Near Shin-Yokohama station you can find the world’s first and only Ramen theme park (apparently it is also the world’s first "food" theme park). Ramen is a typical Japanese food that vaguely resembles a dish of noodles in broth. In the southern part of Japan, pork broth is very popular, while in the north, chicken, vegetable, or fish broth is preferred. Depending on personal preference, broth can be prepared as desired, for example with soy sauce. There are many ingredients that can be added to ramen, such as roast pork and bamboo shoots. At the Ramen Museum it is possible to try various versions of ramen: just insert money in the special machines, choose the type of ramen you want and collect a ticket with which you can enter the shop and pick up your dish.
The Ramen Museum; in fact, do not be misled by the fact that it is called a "museum" because, although inside there is a real museum dedicated to this famous Japanese dish, the focal point of this place is a collection of 9 ramen restaurants, each with its own recipe belonging to a region of Japan. In fact, since their 20th anniversary, they have expanded the concept of regional ramen by proposing to some of the best ramen restaurants in the world (including an Italian one, Casa Ramen in Milan) to open their own "branch" inside the museum. From time to time, of course, the restaurants change, so if you make multiple trips to Japan you might enjoy different specialties on each visit. The museum is spread over three floors, the first of which (corresponding to the ground floor) houses the museum, with exhibitions dedicated to the famous Japanese dish and its history, as well as the official shop where you can buy various snacks and vacuum packs of ramen, useful for preparing ramen comfortably at home and instantly, simply by pouring boiling water on the contents of the bag. In the two basement floors has been recreated the retro atmosphere of Japan ’50s and ’60s, an era particularly dear to many nostalgic. The actual exhibition includes numerous displays, various utensils for the preparation of ramen, over 300 bowls, chopsticks, textiles and aprons, interactive panels, ramen packages from all over the world and monitors that broadcast non-stop the various ramen commercials of the last 25 years. Among the most peculiar objects is a replica of the first ramen dish ever eaten, namely the one consumed by a 17th century samurai named Mito Komon.
Two dioramas then show the workings of an instant ramen factory, while various themed video games are available to younger visitors.
