I got into an email discussion about Japanese vending machines and softdrinks with ex-expat (is that a re-pat?) Bryan Jensen who lived in Japan about the same time I did. He's agreed to let me share his memories for a little photo gallery. I'm still working on that...this entire little project has taken much longer than expected (my scanner broke, and I'm trying to get ready for a trip). So here is Part 1.
bj: "I lived in Japan 1988-1990, and was very fond of the drinks of Japan. I have a "thing" for vending machines, too. Living in Japan was like dying and going to vending machine heaven.
mss:"Yep. Just like the motto on the Dydo machine says, 'Dydo is your ticket to drink paradise'."
bj: "It was funny to be out in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of tons of rice paddies, and there on the side of the road is a grouping of vending machines. Cool!"
mss: "In 1991, there were over 5,410,000 vending machines in Japan, that is, one vending machine for every 23 people."
bj "I just really loved drinking Mitsuya Cider--especially after visiting the bath house. Shasta had a flavor released here in the US for a limited time a couple years ago--I don't remember its name but it came in a blue bottle. It tasted very similar to Mitsuya Cider. But Mitsuya is more bubbly and less sweet, making it more refreshing than Shasta's attempt. Still it was a great natsukashi (nostalgic) experience while it was available... Speaking of bath houses, remember that soda that came in the little bottles sealed with a marble? We called them "Fud Pops" because they were only found (mostly) at the ofuros. The taste was refreshing like Mitsuya Cider but it was the process of "popping" the marble that made it fun to drink.
bj: "Also I have fond memories of a brand called "Mets" or "Meps." It was a grapefruit soda with a salty bite. Since I eat my grapefruit sprinkled with salt, I loved this flavor more so than American brands like Fresca or Squirt."
mss: "Was it this Mets?"
bj: "Hachimitsu remon (honey lemon) was ubiquitous and very refreshing... not to mention the delicious iced sweet teas and coffees that seemed so foreign then, but now seem so common in this Starbucks age."
mss: "Our favorite drink for quenching thirst was Aquarius. Similiar to Gatorade, but less sweet, it's manufactured by Coca-cola. I wish they sold it in the US. Our favorite tea was "Afternoon Tea" a light jasmine tea with milk and sugar--almost too much sugar, it was sweet! But it tasted just like the iced I've made for myself since I was a kid. I have had American acquaintances give me disgusted looks when I poured milk into my ice tea. So to find it sold that way in Japan gave me a feeling of righteous justification."
bj: "Fanta was the best--they had some of the yummiest flavors like Peach or Melon. There were many yummy fruity vended drinks, many carrying the name "Squash" attached to the fruity name, e.g., Berry Squash. This seemed odd, until I learned later that "squash" is British slang for a fruity drink."
mss: "Mmmm...Plussy Lemon Squash. Thanks to my resident Mancunian, I now also know that British "lemon squash" is the equivalent of American "lemonade"--squash in the sense of squished, via squeeze. But whenever I hear the word "squash", I think "kabocha", not "fresh-squeezed". I'm not sure how any of this translates to Nestle's Coffee Squash."
bj: Speaking of funny names, the best had to be Calpis and Pocari Sweat, both of which were VERY delicious and refreshing. Thankfully, these brands haven't been too difficult to obtain here in the States ,albeit overpriced."
mss: "When pronounced by a native speaker of Japanese, Calpis Water sounds disconcertingly like "cow piss water". At one point Kirin introduced Post Water, I assume to compete with Pocari Sweat. Sometimes I think the marketing departments come up with these names on purpose just for the attention they receive from native English-speakers. Although, how can you resist a water that 'gently softens your soul'?"
bj: I remember vividly I finding (very rarely) American off brands in very out-of-the-way places; it was a wonderful treasure to look and see a Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew stocked. Though I don't like these flavors near as much as Japanese brands, they were an inexpensive way to feel closer to home. (Oddly enough, Coke is too ubiquitous, and never satisfied that need.)"
mss: In those days, Coca-Cola dominated the cola market with a 94% share, Pepsi claiming a mere 4%. In Beppu-shi, I found only one small Pepsi machine on the north side of the train station. As for Dr. Pepper, I don't remember ever seeing it in Japan, but one of my students tried it when in Austin, and she said it was the most disgusting thing she'd ever tasted."
bj:Best of all one day, in the middle of nowhere, in this little store, I found some root beer. I had never been able to find root beer in Japan. I bought up all they had. When I was out, I went out of my way to travel back there only to find they didn't stock it and claimed when they never did. When I asked for Rutsu Biiru (root beer), they just directed me to their display of Suntory and Asahi beers. I guess in some providential sense I had stepped that day into a cross-over universe which stocked root beer on its shelves.
More Info on Japanese Softdrinks
* Hokkaido Coca-Cola Bottling (shift-JIS)
* UCC canned coffee available at www.quickspice.com
* official drink of the GSDF during the Gulf War Camouflage
* Otskuka Pharmaceuticals (English page) makers of Pocari Sweat, CalorieMate, Fibe-Mini, and Energen.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
July 15, 2002
Comments
The stuff in the marble bottle is Ramune - and these magical, antique bottles may be doomed. The new can-type-bottle so popular everywhere, can stand the pressure that Ramune creates so they've begun vending Ramune in these monstrosities via regular jido hambaiki machines. The original Ramune bottles are the type of bottle that carbonated drinks were sold in in days of yore everywhere, the west as well. I was thrilled to find upon arriving in Japan that they were alive and well and further thrilled to find that Ramune was a lovely litle fizzy drink (though only available in summer mind you). Saddened, then, that the bottles may be going the way of the dodo.
Comment by: Derek. Posted August 3, 2002 11:09 PM.
Funny, I hadn't been here in several days so I didn't see this post until now, but I wish I had considering I just posted on "jidouhanbaiki" yesterday. You know, I have to admit that I'm fairly clueless about the endless variety of drinks in the actual machines, as I'm on a strict budget and so I carry around with me bottles of ice tea brewed at home.
Comment by: Kurt. Posted August 9, 2002 09:21 AM.
Kurt, I really enjoyed your post on Japanese vending machines, especially because you were able to update my statistics on the the number of machines in Japan. I'm always amazed at both the depth and breadth of the topics you write about.
Comment by: M Sinclair Stevens. Posted August 12, 2002 07:52 AM.
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Comment by: Sandra-sr. Posted July 19, 2007 10:07 PM.
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Also check out the fun at Japanese Engrish The Drink Collection. Includes photos of Post Water and BM.