Forum - View topic

Answerman - What Unique Sodas Are Sold in Japan?

Rika Hue wrote:

There are also cigarette vending machines, which is another discussion for another time.

I haven't used them myself since I don't smoke so I could be wrong, but I believe that in order to use a cigarette vending machine, you need to use some kind of touch card to activate it first, and presumably you need to be an adult to be able to get one of those cards to begin with.

But I would have expected more than a half-sentence mention. I recall a few instances in anime in which the strange nature of the Ramune bottle was actually a plot point.

Zof wrote:

For an American, the important thing is Japan FINALLY has proper Diet Coke. You don't have to suffer with that terrible liquefied pencil shavings flavored copy from Pepsi anymore.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out if this is serious or if this is a joke.....

Although the question was about unique drinks in Japan, the article was more focused on those sold in vending machines, and as noted, ramune normally isn't.

And besides, don't we already have classic Coke Zero, which was brought out after everyone caught on that US Diet Coke was actually that 90's New Coke that had just been rebranded after being taken off the market?
(Coke Zero originally also tried to copy Pepsi One's idea of reducing water content to taste like a "thicker" syrup-based regular cola, but not sure if they're still doing that. Heard from one Pepsi fan who said she couldn't drink CZ because of that, and asked me what the heck was up with that soda.)

A Japanese soda equivalent of Red Bull would be horrid, in my eyes.

An article about "unique Japanese sodas" and no mention of Ramune and its interesting bottle, which was actually a western invention, yet now is largely unheard of in the west? Shame!!!!

At least in Tokyo and Kyoto, the only vending machines I saw carry beer/other alcoholic drinks are already in hotels, not just out on the street. Though, could very well be different in other places. And, for what it's worth, it's not like buying beer without an ID is particularly difficult in the U.S., either - especially in a big city!

One can only assume that Japanese youths learn how hard drinks are not worth the extra cost before they do so over here. I recall once trying to enjoy alcohol as if it was obliged of me as a rite of passage, only to realise that soft drinks better suited me in all ways.

Yep, count me another Disney Parks fan who goes to Epcot's world-of-Coke exhibit just to try the free samples of China's Smart Watermelon soda, Brazil's guarana-berry and Mexico's La Manzana apple soda.
Three flavors we could use more of over here.

Warm drinks from a vending machine is such an awesome thing. I wish we could have in the states. Nothing better than on a chilly day than getting a warm drink in hand.

Huh, I didn't know Calpico is actually called Calpis, I can see why they changed the name for the States

I've never tried it by itself (I should get on that) but I did have a Calpico shochu cocktail from this really nice Japanese hotpot place in San Fran called Nabe and it was sooo good. Or maybe I just thought that because I was tipsy...lol