Instant Ramen Day (Insutanto Rāmen Kinenbi)

What is Instant Ramen Day?

Every year on August 25th, Japan celebrates "Instant Ramen Day." The date commemorates August 25, 1958 (Shōwa 33), when "Chikin Ramen," the world's first instant ramen developed by Momofuku Ando, went on sale (the company, Sanshi Shokusan, changed its name to Nissin Foods that December). The convenience of a meal ready just by adding hot water transformed Japan's postwar diet, and instant noodles have since grown into a food consumed at a rate of about 123.1 billion servings a year worldwide (2024, World Instant Noodles Association).

The Birth of "Chikin Ramen"

The world's first instant ramen was born in a small research shed Ando built on the grounds of his home in Ikeda, Osaka.

• Inspired by a black-market line: Shortly after the war, Ando is said to have seen people lining up at a ramen stall in the black market near Umeda, Osaka, and thought, "Ramen should be easier to enjoy."
• The "Shoku soku sehei" philosophy: Meaning "peace will come to the world when there is enough food," this phrase remains part of Nissin's corporate philosophy today.
• The "flash-frying" method, inspired by tempura: Watching his wife fry tempura gave Ando the idea of drying noodles with the heat of oil. This produced noodles that keep for a long time and return to life in hot water.

Five Conditions for Instant Ramen

Ando set five conditions instant ramen had to meet: it had to be tasty, keep well, be easy to prepare, be inexpensive, and be safe. He is said to have spent a full year shut in his shed from early morning to late at night until he created a product that met them all.

Interesting Facts About Instant Ramen

• A luxury at first: At launch, a bag (85g) of Chikin Ramen cost 35 yen — expensive when a serving of udon cost about 6 yen — but its convenience made it an explosive hit.
• Originally "2 minutes": Today "3 minutes" is the familiar wait, but at launch it was said to be ready in 2 minutes.
• Flavor in the noodles: Chikin Ramen has its seasoning in the noodles themselves, so there is no soup packet. Placing an egg in the hollow in the middle of the noodle block (the "egg pocket") is a classic way to eat it.
• Enter Cup Noodle: In 1971, "Cup Noodle," the world's first cup noodle, went on sale. It reportedly became a huge hit after TV footage of riot police eating it during the Asama-Sanso incident the following year.
• Ramen in space: In 2005, the space ramen "Space Ram" flew aboard the Space Shuttle with astronaut Soichi Noguchi.
• Invention museum: The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda features a reproduction of the research shed where Chikin Ramen was developed.

Tips for Instant Ramen Day

• Enjoy your favorite bowl, perhaps with added vegetables or an egg.
• Read about Momofuku Ando's development story and look for ideas to solve everyday problems.
• Use the "rolling stock" method (eat the oldest and restock) to check the expiration dates of your emergency food.
• Plan a visit to the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum or the Cup Noodles Museum.

From a Small Research Shed to the World's Tables

August 25th marks the day a ramen created by one inventor in a shed in Ikeda began spreading to tables around the world. Ando's belief that "research and invention do not require grand facilities" is embodied in the reproduced shed. Today, enjoy a warm bowl and look for the seeds of ingenuity close at hand.