インスタントラーメンの父

Do you know 「安藤百福」 (Momofuku Ando)?

He was the inventor of instant ramen.

He was born in Taiwan on 1910 March 5. In the 1940’s, he moved to Osaka, Japan and became a naturalized Japanese citizen.
Soon after, he started his own company called 「日清食品株式会社」 (Nisshin Food Corp.) and he made 「チキンラーメン」 (“Chicken Ramen”).
He sold these packages of instant noodles for ¥35 each.
They’re still popular in Japan today…the price nowadays is only about ¥60 (about US$0.75) for a package.

Chicken Ramen

In the early 1970’s, Momofuku Ando invented 「カップヌードル」 (“Cup Noodle“) which became a worldwide success.
I think “Cup Noodle” is called “Cup Noodles” (plural) outside Japan. Is that what they’re called in your country?

A package of "Cup Noodle" made for outside Japan is called "Cup Noodles".

Mr. Momofuku Ando died on 2007 January 5. Only three years ago, and only two months shy of his 97th birthday.

Well, the day before yesterday (2010 March 5), would have been Momofuku Ando’s 100th birthday…which is all the more special if you know that his interesting first name is written as 「百福」. The characters that spell his first name “Momofuku” translate literally to “One hundred good fortunes”.

So to commemorate the 100th anniversary of their founder’s birth, Nisshin Foods is having a few different campaigns.

First of all, the original instant noodle, 「チキンラーメン」 (“Chicken Ramen“), is being sold in a retro package that looks like the original package…and it’s being sold at the original price for a limited time: only ¥35 each.

Also, a package of original flavor 「カップヌードル」 (Cup Noodle) is now available for only ¥100 each.

And Nisshin is also selling a new product in honor of Momofuku Ando’s 100th birthday…packages of 「百福」 (Momofuku) noodles (either “Chicken salt broth Ramen” or “Duck broth Soba”) for ¥170.
These are in large packages because each noodle is 100 cm long!

And lastly, if you go to the 「ららぽーと豊洲」 (“Toyosu Lalaport” shopping mall) in Tokyo from 2010 March 27 – April 4 between 10:00AM – 6:00PM, you can see a special event for the 100th anniversary of Momofuku Ando’s birth.

They’ll have an exhibit that explains the history of Nissin Foods, instant ramen, and Mr. Ando.
They will also 「わたしのカップヌードル」 (Custom Cup Noodle) in which you can add whatever flavors you choose to your instant ramen for ¥300,
As well as other displays, shows and foods to try…including “Space Ramen”, which is the special package of instant ramen that Nisshin Foods made for astronauts to bring into space with them.

Have you ever tried 「カップヌードル」 (Cup Noodle)? Do you like it?
I like instant ramen. It’s good. But “real” ramen from a ramen restaurant in much better!
Have you ever tried Japanese ramen at a restaurant? I recommend 「坦々麺」 (“Tan-tan-men”)…it’s a spicy flavor of ramen. I like it alot. Have you ever tried it? Do you like spicy food?

IKEA

Do you know IKEA?

IKEA is a chain of stores that look like warehouses and sell furniture, food, toys, and various other items for the home.
IKEA stores are all over the world now, but the company is Swedish (the store’s colors are the same as the Swedish flag).

In the 1970’s, IKEA opened stores in Japan but they weren’t successful in Japan and had to withdraw from the Japanese market in the 1980’s.
But, a few years ago, they decided to try their luck in Japan again…and they seem to be doing much better this time.

There are currently five IKEA stores in Japan.

I had never been inside an IKEA store until yesterday.
I remember, though, when they were building their first store in Japan a few years ago…because it was built on the spot that the “SSAWS Ski Dome” had been for so many years.

The SSAWS Ski Dome was the world’s biggest indoor downhill-skiing arena. It was called “SSAWS” because it offered snow skiing all year round, and the name was an acronym for “Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Skiing”.

The outside of the "SSAWS Ski Dome".

Inside the "SSAWS Ski Dome".

I used to see the giant, cool-looking SSAWS Ski Dome all the time and I always thought to myself that I was going to go in there and try it out one day. But that day never came because about five or six years ago, they closed down and it was torn down.

And then IKEA bought the land a few years ago and built their warehouse store. I had never heard of IKEA before then and I wondered what it was.
I was kinda disappointed when I found out. The world’s largest indoor ski-lift was there…and it was replaced with a giant furniture store! How disappointing!

But yesterday, my wife and I decided to look inside the IKEA store.

I had heard that many foreigners shop there because, mainly, they miss food from their home-country and IKEA sells imported food.
I did see many foreigners shopping there, so I guess it’s true.

But, for me personally, I’m more used to Japanese foods…so actually alot of the imported foods that I saw in IKEA looked odd to me.

We enjoyed looking around IKEA…but we didn’t buy anything.

IKEA Japan