Episode 23 - The Japanese Siege That Made Cup Noodle Famous
In February 1972, five members of the United Red Army took a woman hostage inside the Asama-Sansō Lodge in the mountains of Nagano, Japan. What followed was a ten-day siege broadcast live across the country, with nearly 90% of Japan tuning in to watch negotiations, psychological tactics, and the final dramatic assault.
But viewers noticed something unexpected during the long winter standoff.
Outside the lodge, police officers waiting in the snow were repeatedly shown eating Cup Noodles, a brand-new convenience food that had launched just a year earlier. Those quiet moments on live television…
The skinny
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