TAKESAN Bridges Continents with Ramen at TICAD 9!
This past August, the TAKESAN team had the incredible honor of participating in the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) right here in Yokohama. As leaders and innovators from across Japan and Africa gathered to build a brighter future, we were excited to share a taste of Japanese culture with a mission: to introduce the taste of ramen to our friends from Africa.
A Taste of Japan, imagined for All
Our goal was to bridge cultures through delicious taste. We knew we had to present something authentic yet accessible, respecting everyone's culture and beliefs. That's why we proudly served our most innovative creations, broth completely free of animal ingredients:
We served a creamy, rich broth that captures the deep essence of innovative ramen soup, made entirely from plant-based ingredients. We wanted to show that the satisfying depth of ramen is universal.
Beyond just serving ramen soup, our booth became a hub for cultural exchange. We shared the fascinating history of ramen, explaining its journey from a simple noodle dish introduced in the Meiji era to a global culinary icon in 2025. Our primary goal was to determine if the taste we cherish in Japan could be appreciated and loved in Africa, thereby paving the way for our objective of expanding there.
The response was overwhelmingly positive and gave us invaluable insight! We were so moved by the conversations and the smiles we saw after that first sip of soup. Here is a sample of what we heard:
“I have never tasted anything like this! The vegan soup is so rich, I can’t believe there is no meat. In my country, we love deep flavors, and this is perfect. Please come to Nigeria!” - A delegate from Abuja
“As a vegetarian, I was happy to find a vegan ramen option that I enjoyed, and I like the flavor of the soup. I would buy it!” - Betty, a lady from Kenya
“The ramen soup was really good, it had a lot of flavors, you could really taste the miso, it was comforting and full of flavor”- A delegate from Gabon
This experience has energized us and reinforced our belief that the comfort and joy of a great bowl of ramen know no borders. Thank you to everyone who stopped by. The journey to bring TAKESAN to Africa has just begun!