Our second Japanese Brand “Baby Star”
Baby Star Ramen is a flavored fried noodle-style snack owned and sold by Matsuda Sangyo Co., Ltd. (now Oyatsu Company Ltd.) since 1959. At the time they were sold for 10yen a bag, under the name Baby Ramen.
While being tasty doesn’t hurt, the real secret to the Baby Star Ramen’s popularity is the highly familiar mascot characters. Baby-chan, who was the mascot when the snack first came out, has now evolved to Bei-chan.
This same company began selling the world’s first instant ramen noodles,”Ajitsuke Chukamen (flavored Chinese noodles)”, in 1955. However, this endeavor ended because of managerial failure, and as a result the title of being the “world’s first instant ramen noodle” went to Nissin Foods’ Chicken Ramen. If the Ajitsuke Chukamen had been a success, then it would most likely have been remembered as at the official “first” in the world.
