Popcorn Papa

If you visit Universal Studios Theme Park in Osaka, then you need to make a stop at Popcorn Papa (http://www.popcornpapa.jp/, Japanese only) in the Universal City Walk area outside of the park.  It's at about the midway point and you can't miss it with the giant popcorn kernel wearing a cowboy hat that greets you from atop the store.

There are 32 flavors to choose from - including sweet and savory offerings.  My husband and I love popcorn, especially flavored ones!  So, we went with 2 savory flavors - Bacon & Cheese and Garlic Butter.  Wow, they were so good!  Packed with flavor and totally delicious.  I wish we had bought more.

What I like most about Popcorn Papa is that they aren't skimpy with the flavoring and they have a lot of interesting flavors.  The ones we picked are relatively safe, but their number 2 most popular flavor is Ume Katsuo (pickled plum and fish flakes)!  They also have flavors like Caramel Nuts, Milky Maple, Sweet Potato, Cream Soda, Mentaiko Mayonaise, Nori Wasabi, and Spicy Curry...to name a few.

A small bag will run you about 350 yen and a large is 900 yen. I think we need to make another trip to Universal, just so we can snag a few more bags...and this time, maybe we'll be brave and grab one of their more interesting flavors!

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Taken in Dotonbori, Osaka

Cup Noodles Museum - Yokohama

There aren't a lot of people who don't know what Cup Noodles are. They have even been to space! And I have certainly eaten my fair share of these quick, cheap and yummy noodles in my lifetime...but an entire museum dedicated to them? You bet! Japan has a museum for everything! Why not Cup Noodles?!

The opening of the Yokohama branch of this museum (http://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/index.html, English site available) coincided with a trip we were taking to Japan in 2011. I had been wanting to go to the original museum in Osaka, so I jumped at this opportunity! The new museum is located in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama and is about a 10 minute walk from Queen's Square Yokohama.

The museum is a brown rectangular building with large glass windows around the top. The lobby area is beautiful and airy and it makes for an impressive entry way. We purchased our admission tickets (500 yen for adults) and reserved a time for making our own Cup Noodles (yes, you can even design and make your own Cup Noodles, but I'll elaborate on that in another post).

We walked up the stairs and took in all of the information about Cup Noodles they had on display. Cup Noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando and the entire museum is dedicated to promoting creative thinking and innovation. They have an entire room filled with all of the different products they've introduced over the years (over 3,000), as well as recreated the work shed where Momofuku invented the first instant ramen!



There is a food court with noodle dishes from around the world. You can sample most for about 300 yen a plate. There is also a kid's play area that gives them a chance to experience the manufacturing process of Cup Noodles from the noodle's perspective (300 yen for a half hour session)! And on the bottom floor a gift shop is available to purchase Cup Noodles souvenirs. We found the museum to be very interactive and lots of fun!



The museum certainly gives you a greater appreciation for the innovative thinking that went into creating Cup Noodles. It's a must see for any fan of instant ramen!



Directions from Tokyo:

• Catch the JR Tokaido Line from TOKYO Station towards YOKOHAMA (Appx. 25 min.)


• Get off at YOKOHAMA Station and transfer to the Tokyu Toyoko Minatomirai Line (Appx. 3 min.)


• Get off at MINATOMIRAI Station


• Exit towards QUEEN'S SQUARE, walk towards World Porters (Appx. 8 min.)