NISSIN FOODS founder Momofuku Ando was born in 1910, a year in which Halley's Comet made a close Earth approach. Ando lost both parents in early childhood and was raised by grandparents who ran a kimono fabric shop, where he gained a close-up view of a place of business. Ando, who was filled with a spirit of independence and strong business drive, desired to do something new that no one else was doing. His first choice of occupation was the textiles business, and at the tender age of twenty-two he founded a company that sold knitted goods, which enjoyed great success. Ando became involved in a variety of other business ventures, including the manufacture of slide projectors, charcoal production, the fabrication of barrack housing, salt production, and the founding of a school. Ando's characteristic entrepreneurial spirit to rapidly commercialize ideas based on a quick grasp of emerging trends. The vitality to persevere and overcome failure emerged at this time. He engaged in all of these businesses on the basis of a firm conviction that he should seek out work that contributes to people's lives.

Japan faced a dire food shortage after the end of the Second World War. The streets were filled with hungry people, and countless numbers collapsed and died from malnutrition. Ando, who witnessed this horrifying spectacle, became keenly aware of the critical importance of food. He realized that in the absence of food, clothing and shelter are useless and there can be no art or culture.

As Ando was passing by a black market area near Osaka Station one day, he happened to see people form a long line in the cold at a makeshift stall to wait for a bowl of ramen noodles. The sight reminded Ando of how much Japanese people like noodles and at the same time filled him with conviction that the long line was a sign of enormous hidden demand. At that time, the government of Japan was recommending that people consume meals prepared using American surplus wheat. However, these meals consisted almost entirely of bread or biscuits, and Ando questioned why the government didn't recommend noodles, a favorite dish of the Japanese that could be made from the same wheat.