Contents
2012 March Contents
Featured Articles
The Password: "Beat Cup Noodle!" Committed Intracompany Competition Builds #1 Brands
Nissin Foods Instant Ramen "Glo-cal" Strategy
Great many people have eaten instant ramen at one time or another. Nissin Food is the company that created the world's first instant ramen. The brand that has ruled at the top of the market since it was first launched 40 years ago by Nissin Food is also the world's first ramen in a cup, Cup Noodle. What is the secret of this miraculously long- and best-selling product, that has retained its place continuously at the top of the market with hardly a change to its flavoring or package design in 40 years, in our contemporary society where rapid evolution is seen in almost every product category? Our interview with Yukitaka Tsutsui, executive adviser to Nissin Foods Holdings and director of the just-opened Cupnoodles Museum, tells a part of the story.
Flash
Attention to the Sun
The sunlight concentrated by 800 mirrors onto the receiver installed on the top of a tower is blinding like an artificial sun. In fact, it is said that the temperature of the receiver reaches over 1,000°C. The scene is as if the populace is kneeling in adoration before a Mayan king standing on top of a temple.
Products Of The Month
Wearable Eyeglass Wiper
The idiom "making a spectacle of oneself" takes on a completely new meaning with this unique shirt from Okayama-based fift (http://fift.jp/).
Real Japan
Behind Convenience Stores As Teachers
By Dave McCaughan
Imagine eating at the same kitchen 10 or more times a week for 15 years and every day there are new dishes, new drinks, and new snacks. That is a Japanese Convenience Store. For the average salaryman in his 30s, the convenience stores better known as "combini" are likely the most common places he buys breakfast, lunch and dinner. And it's probably the most influential medium in teaching him product selection, store brands, and the whole concept of "new."