Sapporo Ichiban vs Wai Wai:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Wai Wai had more branded searches than Sapporo Ichiban among instant noodle brands worldwide. Wai Wai had about 74,000 branded searches, while Sapporo Ichiban had 12,100. Wai Wai made up 7% of all instant noodle brand searches we track, and Sapporo Ichiban accounted for 1.2%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Sapporo Ichiban or Wai Wai more popular in search?
Compare the instant noodle brands people buy. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for Wai Wai, Sapporo Ichiban. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Maggi | Indomie | Maruchan | Wai Wai | Nongshim | MAMA | Samyang | Nissin | Sapporo Ichiban | Ottogi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.3% | 32.1% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 39.4% | 32.2% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.8% | 32.5% | 8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 43.1% | 28.8% | 8.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 42.8% | 28.6% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.4% | 28.3% | 7% | 4.7% | 8.5% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.93% |
| Apr 2026 | 39% | 31.9% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1% | 1% |
| May 2026 | 43.2% | 28.9% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.95% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.5% | 32.3% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.8% | 31.7% | 9.5% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1% | 1% |
| Aug 2026 | 42% | 28.1% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.93% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.8% | 28.6% | 7% | 7% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.94% |
How has the Sapporo Ichiban and Wai Wai comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Wai Wai was ahead of Sapporo Ichiban in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sapporo Ichiban’s share of searches among instant noodle brands worldwide moved from 1.3% to 1.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 12.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wai Wai’s share of searches among instant noodle brands worldwide moved from 5.3% to 7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 74K.
How did search popularity change for instant noodle brands worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Wai Wai overtook Nongshim to rank 4th among instant noodle brands worldwide, with 7% of the searches.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sapporo Ichiban’s and Wai Wai’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Sapporo Ichiban
1 branded search term
- sapporo ichiban
Wai Wai
1 branded search term
- wai wai
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