Sokusekisai Oyama — known as Japan’s Instant Ramen King — has made a lucrative career out of eating instant noodles at least once a day for over three decades. Instant noodles, better known as cup noodles in Japan, are a big deal in the land of the rising sun. There are literally hundreds of different types, from the cheap variants you can find at your local grocery store to gourmet versions with actual toppings like dehydrated meat and vegetables. They are by far the most popular instant meal in Japan and virtually everyone loves them, but no one loves them as much as Sokusekisai Oyama. A former illustrator, he gave up his career to dedicate himself to what he loves most – eating noodles — becoming a professional cup noodle critic. The 65-year-old claims he has eaten at least one serving of instant noodles and a total of over 10,000 cups of noodles over the last 30 years. His big break in the world of instant noodle connoisseurs came in 1995, when he was on TV Tokyo’s Instant Noodle Championship, a television show that tested contestants’ knowledge about instant ramen. In 2018, he was crowned the TV Champion Goku Kiwami Cup Ramen Arrangement King, in a show focused on improving instant noodles. While instant noodles have a bad reputation when it comes to health, Sokusekisai Oyama has never had any health issues. That might have something to do with the fact that Japanese instant noodles are very different than the salty, powder-flavored options found in the U.S.
