On February 19, 1972, five members of the URA (United Red Army) entered a vacation facility in Mount Asama, Nagano, and took a woman hostage. The situation would take ten days to disperse and result in two deaths, but it would leave behind a legacy of one of those things without which college students (and people who don’t know how to cook) couldn’t live: instant ramen cups. How is this possible?
Hostages and ramen
Momofuku Ando, a culinary inventor, launched instant ramen in August 1958 as a way to provide food to Japan in a post-war environment. At that time, it was known as Chikin Ramen and was considered a luxury product that cost six times more than fresh ramen. However, its price gradually decreased, and now it costs much less than what you can find in the shabbiest restaurant in the smallest town in the country.
Thirteen years later, Ando himself introduced an even easier-to-cook version of his instant noodles: the Cup Noodles. It was a cup to which you only needed to add water to enjoy a meal. Cup Noodles became so popular that you can even visit a museum dedicated exclusively to the brand and its various varieties in Osaka. One of the highlights of the museum is that you can indulge in one of these cups yourself at the end of the visit.
However, in 1972, instant ramen had not yet fully taken off. It was during the act of terrorism we mentioned earlier when television crews flocked to Nagano to broadcast live, for ten days, every movement and decision. It was during this coverage that people saw police officers relying on Cup Noodles for sustenance, as they were seen eating them at different locations. Cup Noodles became the official emergency food, and sales skyrocketed.
Did this traumatic event have significant socio-political consequences? Undoubtedly. Did it help popularize one of the most iconic foods in Japan? Absolutely. In fact, it served as an inspiration for the creator, Ando, to culminate his work and create instant noodles that could be consumed in space. The astronaut Soichi Noguchi was the first to enjoy the so-called Space Ram. You have to taste it to believe it.
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