Takaya Awata has risen to become Japan’s latest billionaire after successfully building a global noodle empire 🍜 ⁠ Awata dropped out of Kobe City University of Foreign Studies in 1985. By the age of 23, he launched his first grilled chicken eatery. But success did not come easy. ⁠ ⁠ An epiphany struck during a visit to his father’s hometown in Kagawa prefecture, famed for its bustling udon noodle shops. The sight of customers queuing for the chewy, wheat-flour delight stirred something within Awata. In his words, it was an “emotional experience of food” that led him to pursue his own noodle venture.⁠ ⁠ Toridoll was established in 1990 and has since expanded into a global noodle powerhouse, racking up close to 1,900 eateries across the globe. The culinary empire encompasses not only udon noodle joints, but also an array of offerings such as spicy Chinese rice noodles, ramen and tempura.⁠ ⁠ In 2021, the opening of the first Marugame Udon restaurant in London highlighted Awata’s philosop...