Cup Noodle Museum - Osaka

If you are a lover of cup noodles, and have more spare time in Osaka than Yokohama, I recommend visiting the Cup Noodle Museum! The highlight was the MyCupNoodle Factory experience -
drawing my own cup and choosing my own flavors. 

How to get there: From Umeda Station - about a half hour train ride north on the Takarazuka Main Line to Ikeda. One way was ¥280.

We went first thing in the morning, and there was still some schoolchildren on a weekday. 

The exterior was glass and the building was not very assuming.

In the lobby the clerk informed us the museum was free, but to make a cup noodle would be ¥500 (and cash was helpful) and then pointed to the direction of the CupNoodle Factory (where to make), but there were a few other things to see. I figured it was better to do the Factory before the line got long, but children had already started so we leisurely perused our way to the Factory.

A large cup noodle cross-section! 

There was a theater that showed the perspective of a cup noodle being made in the factory.

The Instant Ramen Tunnel was a history of ramens - and it was cool to see on the way to the Factory.

Making the Cup Noodle: Instructions were mostly clear.

Purchase from a vending machine. Cash was helpful.

After drawing on the cup - you pick the toppings and seasoning. Pointing and nodding was enough to communicate with the workers who only spoke Japanese.

Afterwards - you bag the cup noodle in an airbag that is safe to travel/transport! I think they also said it was good for about 3 months. 

Here is a bust of the founder near the lobby.

Other Exhibits: 

• Chicken ramen factory - they have an option to take a class, but it is 90 min long, ¥1000.and I'm guessing more helpful if you know Japanese
• The history of ramen exhibit was in Japanese
• A recreated shed of where instant noodles was born
• Museum shop - mostly featuring the mascot which is a kawaii yellow little chick. 

Overall, it is definitely worth it if you want to make your own cup noodle - and I would budget about an hour to spend here. It is also one of the cheaper activities to do in Japan with transportation costing more than the Factory experience, and the entire experience being less than $10 per person with train cost included.