There are many associations in the world, You may not know, There is an Instant Noodles Association on Earth. According to its data, in 2015 alone, The world consumed 97.7 billion servings of instant noodles, With per capita sales in China at 34 packs. The man who opened the door to this sales miracle, Was the father of instant noodles, Momofuku Ando, Who at 48 had nothing. Momofuku Ando How powerful is the magic of instant noodles? How profound is the impact of Ando's creation? From the Instant Noodles Museum built in Osaka in 1999, We can get a glimpse. In just six years, the museum surpassed one million visitors, And became a famous tourist attraction in the Kansai region of Japan. When Mount Usu erupted, over 30,000 cups of noodles, Saved countless homeless people from hunger; During the Great Hanshin Earthquake, 1.6 million cups of noodles, Were continuously sent to the disaster area, Helping victims overcome numerous difficulties. In a 2000 survey across Japan, It was ranked alongside the Walkman, digital camera, and karaoke, As one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. The birth of instant noodles, Can be described as a "masterpiece born from desperation." Like a cornered artist, Who, after putting himself in a desperate situation, survives, And thus creates a masterpiece. In 1910, Momofuku Ando was born in Chiayi, Taiwan, With the Chinese name Wu Baifu. He lost both parents at a young age and lived with his grandfather. He was interested in business from a young age; his grandfather ran a silk shop. He didn't like running around with friends, But preferred watching how people guided customers and dealt with them. While the shop clerks used sweet talk, he listened with great interest. How to hit the customer's pain points and read their minds, He noted all of this in his heart. At age 22, Momofuku Ando received an inheritance. He was overjoyed to get this money, Finally, he could build his own world! He ambitiously founded a company, And within just one year, established a trading association in Osaka. Ando's vision was very precise; At that time, there were very few companies dealing in knitwear, He efficiently filled the industry gap, Engaging in knitwear trade, optical machinery, and precision instrument manufacturing, And also founded economics at Ritsumeikan University. However, the empire he had worked hard to build, Was destroyed overnight by air raids during World War II, The office became ruins, And the factory could no longer operate. Subsequently, the Japanese government issued, The National Mobilization Law and the Material Control Order, Which cut off all private fiber manufacturing. Facing such a heavy blow, Ando was fearless, And turned to cooperate with others in manufacturing military engine parts. But as soon as the war ended, The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers took over Japan, And arrested him on charges of "tax evasion." Instant Noodles Museum Two years later, Momofuku Ando walked out of prison, Facing a poor and desolate Japan. After World War II, Japan's rice reserves were extremely scarce, Most food came from American aid in the form of flour, The government encouraged citizens to eat bread, Which was painful for Japanese who loved rice. Once, the head of a research institute casually asked Ando: "Ando-san, is there any way to make our citizens like eating bread?" But at that time, Ando was busy with sea salt and marine products, And completely ignored the other's words. In 1950, a credit union in Osaka, Begged Ando to become its chairman. After seven years of hard work, rising early and working late, the credit union went bankrupt. At that time, Ando was 48, had to take full responsibility, And was forced to sell off his assets, leaving only a small house. This failure almost destroyed all his achievements from the first half of his life, And in an instant, he was poor again. Another person might have been devastated, But that was absolutely not in Momofuku Ando's character. War, imprisonment, and bankruptcy could not defeat him. "It's only 48 years old, I can start over from scratch!" It must be said that Ando had a natural business sense. The idea for instant noodles had been forming in his mind for 10 years. On a winter night after the war, Ando went out looking for food, Finally found a ramen stall, But there was a line of more than 20 meters ahead. The suffering of hunger during the wait left a deep impression on Ando. "If there were ramen that could be eaten instantly by just adding water, That would be great." The small hut recreated in the Instant Noodles Museum In the spring of 1958, Ando set up a 10-square-meter hut, And began to devote himself to developing instant noodles. He found an old noodle-making machine, Bought a wok with a diameter of 1 meter, And was obsessed with mixing flour and cooking oil every day. He got up before dawn to study in the hut, Continuing until one or