The Art of the Ramen Bowl
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, TOKYO, 2025
21_21 Design Sight is not your typical museum. Founded by Issey Miyake in 2007, the institution is dedicated to celebrating the design in everyday objects and society. Located in a corner of Tokyo Midtown’s park in Roppongi, the exhibition space was designed by Tadao Ando, a stark, minimalist contemporary structure sunken into the earth, letting in light through wide windows opening into a courtyard. A beautifully designed place to honor design.
The exhibitions are constantly rotating, and always interesting. This spring, it was focused on a national treasure: the humble bowl of ramen in all its glory.Â
Japanese culture values the meticulous craft of everything. The detail, the attention, to every element of even the most mundane, elevating it into something worth reverence. Ramen is a pride and joy of Japan. Its complexity is studied in this exhibition, each piece broken down, analyzed.
The Art of the Ramen Bowl examines the beauty and nuances of a cornerstone of Japanese food culture. The exhibition is organized into four parts. It begins with a quick history of ramen, a nod towards its past and how it came to be so present in today’s global food landscape. Then, a room that breaks down the anatomy of ramen. From the texture of the noodles to the temperature of the broth to the width of the bowls. A designer’s eye assessing each element separately and then together. The biggest room is dedicated to the “artist bowls” where 40 creatives from around the world were invited to design ramen bowls, displayed in the style of a ramen counter complete with table settings and stools. And then finally, a room that dives into the material and ceramic heritage, from traditional mino-ware to machine produced commercialized bowls.
In a perfect dose of whimsy, the exhibition ends with coloring sheets at a table, inviting visitors to design their own bowls to be displayed at the exhibition and online.
This was an exhibition stumbled upon. On a quiet weekday morning, there were only a few people there. But it was the perfect dose of design: a focused theme, a short exhibition, thoughtful and stimulating experience design. It’s depth over breadth but in a digestible amount. And with cute merch to round it out. Because who doesn’t love ramen culture, especially as a tourist in Japan?
see also
21_21 DESIGN SPACE
LOEWE CRAFTED WORLD: A WORLD OF WHIMSY