[Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture] Three tips for starting something new in the city of "starting new things"

Ikeda City is a town rich in nature, surrounded by Mt. Satsukiyama and the Inagawa River. It is also a town with ties to inventors who influenced food culture and people who created new ways of living along the railway line. We will introduce three places where you can encounter such stories of "the beginning."

Written by

ON THE TRIP Co., Ltd.

ON THE TRIP is an audio guide app that lets you enjoy cultural assets such as temples, shrines, and art museums, as well as the stories that live in each city, all while touring spots mapped out on a map. Each guide is a moving work of art, like a movie or novel, and listening to it will deepen your understanding of your destination and enhance your travel experience. We'll introduce you to the charms of Japan that you won't find in guidebooks, revealed through the audio guide app, and a new way of traveling that can only be experienced with an audio guide.

This service includes sponsored advertisements.

If you're someone who wants to start something but can't think of any ideas, or if you have something you want to start but can't quite muster the courage, there's a town you should definitely visit.

Ikeda City is located in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture. It is a city rich in nature, located at the foot of Mt. Satsukiyama and with the Inagawa River flowing through it, and has developed since ancient times as a key point on the highway.

In fact, Ikeda is a town that has ties to Momofuku Ando, who invented instant ramen, which has become a global food, and Ichizo Kobayashi, who built a new town along a railway line and created a modern lifestyle. Ikeda is home to many stories of the "beginnings" of various things.

We will now introduce three places in Ikeda that will give you hints on how to start something new. Walking around the town and learning about the stories of challenges that have arisen in Ikeda may inspire ideas for starting something new.

https://on-the-trip.net/spots/713/purchase

Hint 1: "The Beginnings of Momofuku Ando" Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda

Just add hot water and it's ready in just three minutes. Instant ramen is convenient, delicious and has become a part of our daily lives. In fact, it originated here in Ikeda City.

Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Food Products, created the world's first instant ramen, "Chicken Ramen," through extensive research using everyday tools in a small shed he built in the backyard of his home in Ikeda City.

At the Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda, you can learn about the history of instant ramen from various angles through exhibits that tell the story of how instant ramen was born and the "Instant Ramen Tunnel," where approximately 800 different types of packages are lined up.

Instant ramen is now loved not only in Japan but all over the world. It all began with the idea and drive of one person. It is said that the impetus for its development came from seeing people lining up in the black market after the war, hoping to get a bowl of ramen.

"In times of food shortages, I want to eliminate the suffering of hunger" -- perhaps this was the underlying thought behind his work. As you walk through the exhibits, you can experience Momofuku Ando's imagination and powers of observation.

At the "My Cup Noodle Factory," you can try your hand at making your own original, one-of-a-kind "Cup Noodles." What ideas come to mind when you see ramen in front of you?

Hint 2: "The Beginnings of Traveling Performers" by Ikeda Gofukuza

Just past Sakaemachi Shopping Street, which stretches north from Ikeda Station, along the old Nose Highway, lies the popular theater "Ikeda Gofukuza." During the Edo period, it was a theater that entertained many people until the end of the Showa period, hosting a variety of performing arts, including Kabuki, Rakugo, Kodan, and Manzai. Today, the theater has been reconstructed in part to retain the architectural style of its Edo period construction, making it a theater where you can enjoy popular theater.

Ikeda is home to the Nose Kaido, the Pilgrimage Route, and the Saigoku Kaido, a long road that connects Kyoto and Kyushu. Among the people passing by on the road were traveling entertainers from Kyushu.

Osaka has always been the home of entertainment. To make a name for yourself as an entertainer, you have to be well-received in Osaka. The Ikeda Gofukuza Theatre, located on the way to Namba and Dotonbori, the entertainment centers of Osaka, may have been a place where local entertainers could test their skills.

Ikeda Gofukuza has witnessed the beginnings of many entertainers. Come experience the "beginnings" of performing arts here.

Hint 3: "The Beginning of Entertainment" at the Kobayashi Ichizo Memorial Museum

Ichizo Kobayashi, the founder of Hankyu Railway, built towns along the railway line and proposed a new way of life. The first new town was the Muromachi Housing area that now stretches to the west of Ikeda Station. Ichizo Kobayashi not only built towns, but also built his own home in Ikeda.

The site is now home to the Kobayashi Ichizo Memorial Museum, which introduces the career of Kobayashi Ichizo, the Itsuo Museum, which displays his collection, and the Ikeda Bunko, where visitors can view materials related to the Hankyu Railway and theatrical materials, mainly related to Takarazuka Revue and Kabuki.

Ichizo Kobayashi was a businessman who founded a railroad company and developed residential areas, but he was also a man who created many entertainment projects. His achievements include the founding of the Takarazuka Revue and the baseball team that would later become professional baseball.

