.

Entry is free, but depending on how busy it is you may have to wait to get in. Check the official website for opening hours and closing days.

Tips

  • Chicken Ramen making needs a reservation, so if you want to try it, book early on the official website.
  • The museum is closed for the New Year holidays from 28 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, and for equipment inspection from 12 to 15 January 2027.
  • Other Ikeda sights, such as Satsukiyama Park and Satsukiyama Zoo, are nearby.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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