Japanese food manufacturer Nissin Foods has introduced a new variant of its iconic Cup Noodles that can be prepared with cold water, responding to rising temperatures and increasing heat-related health concerns in Japan. The product, developed over five years under a patented “cold rehydrate method,” transforms dried noodles to an al dente texture using cold water instead of boiling, requiring about five minutes to rehydrate compared to the usual three.
Nissin’s innovation arrives amid a period of record-breaking heat across Japan, where heatstroke hospitalizations have more than doubled between 2021 and 2025. The company’s new cold noodle cups are available in spicy kimchi and chicken salt lemon flavors and are priced roughly ¥37 ($0.22) higher than their traditional counterparts, reflecting the added convenience and adaptation for hotter weather.
Nissin stated that these cold noodles are currently intended for the Japanese domestic market only, with no plans for international distribution. The launch coincides with a recent three-month forecast from Japan’s Meteorological Agency predicting an exceptionally hot summer. On the same day as the product announcement, temperatures in three Japanese cities reached 40°C, prompting the agency to label these days as “kokushobi,” a term introduced this April meaning “cruelly hot day.”
The new product is part of a broader wave of low-cost innovations in Japan designed to help citizens cope with escalating temperatures linked to global warming. Such measures include worksite jackets with built-in fans, heat-shield parasols developed by textile company Toray, and misting water bottles marketed by Daisaku Shoji. Additionally, mapping company Navitime recently launched an app called Aikoo, which helps users find the shadiest walking routes to avoid heat exposure.
The introduction of cold-rehydrate noodles reflects growing awareness and adaptation to climate change effects in everyday consumer products. UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the urgency of the climate crisis in 2023, declaring that the “era of global boiling has arrived,” reinforcing the relevance of innovations aimed at mitigating extreme heat impacts worldwide.