Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)

An exploration of Yokohama is not complete without a stop at the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. This inexpensive experience feeds you ramen facts and ramen bowls, if you’re up for the challenge.

The museum is split into two floors. The ground floor has displays breaking down the history of ramen in Japan. On this floor, there is a gift shop and a section to purchase a “make-your-own-ramen” kit for 600 yen (about $4). The kit includes all the ingredients for a bowl of ramen like broth and noodles and is personalized with a custom photo for the lid cover of the kit box.

We purchased our own and were able to complete all the steps in English with some help of using Google Translate on our phone. The only downside was there wasn’t much creative freedom with this process, but it’s pretty cool to have our own personalized ramen to make at home.

After learning about ramen, we took the stairs to the basement floor, the star of the museum. As you walk down the stairs, you get a view of the floor layout from above for a feeling you’ve strayed into Japan’s Showa Era. The entire floor is decorated to look like the old alleyways with building facades of hostess clubs, onsens and shops. A neat way to feel like you’re living in the past.

Inside the makeshift buildings there were different ramen shops and candy stores. We walked around and had time to try out two of the 8 shops open during our visit.

First, we went to Shindo Ramen, a shop originally from Thailand, and tried the Thai take on tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. Oddly, the ramen had a strong fishy, umami flavor, a bit too fishy for our taste, but not terrible.

Next, we tried tonkotsu cappuccino ramen from Hakata Issou, a shop serving Fukuoka Prefecture-style ramen. The milky, foamy pork broth was flavorful and I wanted seconds.

Ranging from around 600 to 1,400 yen per bowl, the ramen at the museum shops was inexpensive. The aesthetics and the meals you can have here really make it worth a visit with family and friends.

If you plan on checking out the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, make sure to visit with an empty stomach so you have plenty of room to slurp down some noodles!

Tonkotsu Ramen (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)

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