Japan for the Uninvited

Cheap, tasty and easy to prepare, instant ramen is the staple diet of Japan’s overworked and lazy.

The convenient snacks have become increasingly gourmet, with pricier pots offering tender, vacuum-packed meat, vegetables and seafood.

Overdependence on instant ramen has raised health concerns, as it consists almost entirely of MSG and sodium.

• Tokyo food page: ‘Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum’
• Greggman.com: ‘Instant Ramen’
• The Nissin Ramen page