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It’s Cup Noodle’s 45th birthday this year, and the noodles are looking good in a special commemorative package!

We’re sure that many people have relied on Nissin’s Cup Noodle as a snack/light meal over the years. And it there are surely millions of stomachs that have been filled with the noodles, as the popular instant ramen is celebrating its 45th birthday this year.

The noodles first appeared on the market on September 18, 1971, and Nissin has recently come out with a special “Cup Noodle 45th Birthday Commemorative Package” for four of the Cup Noodle flavors, namely Curry, Seafood, and Chili Tomato in addition to the standard regular flavor.

▼ Here’s a closer look at the festive packages.
This is the regular flavor (left) and the Curry flavor (right).

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▼ And here are the Seafood (left) and Chili Tomato (right) flavors.

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While the contents of the product, including the noodle, soup and condiments are the same as usual, the brightly colored birthday packages have been specially created by designer Ōki Sato’s Design Office Nendo in the image of fireworks made with the ingredients contained in the instant ramen. According to Nissin’s press release, the design is “an expression of the company’s joy and appreciation to customers for being able to celebrate the product’s 45th anniversary”.

And with Cup Noodles now being sold in over 80 countries and total worldwide sales of over 40 billion so far, Nission certainly has reason to celebrate.

The special birthday package Cup Noodles are priced at 180 yen (US$1.76) each and will be available in limited quantities, so you may want to grab some if you’re in Japan and happen to come across them. The package alone should brighten your day, and if you’re visiting, they could make for some fun, affordable souvenirs as well. Happy Birthday, Cup Noodle, and we look forward to seeing you in other interesting flavors for many years to come!

Source and images: Nissin press release