約5ヵ月ぶりに、新横浜の実家に帰省した。7年前に母が他界し、現在父一人である。夜飯はどうしようか、食材を購入して家で食べるか、あるいは外食するかと話した挙句、何だかラーメン博物館にでも行ってみるかとの成り行きになった。
横浜は、”家系”である。小学生の頃から”六角家”に通い詰めていたので、舌があの味に馴染んでいる。残念ながら、六角家は既に閉めてしまったが、その当時から営業している、あの頃の味を未だに維持している”近藤家”が都築にある。そこが脳裏をよぎったものの、ラーメン博物館開館当初のは高校以来である。入場の際に手渡されたパンフレットには、来年で30周年と記されている。昨今は、外国人旅行者もラーメン好きが多いと聞く。定期的に店を入れ替えるのは、魅力的であろう。加えて、色々と趣向を凝らして、常々改革を進めているようである。今は家系が入ってはいないものの、現状を調べてみたくて訪れることにした。
I came back to my hometown, Shinyokohama after an interval of about five
months. My mother died 7 years ago, so my father has lived in the house alone. We told how about the dinner, whether we eat in our house or eat out at a
restaurant. As a result, we ended up going to "Ramen Museum" after a long
time.
I think that Yokohama citizens like "Ie Kei (~home style in Japanese)". As I had gone to "Rokkaku Ya" from the elementary school student, my tongue is
accustomed to the taste. It is regrettable that "Rokkaku Ya" was closed already. However, there is still a Ramen shop which has managed since the time and
maintained the old taste, "Kondo Ya" at Tsuzuki near Shinyokohama. Though I
remembered it, "Ramen Museum" would be since the opening time of the
museum. I was high school student at the time. It was written that this museum
is 30th anniversary next year on the pamphlet which was given at the entrance. I have recently heard that many foreign travelers like this food. The rule that this museum replace some shops with new other shops periodically would fascinate ramen mania. In addition, it seems to promote reforms constantly with various
decorations. Now, there isn't "Ie" style. But, I decided that we visit to investigate the current situation.
入り口の券売機の前の路上に、博物館の魅力を匂わすユニークな看板が立っていた。箸だけが、麺を持ち上げたり下げたりしている。なんだか奇妙で、笑いを誘う。
On the road in front of the entrance, unique sign which hinted the charm of the museum stood. The chopsticks repeated to go up and down the noodles. It's
strange and made me laugh.
一階は、いわゆる博物館で、ラーメンの歴史がフロア一杯に詰まっている。詳しい記述やラーメンを特集したこれまでの雑誌、古いキャラクターのマスコットや往時の看板、歴代の袋入りの乾麺、街を練り歩きながらラッパを吹いて売った頃の屋台などが展示されており、懐かしかったり、新たな発見があったりする。日本地図にご当地ラーメンの鉢を配した立体的な解説の向こうには、ラーメンに関する様々なものを並べたショップがあった。
The first floor was so-called museum. The entire floor was filled with the history of ramen. The detail explanation about it, a lot of previous magazines featuring
ramen, the old character mascots, the signboards of the former times, all past
dried noodles in bags, the old ramen stall at the days when the craftsmen went around some towns with playing the trumpet to sell it (please refer to the
following YouTube site)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9dgsjsg_LIwere exhibited. They were nostalgic for me. In addition, they brought me some new discoveries. Many local ramens in the bowls were arranged on Japanese map three-dimensionally. On the back of it, a shop sold various things related to ramen.
地下へ続く階段の広い踊り場には、これまでここに出店してきたラーメン店のどんぶりが壁一面に展示されている。白い器がライトに映えているのが、美しい。
At the long landing of stairs leading to the basement, a lot of bowls which were used in this ramen museum were exhibited all over the wall. It was so beautiful
that the white bowls shined in the bright light.
ラーメン店が並んでいるのは、ぐるっと壁沿いを巡る路地の地下一階と、フロアになっている地下二階であった。
The floors which were arranged with ramen shops were two. The narrow alley
ran around the wall at the basement floor. The second basement was the
spread square.
まるで映画のセットのような、日本の戦後復興が軌道に乗り始めた頃の昭和の街が再現されている。不動産屋の張り紙、喫茶店の看板やその脇の置物、タバコ屋の看板など、当時の物が実際に使われているように見える。私にとっては生まれる前の昭和の時代の光景であるが、その時代を生き抜いてきた父の世代の目には、どう映るのであろうか。
A city's atmosphere of Showas era when Japanese post-war reconstruction was getting on track was reproduced. It seemed that many items from the time, for
example, the paper patches of a real estate, a cafe signboard, some figurines
next to its door, the signs of tobacco shop and so on were actually used. This
scene was Showa era before I was born for me. But how will it appear in the
eyes of father's generation who had lived through the time?
父は6月から7月にかけて、北海道を一人旅をしていた。その際に立ち寄った利尻島に、高級食材で美味の利尻昆布を使用したラーメン店を訪れたかったそうである。江戸っ子の父は、行列の嫌いである。あまりに長い行列を目の当たりにしたため、断念したらしい。だが、父があきらめた利尻のそのラーメン店”味楽”が偶然博物館に入っており、短い待ち時間で味わうことができたのであった。
My father traveled alone from June to July in Hokkaido. During the travel, he
went to Rishiri Island and visited Ramen shop which used Rishiri kelp. Rishiri
kelp is delicious, but high-quality ingredient. However, customers made a long
line from the entrance. He don't like to stand in line because he is "Edokko
(person who is born and grow up in Tokyo)". So he abandoned to eat the
ramen. But, the ramen shop in Rishiri, "Miraku", opened in the museum. In
addition, we could taste it by waiting for a short time.
帰宅後に改めてパンフレットを見て気が付いたのだが、実は地下一階には喫茶店兼スナックや占い、駄菓子屋などがあったらしい。また、予約制ではあるが、一階でラーメン作り体験もできるようである。
As a matter of fact, it seemed that there were a coffee shop that also doubles as a snack bar, a fortune-telling shop, an old-style candy shop and so on though I noticed them after I came home by reading the pamphlet. And you can
experience the ramen making at the first floor. If you wanted to experience, you would have to reserve it before.