Ramen as Engine of Local Economy: From Japan to the World
Author：
Topic／Goals：Connection、Food、Link with Outside of Classroom、Shopping、Social Environment
2019.08
Students read the interview article about Ramen Hakubutsukan and learn about ramen, which is so popular in Japan that it is called national food. Students also learn about the objective and the effort of the Ramen Hakubutsukan that was built aiming at the revitalization of Shin Yokohama. This resource also provides an opportunity to deepen students’ knowledge of Japanese history through research about the Showa era.
| Objectives | • Learn about Ramen Hakubutsukan. |
|---|---|
| Target | Junior High School and Senior High School students |
| Japanese Level | Intermediate – Advanced |
What to prepare
Procedure
1. Questions to help students' comprehension of the abridged article
a) What is the original aim of building this museum?
b) What kind of atmosphere does this museum have? Why is it so?
c) What kind of ramen shops does the museum have at the moment?
d) List the activities that you can enjoy at the museum.
e) What does the museum do to win the competition against other ramen shops?
f) How many people visit this museum? What is the difference in numbers between weekdays and weekends?
g) What do they want to accomplish from now on.
2. Discussion points
h) Do you think the original aim of the museum has been achieved? Why do you think so?
i) The museum reproduces the atmosphere of the Showa era, especially around 1958. Why did they choose this particular time in Showa?
3. Research and creative tasks
j) Research the Showa era. When was Showa? What were the major events of the Showa era? What were the major events in your country during that span of time? Make a chart for the reference of the history of your country and the history of Japan. Share your findings with your classmates. Also, find out the name of the present era in Japan.
k) Describe ramen in Japanese.
l) Imagine that a Ramen Museum is going to open in your town. You were asked to write an article for the Japanese local paper to introduce the facility. Write an article about 300 ji using the information you obtained from reading this interview and also from the Museum website. http://www.raumen.co.jp/
m) Imagine you are going to Tokyo on a school trip. Your Japanese teacher is collecting ideas for activities in Tokyo. Make a suggestion in Japanese to visit Shin Yokohama Ramen Hakubutsukan. Introduce the Museum and activities that you can do there. Explain why you think it is worthwhile visiting. Also include other important information from their website, such as how to get there from Tokyo.