As a student, Kobayashi Ichizo aspired to become a novelist. However, he abandoned that dream and, after working at a bank, embarked on a career as a businessman. However, he never lost his ability to tell stories, and when the Takarazuka Revue was first founded, he wrote the scripts himself, creating a new stage culture with only female performers.

His interest in baseball led him to build a playground and hold a tournament that would become the precursor to the National High School Baseball Championship, creating a new trend in the field of sports. Ikeda is where Kobayashi Ichizo turned his vision into reality. By walking around this town, you may find hints for putting your ideas into shape.

Why not tie together your initial determination and intention with a thread?

Momofuku Ando, the inventor of Cup Noodles. Ikeda Gofukuza, the place where many traveling performers chose to start their careers. And Ichizo Kobayashi, who created entertainment that enriches people's lives. Ikeda is home to many "stories of beginnings."

When you come across these stories, what did you want to "start"? "ito" is a tool to write down your thoughts. Write your resolution like on a votive tablet and tie a thread. "ito" is a tool to make those secret wishes come true.

This tool can be obtained at the Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda, Ikeda Gofukuza, Ikeda Castle Ruins Park, and Ikeda City Tourist Information Center*.

The Cup Noodle Museum Osaka Ikeda has a yellow "ito" inspired by Momofuku Ando, who overcame numerous adversities and aimed for a great comeback. The Ikeda Gofukuza has a red "ito" representing the flame of passion of a traveling performer who dedicated his life to his art. The Ikeda Castle Ruins Park has a blue "ito" reminiscent of Ikeda's river and streetscape. *All colors are available for sale at the Ikeda City Tourist Information Center.

Once you've found your favorite "ito" at each location, try writing down something you'd like to start or a resolution you have in mind. Finally, try tying your "ito" at the "Yoridokoro" (Yoridokoro) in Ikeda Castle Ruins Park. Perhaps your wish will come true. It might also be a good idea to keep it in your bag or wallet like a good luck charm and reread it from time to time.

In fact, Ikeda has many more stories of "the beginning" than those introduced here. With the audio guide "ON THE TRIP," you can discover these stories while walking around the town.

Listen to the audio guide, take detours as you follow the thread of the story, and eventually arrive at Ikeda Castle, where you will make a decision to start your own journey.

"ito" is the starting point for everything

The yellow color represents the story of Momofuku Ando, a man who shines a ray of hope, and who aims to achieve great reversals in the face of adversity.
Available at: Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda, Ikeda City Tourist Information Center

The color red tells the story of a traveling entertainer who ignites the flame of passion, with the intention of making his dreams come true in various performances.
Sales locations: Ikeda Gofukuza, Ikeda City Tourist Information Center

The blue color tells the story of Ikeda's rivers and streets, with an intention to look not to the immediate future but to the distant future.
Sales locations: Ikeda Castle Ruins Park, Ikeda City Tourist Information Center

Price: Yellow and blue: 800 yen, red: Dance picture scroll with theater ticket 2000 yen

Audio guide "ON THE TRIP"

With the theme of "turning every travel destination into a museum," this travel guide app allows you to delve deeper into things that interest you at various destinations, from cultural assets such as shrines and temples, to breathtaking views, hot springs, art festivals, and even cultures like Zen and sushi.

Using the audio guide is easy. Just download the ON THE TRIP app, open it, and select the spot guide. Choose a spot that interests you, and play it. It will tell you the history and background of the scenery in front of you with audio, text, and photos.

*There are two types of guide playback: a GPS-enabled automatic playback type and a manual playback type.

Download the iOS app here

Download the Android app here

Once you launch the app, search for "Ikeda Machi Aruki." After downloading, you can start enjoying the guide right away, but we recommend downloading it in advance so you can plan your trip. Don't forget to bring your earphones.

Enjoy the story of Ikeda by visiting the spots in order: 01 → 02 → 03.

In Osaka Prefecture, we are also running the "Higashi Osaka Three Shrines Tour" in Higashi Osaka City and the "Sakai Town Walk" in Sakai City. Please feel free to take advantage of these opportunities.

Higashi-Osaka Three Shrines Tour: https://matcha-jp.com/jp/26775
Sakai Town Walk: https://matcha-jp.com/jp/26778

[Walking around Ikeda City - What will you start in this sacred place of "beginnings"?]
https://on-the-trip.net/spots/713/purchase

[The sacred place of beginnings] Discover the story of the beginnings with an audio guide and a walking tour of Ikeda City
https://osaka-info.jp/special/audio-guide/ikedashi-history/

Written by

ON THE TRIP Co., Ltd.

Tokyo

The information presented in this article is based on the time it was written. Note that there may be changes in the merchandise, services, and prices that have occurred after this article was published. Please contact the facility or facilities in this article directly before visiting. Some of our articles contain affiliate links. We kindly ask our readers to exercise careful judgement when making a purchase or booking a service online.

The contents on this page may partially contain automatic translation.