Comments on: Udon Popular, Fukuda Not, and a Nagano Temple is Vandalized: TPR News for Tuesday, April 22, 2008

by: JMD

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:17:36 +0000

Having never heard of Udon before reading this ever so enlightening article, I’ll see if I can find it in the U.S. markets, but for some reason I doubt Publix, where shopping is a pleasure, carries such “man-making” products.

Ouch… knocking the Rays! How dare you. For your information, the “almost big league” Rays just swept the Redsox, with a shutout in game 3, and are leading the difficult AL East (with a win over Baltimore tonight). So, your boy Iwamura left the overseas minor leagues of Japanese baseball, and is now playing with a solid payoff contending ball club.
What happened Aoki, from the Swallows? Thought he’d be playing real baseball in the States by now? I still wear his shirt with pride.

by: Garrett DeOrio

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:34:54 +0000

Agh. Iwamura. He used to be ours here in Tokyo, then went for the bright lights and big money of the Major Leagues, and, as we often joke around Jingu Stadium, he almost made it to the Big Leagues when he wound up in Tampa.

I don’t think you’ll find udon for $.70 a pop (which sounds expensive for dry ramen - I remember 5 for a dollar), but it’s worth the extra money, just like real ramen is worth seven or eight times the price of Cup Ramen or the other flash-fried stuff. Udon will put hair on your chest and make a man out of you.

by: JMD

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:49:02 +0000

I have my doubts that Americans are buying udon because Japanese ballplayers are finding success in the Big Leagues.

“Aki”, Akinori Iwamura, of the new AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays, is my new hero with his HR to beat the Redsox on Saturday(with a classic, smack in the face, bat flip and walk to to first base while admiring his blast). And, if he’s eating udon… you can bet my daily instant lunch of “ray-men” noddles will be no more. Udon it is my friend, udon it is. (as long as it’s ramen-like in price at $.70/meal)

by: Garrett DeOrio

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:16:30 +0000

Kikkoman is a good example. i’m not sure what their market share is in North America, but it must be higher than it is in Japan. It’s hard to find a brand of Japanese soy sauce other than Kikkoman.

by: Ken Worsley

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:53:50 +0000

I have my doubts that Americans are buying udon because Japanese ballplayers are finding success in the Big Leagues.

I think it matters to some degree, not a minuscule amount, but there is a knock-on effect.

I think the increase in noodle exports is due to marketing and increasing familiarity, in the developed world, with a wider variety of Japanese foods.

This is getting closer to it, I think. There’s a concentrated effort by Japanese firms to generate demand/revenue overseas as the domestic market (literally) dies off.

Look at Kikkoman. 48.6% of its revenue comes from North American sales. It’s making a big push in Russia now, as well as other parts of Europe.

Kikkkoman plans to build a new ketchup factory in China, as well as 6 or 7 soy sauce factories in China, southeast Asia, North America, Oceania, Eastern Europe and so on - following the ‘Coca Cola’ plan from WW2. It’s looking at spending about 10 billion yen on pushing annual production capacity up to about 10 million kiloliters. In the process, currency risk is assumed, but shipping costs should be limited.

Muji’s making its push now, and wants to be a brand that all Americans, not just urban dwellers, think is cool.

by: Garrett DeOrio

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:17:49 +0000

I have my doubts that Americans are buying udon because Japanese ballplayers are finding success in the Big Leagues.
Japan destroyed 1,400 tons of wheat to keep prices artificially high and imposes some of the highest tariffs in the world to keep rice prices unrealistically high, so Japan is an outlier in terms of what’s going on around the world with grains. I think the increase in noodle exports is due to marketing and increasing familiarity, in the developed world, with a wider variety of Japanese foods.

by: Cal Hobbs

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:43:23 +0000

There seems to be a global hoarding of grains.

Do you think the increase in udon exports is part of the same? I am not doubting the Fukodomo’s hitting isn’t spiking sales in Chicago.

I am about to go have a large bowl of udon with veggies for lunch.