Ramen, from Japan to the world
Announcing our 20th anniversary, and advance into Europe

On March 6, 2014 the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum (Shin-Yokohama 2-14-21, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama / Head Curator: Yoji Iwaoka) were pleased to announce our twentieth anniversary. We're taking this anniversary as an opportunity to forward the business mission upheld since our founding to 'spread the concept of ramen as a Japanese dish throughout the world' by announcing our goal to take the museum to Europe in ten years' time. 

[Taking the Japanese food culture of ramen to the world]
Today the Japanese breed of ramen is taking the world by storm--a hit in France, England, Germany, America and each of the countries it makes its way to. There in recent years, the food culture of the common Japanese populace, like ramen, has been gaining attention where once sushi and other high grade, high-cost per customer cuisine represented Japan. Back when the museum first opened, the word ramen was completely unrecognized, often translated as 'Chinese noodles' and categorized as an extension of instant ramen. Thus, our endeavor from the start has been to spread the awareness of ramen food culture. Though awareness overseas is still low, ramen is a national food in Japan where it continues to affirm its place as one of the most popular foods.
Starting around five years ago, a rise has been seen in the level of awareness about ramen and in the degree of expectation for ramen operations overseas, and these have given way to the current movement.
Visitors to the museum coming to Japan from overseas reached 150,000 in 2013, and there has been an increase in foreign travelers to Japan with eating ramen on their lists of things to do.

[We're going to Europe]
The museum will be taken to Europe in 10 years' time to spread the concept of ramen. Europe was chosen as the place to venture into for the following reasons: Firstly, Europe is a tourist hot-spot of a continent with tourist numbers steadily rising since the establishment of the EU. In 2012, France ranked number one in the world for tourists with numbers reaching 82 million, and six other European nations made the top ten. Secondly, Europe is a content with history and one that has a high level of interest in culture. Certain elements from Japanese subculture--such as anime--have panned out, and by our judgment it is the most suitable place to spread the Japanese food culture of ramen. Which country in particular to take the museum to is still on the table, but we have our sights set on two years to have a clear plan drawn out.

This autumn we will be renovating the entire exhibition gallery as a global museum in anticipation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The museum's exhibition structure will be renewed taking a global view. Multilingualism is a given, and there will be many things that are commonplace for the Japanese that will feel fresh and new for foreign visitors.

- Data
Museum's opening: March 6, 1994
Total construction cost: 3.5 million yen (interior: 1 million yen)
Total number of visitors as of February 2014: 22,275,057
Record for maximum number of visitors in one day: 10,185 on May 5, 2000
Number of ramen shops featured inside the museum so far: 41