two in the morning, Sleeping less than 4 hours a day. In Ando's vision, Instant noodles had to meet at least five conditions: 1. Delicious and never tiring to eat; 2. Can be a kitchen staple and easy to preserve; 3. Simple, no cooking required; 4. Inexpensive; 5. Safe and hygienic. Under a 40-watt light, Momofuku Ando racked his brains. Finally, he got inspiration from his wife's "tempura" frying: First fry the noodles in oil, Dry out the moisture, and also made a special iron frame, To give the noodles a regular shape for packaging while frying. In 1958, the world's first chicken-flavored instant noodles were born. Imported knitwear, sericulture, warehouse management, Selling slide projectors, salt making and fishing, running schools, developing nutritional products... After a busy half-life and being stripped of everything, Momofuku Ando, In a broken house, Ushered in a major turning point in his life. At that time, post-war Japan was undergoing reconstruction, The whole nation was under high mental tension, Forming an economic urgency that prioritized group interests, Japanese from all walks of life worked tirelessly, Day and night, without rest, Convenient, time-saving food was like a shot of adrenaline. As soon as instant noodles were launched, They were favored by the general public. Office workers, outdoor workers, government units... Citizens busy making money and reviving the economy, Chose this food to save time, Ando set off a sales frenzy in Japan. The world's first instant noodles From the initial production of 400 bags in a family workshop, To a small factory producing 6,000 boxes a day, To purchasing a 24,000-square-meter factory. Momofuku Ando's "Nissin" company took only one year To carve out a new world in the food industry. At the same time, counterfeit products emerged endlessly, All using the "Chicken Ramen" signboard, even copying Nissin's design, The most hateful thing was that the ramen was poorly made, affecting the reputation. In anger, Ando sued 13 companies, And applied for trademarks and patents in 1961. However, soon, all 113 subsidiaries of the company Received monopoly warnings. After careful consideration, in 1964 Ando ended the monopoly, Established the Japan Noodle Industry Association, And transferred and publicized the patent for the production method. In 1965, Ando heard that Someone had food poisoning from eating Chicken Ramen. It turned out that when frying the noodles, The temperature was too low, causing bacteria to multiply. At that time, counterfeit and substandard ramen Still entered the market at low prices, tempting buyers. Ando thought it over and decided to print the manufacturing date on all Nissin products, Making it clear at a glance. Before this, nowhere in the world Could you find food with a manufacturing date printed on it. This practice was eventually codified into food hygiene laws, And applied to all packaged foods. The reason Momofuku Ando Could be reborn from the ashes time and again Is that he never gave up, Was diligent in thinking, good at opening his mind, And could invest in work with perseverance far exceeding ordinary people, Carrying out all his ideas to the end. Facing any impact on Nissin, He always found a unique path, blazing a trail That others could not follow. In the 70s, Ando, with such fighting power, Once again saved Nissin from the brink of collapse, And developed a new product: Cup Noodles. For us, Cup noodles are already very familiar, Many people might say: "It's just adding a bowl to the bagged noodles!" But before 1971, there was no such thing as cup noodles in the world. It's truly incredible that bagged noodles were invented in 1958, But cup noodles were only invented in 1971! This reminds me of a classic line from "The Perfect Divorce": "Cans were invented in 1810, But the can opener was only invented in 1858, Important things sometimes come late, Whether in love or life." At that time, if Momofuku Ando had not invented cup noodles, Nissin might have died on the stage of instant noodle history. In 1965, more and more instant noodles appeared, Everyone wanted to create unique soup bases to dominate the market. Momofuku Ando already sensed the coming crisis, Competitors were shrinking Nissin's market share, The company had to face layoffs and salary cuts. At that time, there was a new employee, Kunio Matsumoto, The company basically had nothing for him to do, and his salary was pitifully low, He even had to survive on leftover instant noodle scraps. Facing the困境, Momofuku Ando racked his brains, And said to the new employee: "Matsumoto, We must make a new product, Otherwise Nissin will be finished." Kunio Matsumoto Soon after, Ando planned to take instant noodles To the United States to try his luck. Japan's instant noodle market was saturated, So he could only use the American market to break through. During a meeting with several major American supermarkets, A manager looked