
Fingers crossed that Pikachu’s ears will be on Cup Noodle lids soon.
We all know how to make Cup Noodle, right? Just peel open the lid, pour in the hot water, and wait three minutes.
Believe it or not, though, it’s possible to screw up cooking Cup Noodles if you don’t cover, re-seal, or otherwise close the lid back up to trap the heat in while the noodles are cooking. That’s why Cup Noodle maker Nissin designed the otherwise circular lid with a pair of paper protrusions, which you can fold back down under the rim of the cup to lock the lid in place as the ramen cooks.
In constantly cuteness-craving Japan, people have noticed, and appreciated, how this makes the Cup Noodle lid look like a kitty-cat. But it turns out there was still untapped adorableness potential to those tabs, as proven by this recent tweet from the official Cup Noodle account.
だ~れだ? pic.twitter.com/Mn0fSHKSqc
— カップヌードル (@cupnoodle_jp) August 1, 2023
“Who’s that?” asks the tweet, but you’d have to have been living under a rock/inside of a cup for the past 25 years not to recognize the silhouette of Pikachu, the most famous and beloved of all Pokémon.
Now before you go running out to the store to buy as many Pikachu Cup Noodles as you can carry home, there’s something to note. Nissin has become almost as famous for their creatively silly marketing as they have their tasty instant ramen, and the Cup Noodle Twitter account posts both official product announcements and one-off quirky art projects. Sometimes the images they post are sneak peeks at upcoming products, and other times they’re just for fun. Quite often it feels like it could go either way, like with the coveted Cup Noodle-specific measuring cup that the account shared a photo of back in the spring, and it’s entirely possible that Nissin itself gauges the reaction to its offbeat ideas before deciding whether or not to go ahead with making them commercial available.
As of this moment, Nissin hasn’t officially announced that the Pikachu Cup Noodle design will go on sale, but it wouldn’t be a shock if it does make it to market. From a production standpoint, lengthening and reshaping the tabs to match the shape of Pikachu’s ears doesn’t look like it’d be a monumental manufacturing challenge. Second, this year’s Pokémon World Championships are about to open in Yokohama, the first time ever that a Japanese city has hosted the annual event, and Yokohama also just so happens to be the site of one of Japan’s Cup Noodle Museums.
▼ Speaking of which, the Yokohama Cup Noodle Museum currently has two Pikachu Cup Noodle photo spots, with the giant-sized one shown in the left photo letting you get in the cup too.
今日から「カップヌードルミュージアム横浜」1階でふた裏ピカチュウの巨大カップヌードルの中に入って写真が撮れるよ!
— カップヌードル (@cupnoodle_jp) August 2, 2023
階段にも巨大ふた裏ピカチュウが出現!
期間は8月28日まで、夏休みはぜひ来てね!https://t.co/MNOYmpr21Z#ピカチュウ #ポケモン #WCS#カップヌードルミュージアム横浜 pic.twitter.com/94Rm6f92yV
So fingers crossed that Pikachu-lid Cup Noodles are going to be a reality, even if only as some sort of limited-time promotion for the Pokémon World Championships while they’re going on from August 8 to 14.
Source: Twitter/@cupnoodle_jp
Featured image: Twitter/@cupnoodle_jp
Top image ©SoraNews24
Insert image: Nissin
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Follow Casey on Twitter for more intersections of Yokohama and Pikachu-related news.


Cup Noodle now has cute cats and judgmental foxes waiting underneath its lids【Photos】
Clever Cup Noodle-only measuring cup becomes instant ramen lovers’ new most-wanted kitchenware
Cup Noodle instant ramen topping ice cream is on sale now, Nissin reminds/threatens us
Cup Noodle’s Super Combined flavors become super-awesome combined robots made from the cups【Pics】
Nissin Cup Noodle flavored seasoning for rice?!?
Japan has abolished advance deportation notifications to foreigners’ lawyers
Kyoto planning surprise late-night inspections of Airbnb-style rentals to fight overtourism
Japanese women sound off on their minimum height requirements for a husband【Survey】
Why you should visit Shizuoka, the green tea oasis in the middle of Japan’s golden route
Japanese young women reveal their top dealbreakers in a man【Survey】
New Studio Ghibli stamps leave an impression on your stationery…and your heart
These are Tokyo train lines people most want to live along【Survey】
Ghibli Forest Spirit towel series will delight and/or freak out visitors to your home【Photos】
Japanese confectionary chain Chateraise opens first 24-hour branch with self-checkout
Japanese man gets drunk and falls asleep on Tokyo streets, then gets robbed by foreign national
Japan’s Naruto theme park now offering real-world version of Minato’s kunai ninja weapon
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Japan has a new bar just for people thinking about quitting their jobs, and the drinks are free
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
If you haven’t tried an antenna shop in Japan, you’re missing out
Japan cherry blossom forecast update moves up sakura dates for many parts of the country
Studio Ghibli releases Spirited Away bags in Japan, based on a mysterious festival
Studio Ghibli turns My Neighbour Totoro characters into bag charms for everyday adventures
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Cup Noodle aims to save 33 tons of plastic waste annually with one small change
Cup Noodle wipes the floor with the competition…at a competition in Japan
Official microwaveable Cup Noodle-Use Measuring Cup is now a reality, could be yours if you act fast
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy with epic Cup Noodle worthy of a final boss
Cup Noodle introduces their 45th anniversary character, Cup Noodle the Great
Goodbye, Cup Noodle Shio! We try Nissin Cup Noodle’s revitalized new flavor, Negi Shio
Whole boxes of Mystery Meat going on sale in Japan, Cup Noodle fans rejoice
Cup Noodle celebrates selling over 100 billion units with special “Japanese slang” packaging
Seapoodle Cup Noodle flavor is on the way, sounds absolutely delicious (except for the name)
Nissin Cup Noodle Soda gives us the flavour of instant ramen as fizzy drinks!
Nissin’s new Cup Noodle series smashes flavours together for super combined power
Cup Noodle releases new Tomica “car” collection
Nissin to sell rice bowls covered in those little “mystery meat” cubes from Cup Noodle
Combining all of Nissin’s new Cup Noodle series into one powerful bowl of ramen
Cup Noodle pouch satisfies our never-ending need for instant ramen
Leave a Reply