Momofuku Ando

Japanese: 安藤百福 - あんどうももふく

[Born] March 5, 1910. Taiwan, Park Zi
[Died] January 5, 2007. Ikeda, Osaka. An entrepreneur from Taiwan. Founder of Nissin Food Products, inventor of instant ramen (→ Chinese noodles, instant food). Lost his parents at a young age and raised by his grandparents who ran a textile wholesaler in Tainan. Moved to Japan and graduated from the Department of Economics at Ritsumeikan University in 1934. After the war, he became a naturalized citizen and worked in the salt and finance industries. In 1948, he founded Chuko Sosha, the parent company of Nissin Food Products, and became its president, running a food sales business. In 1958, he developed instant ramen using a rapid oil drying method, changed the company name to Nissin Food Products, and began selling it under the product name "Chicken Ramen." The world's first instant ramen became such an explosive hit that production could not keep up, and the company expanded its business. In 1971, he also developed the first instant cup noodles, "Cup Noodles," and expanded sales channels around the world. He became chairman in 1981, and retired from the board of directors in 2005 to assume the role of founder and chairman. He was passionate about researching instant ramen until the end of his life, focusing particularly on the development of space food, which he succeeded in. "Space Ram," ramen that does not splash even in zero gravity, was eaten on the International Space Station in 2005. In 1999, he opened an instant ramen museum near his home in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture. In addition to his autobiography, "The Magical Story of the Invention of Ramen," he has written many other books. He was awarded the Medal with Blue Ribbon in 1977, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Second Class in 1982, and the Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon, Second Class in 2002.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

[生]1910.3.5. 台湾，朴子
[没]2007.1.5. 大阪，池田
台湾出身の企業家。日清食品創業者で，即席ラーメン（→中華そば，インスタント食品）を開発した。幼少時に両親を亡くし，台南市で繊維問屋を営む祖父母に育てられる。日本に渡り，1934年立命館大学専門学部経済科を卒業。戦後帰化し，製塩業，金融業などに携わる。1948年，日清食品の母体となる中交総社を設立，社長に就任して食品販売事業を営む。その後 1958年に急速油熱乾燥法による即席ラーメンを開発，社名を日清食品に変更して「チキンラーメン」の商品名で発売を開始した。世界初の即席ラーメンは製造が追いつかないほどの爆発的ヒット商品となり，業容を拡大させた。また，1971年に初のカップ入り即席めん「カップヌードル」を開発，販路を世界各国に広げた。1981年に会長，2005年に取締役を退き，創業者会長の職についた。晩年まで即席ラーメンの研究に情熱を傾け，特に宇宙食の開発に注力したのち，成功させた。無重力状態でも飛び散らないラーメン「スペース・ラム」は 2005年に国際宇宙ステーションで食された。1999年，大阪府池田市の自宅近くにインスタントラーメンの記念館を開設した。自叙伝『魔法のラーメン発明物語』のほか，著書多数。1977年藍綬褒章，1982年勲二等瑞宝章，2002年勲二等旭日重光章受章。

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