Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

As a ramen lover, visiting the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum was on my top must-visit places in Japan. I can't wait to go back to Japan to visit the Cup Noodles Museum located in Yokohama as well.  

A little background on the museum. It was founded on March 6, 1994 and it is the world's first food-themed amusement park. At the museum, you can freely enjoy the different regional flavours of ramen across Japan without stepping on a plane or train to get there. There are a total of 9 different ramen restaurants showcased in a street-scape replication from the year 1958 which is also the year when the world's first instant ramen was invented. 

You can easily spot the museum with these green ramen bowls at the top of the sign. 

There is even this moving ramen bowl with a TV screen from RA-HAKU TV the showing all about ramen from ramen world fairs, ramen history in Japan and famous ramen shops.  

Tickets can be bought at the front entrance to the museum. Adult (13 and older) cost 310 yen and child (6-12) and seniors (60 over) cost 100 yen and free for children younger than 6 years old. 

When you first enter the ramen museum, there is this wall that display ramen bowls used in successive ramen restaurants in different unique patterns as well as some history photographs of Japan and Japanese culture. 

You can also grab a pamphlet translated into many different languages as well as renting a locker to store your bag and other heavy duty things you may not want to carry with you around the museum. 

The ramen museum is divided into 3 floors. B1F and B2F is where all the ramen restaurants are and as well as some snack shops with snack and food from Japan's good old days. On the 1st floor there is a gallery where visitors can learn all about the history of ramen, museum shop and an IRIS slot-car race track. 

Studio Ghibli Store in Kamakura

Following up from my last post on the bamboo grove garden at Hokokuji Temple in Kamakura, I also made a visit to the Studio Ghibli store which is located on the right side of the corner entrance gate to the Komachi shopping street. There are actually many Studio Ghibli stores across Japan and I have been to quite a few of them in Tokyo and each one is similar but yet different in which they sell some special items that are not found in other Studio Ghibli stores. There are 2 floors at this Studio Ghibli store in Kamakura. 

Otaru Music Box Museum: Antique Museum

Continuing from my last post, this post will be about the 2nd music box museum hall in Otaru city which is known as the antique museum. Just like the name, the music boxes sold at this museum hall is more of the antique and elegant style and is also in higher quality.

These Japanese rabbits are my favourite. They're so pretty and elegant with the rabbits wearing the traditional Japanese kimonos. 

I also really like these beautiful antique style music boxes that you can also use as a jewelry box. They'd actually make a great souvenir gift! 

Otaru Music Box Museum - Main Building

When I was young, I recall watching Japan travel shows on TV and have always dreamed of going to Hakkaido one day because of how beautiful it is and especially during the winter season with all the snow scenery. I imagined that it would be so romantic and beautiful just like in the Asian dramas that I watch.

Although I actually didn't go to Hokkaido in the winter season and went during spring instead. I took a one day trip to Otaru city which is not far away from Sapporo to visit the music box museums there and I am sooooo in love with the place. 

There are actually 6 different music box museums that you can visit on the Sakaimachi street in Otaru and they are conveniently located close by in the same area so you can visit all of them in one day. This is the main building of the Otaru Music Box Museum.

There is an antique Steam Clock Tower located right outside of the main building and it is made by a Canadian clock maker Raymond Sounders in the same fashion as the clock built in 1977 in Vancouver's Gas Town. It is a gift from Vancouver to Otaru and is a well-known symbol of the city. The clock chimes on the hour and steams come out from the top of the tower and the steam chimes also play a five-tone melody every 15 minutes. 

The interior design of the main building is made out of wood including the floors giving it this very antique atmosphere with a big selection of music boxes to choose from, including glass music boxes that are unique to Otaru. 

There are many tables with music boxes of different themes and styles. My favourite one is the most popular one with the iconic metal flying airplane that spins and the big ferris wheel.