Cup Noodle: junk food that inspired legit merch
We love Cup Noodles.
We do! They’re tasty (our favourite is Chili Tomato). On days when you can’t be bothered to cook, a quick and simple Cup Noodle hits the spot.
Since the basic Cup Noodle’s debut, we’ve come a long way. With great popularity comes a shelfload of official merch. A Cup Noodle is enough to satisfy the stomach, but not an otaku heart and soul. So that’s where these authentic Cup Noodle goods come in.
Cup Noodle Final Fantasy Boss Collection
*PRODUCT PLACEMENT ALERT*
Final Fantasy XV was officially the noodle edition. Including a special food-themed remake of the original game trailer. Yeesh, imagine how much Nissin paid to get their noodles in front of so many gamers like that. We hope the graphics team at Square Enix got a lifetime’s supply of Cup Noodles as payment.
Nissin went a step even further, and made a special Cup Noodle for every main Final Fantasy game boss. They’re only officially sold in full sets of 15: the Cup Noodle FINAL FANTASY BOSS COLLECTION.
As far as we know, they’re all the same original flavour.
The camping-friendly metal Cup Noodle holder
Okay, so a little backstory. The newest Japanese national holiday is Mountain Day (Yama no Hi), on August 11th. The date’s fixed, unlike some national days that are on ‘the 2nd Wednesday of the month’ or whatever. It’s a very new holiday, because the first one was in 2016.
What did Nissin do to celebrate the occasion? They brought out a titanium Cup Noodle maker for outdoor use. Designed in the same style as other Cup Noodles, with a matching titanium lid and silicon ‘mountain-y’ green handles. Oh, there’s also a red version. Maybe so you don’t lose it in the grass?
You can make up to 2 Cup Noodles or Soup Noodles at a time, for sharing… or to keep your stamina up for hiking. A similar Snow Peak x Nissin noodle cup maker exists, but will only hold a single serving.
Fluffy golf club covers
This discovery taught us more about golf than we ever thought we’d learn. Nissin did sponsor a Japan PGA championship tour a few years ago, though.
Golfers who want to literally ‘use their noodle’ can keep their precious woods and drivers safe with soft Cup Noodle covers. Original, Seafood, and Curry versions help you tell which club’s which. For clubs of different sizes, the BIG Cup Noodle’s also included in some sets.
The designs look like the real thing, which is basically the bare minimum you should expect from an official product. And that could be the more useful reason for using these covers. Maybe if you make everyone else feel hungry, it’ll put them off their game.
If that link to Yahoo! Auctions listings stops working, we won’t be surprised – these things are super rare.
Tomica Cup Noodle on wheels
Before we go any further explaining this: it’s not an edible Cup Noodle. Booo! Nope, this novelty toy noodle cup zooms around on mini wheels. A clear plastic window shows a driver’s seat inside, which is a cute touch.
The model’s so tiny that you’d get maybe a forkful of noodles out of it… if it was real. The top pops up to reveal an inedible print of cooked seafood Cup Noodle filling. Yum?
But the design is very detailed, and faithful to what an actual cup looks like from every angle. The ingredient list, nutritional values, and instructions are all there, in impressively small writing. Tomica hasn’t missed a thing.
Cup Noodle candle
Please don’t mistake this candle for the real original Cup Noodle. With the lid on, it’s really hard to tell. Especially if you can’t read the ‘THIS IS NOT FOOD’ and ‘DO NOT EAT’ warnings in Japanese.
Something you should definitely know is that the instructions say remove the lid completely.
The inside looks scarily like the real thing. Japan’s legendary capacity for making the most realistic fake food is alive and well. The only visible difference is a wick sticking out of the top.
Your nose should give you a big clue – the Cup Noodle candle is unscented. What? Okay, maybe you’ll find yourself sniffing the phantom fragrance of ramen. Another option is to go ahead and buy noodle-scented aroma oil separately. (Yeah, that exists.)
We wouldn’t suggest trying to light a real Cup Noodle on fire…
Noodle stopper mini figures
The ideal amount of time to leave your Cup Noodle after putting the hot water in is 3 minutes. Exactly 3 minutes, no more and no less. People set timers for these things.
The lid should stay shut that whole time. But it doesn’t! We all know that stupid lid pops back up straight away. Resting your fork or chopsticks on top might work, if they’re heavy enough. It’s a risk every noodle lover takes.
In the same way that Cup Fuchiko hangs off your glass, noodle stopper figures keep the lid pressed down. They add a little sprinkle of cute, cool, or crazy to your meal.
These mini figures are, uhhh, carefully weighted to make sure your Cup Noodle lid stays put. They work just as well for holding takeaway plastic containers open, if you position them just right. For those rare times that you’re not eating something, you can appreciate them as fun small-scale collectibles.
The Cup Noodle commercial songs collection
“Hey, that advert song was kinda catchy…”
Yes, you can own the jingles from a host of Cup Noodle CMs! And yes, this is the actual album cover.
The CD has 10 tracks, with songs that featured in old Japanese Cup Noodle commercials. It’s the perfect ambient background music for slurping your next noodle-based meal.
Oodles of fun, weird stuff from Japan
Next to all the weird stuff, we’ve got loads of Cup Noodle flavours for you to try. Never had the Cheese Curry or the Tom Yum versions? Then you haven’t lived! Get your fill of Cup Noodles on DEJAPAN.