at the bagged noodles and asked: "So how do you expect us to eat this?" It turned out that in America, people used shallow soup bowls, Which could only soak one-third of the noodles. Ando never imagined that the key factor determining the market Was the tableware of daily life. "Failing to recognize the difference in lifestyle Was my biggest mistake since making instant noodles!" A manga based on Momofuku Ando's entrepreneurial story One day, Matsumoto and several other key employees Were called into Ando's office. Ando took out two paper cups, Removed the noodle block, broke it in half, and put it in, "Everyone, if we can make a container like this, And sell instant noodles in cups, Consumers can enjoy instant noodles anytime, anywhere, This product will definitely save Nissin." After some discussion, this task Ultimately fell on the researcher Matsumoto. The company imposed harsh conditions on Matsumoto: The paper cup should have a volume of 300 ml, The noodles in the cup should be one serving, And must be ready in 3 minutes. Once he started researching, Matsumoto realized it wasn't as simple as he thought. Because the bagged noodles were only 2 cm thick, The frying process could be fully controlled, But the noodle block for cup noodles had to conform to the container shape, Essentially a cylinder with different top and bottom widths, The entire noodle block was 6 cm thick. Every time he fried the noodle block, either the outside was crispy But the inside was still soft, or the outside was burnt Before the block was fully fried. As a novice, Matsumoto felt immense pressure. Kazuo Ono Meanwhile, Momofuku Ando brought in Kazuo Ono. Ono had originally come to Nissin because he heard that Nissin Would develop into pharmaceuticals in the future. He wasn't interested in instant noodle development, So he idled around the company every day. But Momofuku Ando had a keen eye for talent, Knowing that only Ono could handle this task, Which was to create a new seasoning packet for cup noodles. The container alone wasn't enough to impress consumers, The market already had a variety of seasonings, So a new seasoning had to be developed To hit the mark and defeat the competition. When Ono heard he was to research seasonings, he looked disdainful, But had no choice but to accept the task. The old Nissin factory Ono started experimenting with vegetables, Each experiment took 20 hours. Carrots turned pale after drying, Spinach crumbled during drying... Ono was very disappointed, Because no one wants to open a cup of noodles And see such unappetizing things. Only green peppers maintained their bright color. But when he showed it to Ando, Ando immediately rejected it: "No, not everyone loves green peppers, Please continue searching; the success of this product depends on you." But before Ono could find it, Ando himself came up with the idea: "I know a seasoning that everyone likes, Go and figure out how to make it." An old photo of the Nissin instant noodle production workshop What Ando referred to Was shrimp, which symbolizes joy. Shrimp was expensive at the time, Putting it in cup noodles would give consumers a psychological hint of luxury. But after trying several common shrimp varieties, None achieved the ideal effect. There are 2,500 species of shrimp in the world, Searching through them all would be exhausting! Until one day, he heard of a shrimp salad, He quickly bought it from a Western restaurant and experimented, After 20 hours, the shrimp turned a vivid vermilion. On Matsumoto's side, with Ando's help and guidance, By using air to isolate the noodle block from the mold, He finally found a way to make the noodle block. The first cup noodle was born At that time, what material to use for the cup, What shape to make the lid, Every detail, Ando racked his brains. To solve these problems, The 60-year-old Momofuku Ando took a desperate gamble, And went to acquire the American company Dart, Using their technology to produce containers himself. On a flight back from a business trip to the US, He noticed that the container for pistachios distributed by flight attendants Had a lid made of paper and aluminum foil bonded together, With good sealing, so he decided to use aluminum lids for the cup tops. As for how to fix the noodle block, Momofuku Ando had a sudden inspiration in bed, Using reverse thinking (wrapping the container around the noodle block, Rather than thinking about how to put the noodle block into the container) Successfully solved the problem, And he also registered this method as a patent, Called "intermediate shape retention." The cup noodle helper above changes color with temperature In 1971, Nissin Cup Noodles were born. Sales department's Akihisa Akiyama took a kettle and the product To horse racing tracks, game centers, and baseball stadiums to test the market, But the results were far from expectations. One night, Akiyama walked home dejectedly, When he