Osaka Cup Noodles Museum (Ikeda) and ramen tour

The Cup Noodles Museum in Ikeda, on the outskirts of Osaka, is the place where instant ramen was born at the hands of Momofuku Ando in 1958. This guided tour combines the museum visit with a gastronomic experience around the city of Ikeda, cradle of the world's first Chicken Ramen. The highlight is the My Cup Noodles workshop, in which you design the cup to your taste, choose the broth base and four ingredients to create your own personalised noodle combination, which you take home as a souvenir. You will also tour the exhibitions on the invention of the product and its cultural impact, and you will be able to try local ramen specialities. The tour starts at around 4.000 ¥ and the meeting point is usually next to the ticket offices of Hankyu Ikeda station, about 20 minutes by train from Umeda. It is a very entertaining plan for families and lovers of Japanese gastronomy. It is advisable to book in advance because the workshop places are limited and sell out, especially at weekends.