Instant noodle inventor Ando dies at 96

Saturday, January 6, 2007 at 07:21 EST

OSAKA — Momofuku Ando, the founder-chairman of Nissin Food Products Co, died of a heart failure on Friday evening at a hospital in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, his family said. He was 96.

Ando was widely known as the inventor of instant noodles.

Born on March 5, 1910 in Taiwan, Ando initially ran clothing companies in Taipei and Osaka while he was a student at Ritsumeikan University. In 1948, he founded the precursor of Nissin, before introducing "Chicken Ramen," the world's first instant noodle product, in 1958.

Ando was inspired to develop the instant noodle after coming upon a long line of people on a cold night shortly after World War II waiting to buy freshly made ramen at a black market food stall, according to Nissin. The experience convinced him that "Peace will come to the world when the people have enough to eat," it said.

In 1971, Nissin introduced the Cup Noodle, instant noodles in a waterproof styrofoam container that could be used to cook the noodles, ahead of his competitors.

Dubbed the "Ramen King," Ando is credited with expanding Nissin into the No. 1 company in the industry and was well-known for his dedication to his job.

Kei Kizugawa, head of the "Kamigata Geino" journal, said Ando was a great food product inventor whose accomplishment equals that of Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co who was dubbed in Japan as the "Father of Consumer Electronics."

"I believe generation after generation will talk about Chicken Ramen. I don't think there will ever be an instant noodle product that beats the taste of Chicken Ramen," Kizugawa said.

Ando became a chairman after handing over the presidency in 1981 to his eldest son, but came to double as the president again two years later after having a conflict over the company's policy, including development of new products.

In 1999, Ando opened the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda after posting his second son, Koki, as the president.

Ando retired from chairman's post in June 2005 to serve as founder-chairman.
In July 2005, Nissin introduced a vacuum packed instant noodle specially designed for Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to eat during the U.S. space shuttle Discovery's mission.

Showcasing his "Space Ram" noodles in front of reporters, Ando said, "I'm happy I've realized my dream that noodles can go into space."

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/395279

Japan opens royal tombs for research

Japan opens royal tombs for research

2 hours, 7 minutes ago

Japan is allowing researchers to study 11 royal tombs, the graves of ancient emperors, sealed centuries ago, in a move that may shed light on the myth-shrouded origins of Japan's imperial family, according to a news report.

The secretive Imperial Household Agency has until now refused to let the public, and even scholars, enter the old tombs, saying the spirits of past emperors should not be disturbed.

But after a petition by the Japanese Archaeological Association and other scholars in 2005, the government has agreed to grant them limited access to the graves, according to a report in the mass-circulation daily, Yomiuri Shimbun.

A small number of researchers will be allowed to enter only the outer fringes of the tombs, and will not be allowed to excavate, the Yomiuri said, citing the association.

Archaeologists say inspecting the tombs could shed light on the origins of the country's imperial family, the world's oldest surviving line — a sensitive topic in Japan, where until 60 years ago the emperor was worshipped as the descendant of an ancient goddess.

The late Emperor Hirohito broke with that tradition by renouncing his divine status in 1945, after Japan's defeat in World War II.

But the myth that Japan's 125 emperors descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami of Japan's native Shinto religion still holds sway among rightists.

Suggestions by some scholars that the imperial line originated elsewhere — for example, on the Korean peninsula — have been attacked as an insult to the Japanese people.

The tombs to be opened up include one for the Emperor Nintoku, who is thought to have died in 399 A.D. Calls to the Imperial Household Agency went unanswered Wednesday, a national holiday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070104/ap_on_sc/japan_imperial_tombs_1

Happy New Year 2007

Ah... a fresh New Year. What to do with myself this year... Visit Hawai'i and Japan again? Probably. Finish and sell several new mini-games to Kenzer & Company? Probably. Attend Origins '07 in Columbus, Ohio? Probably. Keep my resolution to stop procrastinating? Probably not.