Man of Substance

Mits Arayama is legendary for bringing Cup Noodles to the U.S. from Japan. Today, he continues to stretch his legacy as a well-rounded, passionate and caring businessman. By Rick Weinberg, California Business Journal

He will never bring it up himself. He’s just too humble and selfless to discuss his impeccable career, his amazing rise from marketing director to CEO and creating a product -- and marketplace -- that completely altered the landscape of the ultra-ultra fast food industry.

Mits Arayama – that’s a name that every college student in the ‘70s and ‘80s should know about and recognize. All Arayama did was “save” them when he brought Cup Noodles to the United States from Japan. College students, in particular, feasted on the product, which quickly made its way into homes, transforming the marketplace. 

Now Arayama is building a new chapter. When he retired at the age of 62 as CEO of Nissin Foods in 2005, he pondered his next venture. He could have simply retired and spent his days on the golf links and fishing on the Southern California shores. But he wasn’t ready. He did, however, want to leave the food industry – and corporate America -- completely behind. He fell back to his love for marketing and visual print media. He was, after all, responsible for the complete packaging and marketing of Nissin Foods for decades.

He explored and researched several options. The one that excited him the most ... [Click here to read the rest of the story https://calbizjournal.com/mitsarayama/].