looked up and saw the lit office buildings, He suddenly woke up and immediately ran into a fire station. The firefighters were on night duty, Many were idly flipping through magazines. Akiyama quickly brought out cup noodles for everyone to taste, And received unanimous praise. Next were construction workers, Night nurses, long-distance drivers, overtime workers... Nissin Cup Noodles That year, Nissin brought 20,000 cups of noodles And sold them publicly on Ginza street. "Come and try the new era product!" Passersby curiously came forward, Each left with a cup of noodles, Forming a grand procession of people eating cup noodles. In just 4 hours, the cup noodles sold out, And then spread like wildfire. Ando, with his wisdom and perseverance, Once again created a hit product, Establishing Nissin's unshakable dominance. Later, cup noodles became one of Japan's largest industries. In 1991, during the Eastern European economic depression, With severe food shortages, the Japanese government sent 1.36 million cups of noodles, Saving countless lives in that cold winter. In Indonesia, 2.5 million cups of noodles Were sent to the riot-torn areas of East Timor, Once again giving people hope for survival. Every year, Ando wrote down his New Year's reflections, mentioning creativity, creation, and collaboration the most. Later, Ono started his own business, Opening a freeze-dried food company, And still constantly remembers Momofuku Ando's wisdom and boldness, "I am very grateful to President Ando, If it weren't for that challenge, And I only minded my own small stall, I wouldn't have realized the value of life, And might have lived a muddled life." Matsumoto also said, "It wasn't until many years later That I realized we had made Such a great product." Nissin Cup Noodle ads are also creative and imaginative. The birth of cup noodles Was just adding a cup to the noodle block. But Momofuku Ando from 1965 to 1971, Spent a full five years researching this container. His pragmatism towards the product and attention to detail Led to Nissin's subsequent leap forward. He was already over 60 then, but his fighting power was still outstanding. Creativity and sharp thinking are certainly important, But in Ando's own words: "Inspiration brings creativity, And perseverance is the soil for inspiration to grow." To develop new products, Ando could work and research day and night, Until he was satisfied with the answer. No wonder former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda once said: "Ando is like a soft-shelled turtle, Once he bites, you can't escape." At 95, he created space ramen. From starting a business at 22, To bankruptcy, failure, and imprisonment, To losing everything at nearly 50, Momofuku Ando relied on this perseverance To let his inspiration Bloom and grow into a towering tree. Even at retirement age, He remained passionate and sought innovation. Until 2005, At the age of 95, Momofuku Ando Developed instant noodles that could be eaten in space. Two years after the invention of space ramen, Momofuku Ando passed away in Osaka at the age of 97. He said his secret to longevity was: A bowl of instant noodles every day... (Well, take that with a grain of salt) In one's life, Relying on temporary luck and talent, One can certainly achieve good results, Or enter a certain field more easily than others, Stand on that stage and gain glory and cheers. But to stand tall for a long time, To be able to get up quickly after falling, Even if fate strikes you down again and again, you can rise again, What is absolutely indispensable is To grit your teeth with perseverance far exceeding ordinary people, And break through desperate situations time and again. Such perseverance is not about talent, But about self-training later. So, There are things far more valuable than genius creativity in this world, Because not everyone can possess the creativity of a genius, But the quality of persistent perseverance, Only requires you to tighten your muscles and wind up the spring, It will grow day by day, And eventually reward you with surprises. And I believe, As long as you persistently dig in the right direction, Even in a seemingly barren place, One day clear springs will gush out. Source: Food Sharp Observation -END- **Click on the image to read directly FMCG industry's most professional and practical knowledge base [ Reply with yellow numbers in the background to view the following keywords ] | 001 Excellent article selection | 002 Dealer market operations | 003 Terminal visit management | 004 Sales supervisor skills | 005 Sales improvement techniques | 006 Channel expansion | 007 Managing dealers | 008 Dealer development | 009 Dealer internal operations management | 010 Team management | 011 Efficient distribution techniques | 012 Sales manager's skills | 013 KA operation methods and strategies | 014 First lesson for new sales | 015 Internet, brands | 016 Dealer B2B transformation |