Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum

Ramen is a noodle soup dish originally imported from China but it has since become very much a critical part of the Japanese food culture. Its severe popularity with the Japanese people means that you can find it pretty much anywhere in Japan, with distinctive local variations and flavours. The Raumen Museum (that's not a spelling mistake) in Shin-Yokohama has brought several famous ramen shops under one roof, and allows visitors to sample various unique ramen flavours in the one locale.

The Raumen Museum is an easy 7-minutes walk from Shin-Yokohama station. The admission fee is ¥300 for an adult, and you'll see the ramen-themed souvenir shop as you enter. Remember to pick up the museum pamphlet (available in English & other languages) right by the door.
 

 As you head down the stairs to the actual museum (yes, it's underground!), you'll see this mural showing where the different ramen dishes come from in Japan. If you want to try different ramen dishes, go for the "mini" version. A note of warning: even the "mini" version is still pretty substantial, and I wouldn't recommend having more than two per visit.

This photo is taken at the entrance to the museum proper overlooking the main courtyard. Styled after Tokyo in the 1950s, it features several ramen restaurants scattered over two floors, a handful of souvenir food shops, and a fantastic atmosphere to enjoy your food. Remember to purchase a ticket before entering the restaurants (you'll be shown where to sit). Also, no photography allowed inside the restaurants.

On the day of my visit, there was a masked street performer at hand to entertain visitors. You can see a souvenir food shop to the right behind the performer, and one of the ramen restaurants to the left. In all, it was a fun and engaging (and gastronomically fulfilling) visit, one I will make again in the future.