After Shin Ramyun, Neoguri becomes next flagship in Japan

TOKYO — A big-eyed raccoon dog — the mascot of Nongshim's instant noodle brand Neoguri — stepped out of Shin Ramyun's shadow and into the spotlight at this year's Korea Expo Tokyo 2026, drawing curious palates eager to taste what Nongshim had in store for Japan next.

At the exhibition, held at the Sunshine City Convention Center in Ikebukuro from Thursday to Saturday, the Neoguri-themed space hummed with visitors queuing for tastings of two varieties, hot and mild, and taking part in a series of interactive events.

"I love Neoguri's thick, chewy noodles, which are closer in texture to udon," said a Tokyo resident in her 50s, who found the original Neoguri's spice level "just right."

Minori, a 19-year-old student already familiar with both Neoguri and Shin Ramyun, expressed a preference for milder flavors. "I love how Neoguri has a milder taste than Shin Ramyun, and the texture of the noodles really stood out," she said.

According to the company, on the first day of the event, about 900 prepared Neoguri tasting sets were served, while around 10 business meetings were held with major Japanese distributors.

Shin Ramyun made heat grow on Japan. Now it's deepening the flavor

https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10720342

Those reactions illuminate a gap that Shin Ramyun's singular heat profile was never quite built to fill. Neoguri — with its udon-like strands, milder flavor and more playful identity — is Nongshim's answer to it.

"In order to nurture Neoguri into our second power brand, we wanted the character to communicate with more personality, something brighter, hipper, and younger," a company official explained.

As for the flavor split, the company noted that, unlike in Korea, where sales of Neoguri skew heavily toward the spicier version by roughly nine to one, that ratio narrows to seven to three in Japan. A voting board at the expo, inviting visitors to pick between Neoguri's hot and mild versions, produced a result that was too close to call.

Neoguri is just the first move, the company noted, with other product lines waiting in the wings, among them Chapagetti, its instant black-bean noodle brand.

"The expo marks the starting point of our offline marketing for Neoguri," a company official said. Decades of building its identity around Shin Ramyun's heat have given Nongshim a foundation to work from, they added.