Maruchan
{{short description|Instant noodle brand}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Maruchan
マルちゃん
|logo = Maruchan Inc Logo.jpg
|type = Private
|foundation = {{Start date and age|1953|03|28}} (Japan)
{{Start date and age|1972}} (United States)
|location = Japan
Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo
United States
Irvine, California
|area_served = Worldwide
|industry = Food
|products = Maruchan Ramen
Instant Lunch
Yakisoba
|parent = Toyo Suisan
(Japan)
Maruchan Inc.
(United States)
|homepage = {{url|maruchan.com}}
}}
{{nihongo|Maruchan|マルちゃん|Maru-chan}} is a brand of instant ramen noodles, cup noodles, and Yakisoba produced by Toyo Suisan of Tokyo, Japan. The Maruchan brand is used for noodle products in Japan and as the operating name for Toyo Suisan's division in the United States, Maruchan Inc. In 1972, Toyo Suisan entered the American market with Maruchan USA, and in 1977, established a plant in Irvine, California. Maruchan has other plants in Richmond, Virginia, and one in Bexar County, Texas.{{Cite web |last=McGovern |first=Matt |date=April 8, 2014 |title=San Antonio jumps into ramen noodle market |url=http://www.kgns.tv/news/headlines/San-Antonio-jumps-into-ramen-noodle-market-254382871.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714125904/http://www.kgns.tv/news/headlines/San-Antonio-jumps-into-ramen-noodle-market-254382871.html |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=KGNS-TV}} Maruchan produces over 3.6 billion packages of ramen noodle soup a year. In the United States and Mexico, Maruchan ramen is widely popular.{{Cite web |title=Market share of instant noodle |url=https://piece-of-japan.com/investing/instant-noodle/market-share.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528121132/https://piece-of-japan.com/investing/instant-noodle/market-share.html |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=Piece of Japan}}
History
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2023}}
Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd of Tokyo, Japan, founded on March 28, 1953, is a consumer packaged foods company in Japan. Toyo Suisan's effort to become an international food company brought them to the United States, where, in 1972, they established Maruchan USA. At first, Maruchan USA was only a marketing company, importing and distributing ramen from Japan. After operating for five years as a distributor of imported products, Maruchan built its manufacturing facility in Irvine, California, in 1977, where it began producing Maruchan brand ramen. Since 1977 Maruchan has grown steadily and has become an industry leader in North America, alongside other instant noodle brands such as Top Ramen and Sapporo Ichiban.
Name
Maruchan is a Japanese word composed of two parts, maru and chan. Maru means round, as in the shape of a ball or a happy child's face. In Japanese, roundness has a connotation of friendliness.{{Cite web |title=Maruchan {{!}} Our Story |url=https://www.maruchan.com/about/ |access-date=2024-04-07 |website=Maruchan |language=en}} The word chan is an honorific suffix, used affectionately for a child or as a term of endearment.{{Cite web |date=November 14, 2011 |title=Chan, Kun, Senpai? Japanese Honorifics |url=https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/chan-kun-senpai-japanese-honorifics |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425233710/https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/chan-kun-senpai-japanese-honorifics |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=Japan Powered}}
See also
- List of instant noodle brands
- {{portal-inline|Food}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Maruchan}}
- [https://www.maruchan.co.jp/ Official website] (Japanese)
- [https://www.maruchan.com/ Official website] (English)
{{noodles}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Companies based in Tokyo
Category:Food and drink companies of Japan
Category:Instant noodle brands of Japan
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1972