You’re getting hungry….very, very huuuuuungry. A big bowl of mechanical noodles greets arriving guests at the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum in Yokohama, Japan. Opened in 1994 and located less than an hour from central Tokyo, it’s considered the world’s first food-themed amusement park. There are no games or rides, per se, but it has a teensy museum and plenty of regional styles to sample, including a skinny-noodled tonkotsu pork bone ramen from Ganso Najima-tei, a rich seafood-based miso ramen from Ryu Shanghai Honten, a wacky Milanese-inspired pepperoncini ramen from Casa Ramen, and an umami-packed salt & soy sauce (shoyu) ramen from “ramen demon” Shina Soba-ya. Adults pay a flat admission (¥310 or $2.72 USD) to enter the three-story complex and then a per-bowl fee to eat. If you want to try several varieties (and why wouldn’t you?), order the small instead of the regular at each shop; sharing—at least amongst adults—is prohibited. For dessert, stop by Dagashi-ya on B1F. The old-fashioned sweets shop has more than 300 toys and treats for sale. Note: Same-day re-entry is permitted, so long as you get your hand stamped before you exit.
2-14-21 Shinyokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama City, Japan; +045-471-0503.
