The inventor of instant ramen is Momofuku Ando. He created the world's first instant noodles called "Chicken Ramen" in 1958 in Japan after World War II, aiming to provide a nutritious, inexpensive, and easy-to-prepare food during food shortages. He developed the method of flash-frying noodles so they could be quickly prepared by adding boiling water. Ando later also invented Cup Noodles in 1971, which popularized instant ramen globally.
Regarding the broader dish of ramen (not instant ramen), it originated from Chinese-style wheat noodles introduced to Japan in the late 19th century by Chinese immigrants. It had various regional and cultural evolutions before Ando's instant ramen invention.
