Japan’s Drinking Problem
Japan has a drinking problem… but if you’ve got a thirst for adventure, it’s where you want to be, according to Steve Levenstein on InventorSpot via EBT.
His rundown of the Top Ten Bizarre Japanese Soft Drinks gives a pretty good indication why most of the 1000 or so new soft drinks and beverages launched in Japan every year fail miserably.
But he says to look on the bright side–they may not be good to drink, but you can’t say they’re not good for a laugh. The whole detailed and illustrated list is well-worth a look, although sometimes sad when it isn’t scary.
Regarding the delicious and nutritious Mother’s Milk in a carton, Levenstein shudders to think of the scene inside one of the manufacturer’s factories “those poor farmgirls, milkmaids or what have you, shackled up to cold, pitiless machines that never, ever stop…”
- Pepsi Ice Cucumber: It’s lean, green and sounds obscene
- Hot Calpis: the drink that makes you think — about not drinking it
- Coolpis: Who wouldn’t want to drink something with a name like Coolpis?
- Mother’s Milk: the breast-tasting drink ever!
- Black Vinegar Juice Bar: dispenses acid trips
- Water Salad: for what, we’re not sure…
- Diet Water: all the taste and none of the calories of regular water. Huh?
- Final Fantasy Potion drinks: for those who think life really IS a game
- Canned Coffee = Canned Laughter from wacky names
- Kidsbeer: the Popeye Cigarettes of children’s drinks
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that in ancient china if you were REALLY fat that meant you were...
omg i feel so bad for a that monkey help it some one plzzzz
I think most of Top Ten Drinks are not tasting bizarre at all. Only the names are bizarre. Probably a real bizarre drink is Pepsi Ice Cucumber.(The taste is not bad, but aftertaste is green cucumber.) Canned Coffee and Kidsbeer are nothing novel. Kidsbeer is less sweet, alcohol-free beer taste soda.
“Hot Calpis, Coolpis, Mother’s Milk, Black Vinegar Juice Bar, Water Salad, Diet Water, Final Fantasy Potion drinks” are really funny names(like “Reserve Water” which is actually an alcoholic drink). We know the naming of the new product is sometimes vital for the sales in Japan. But that English name often sounds like a misapplication.
By the way, people make Vinegar Juice at home(with cold water, a spoon of fruity taste vinegar and honey.)
June 24th, 2007 at 10:21 am“Japan’s Drinking Problem” is illustrated with a picture of a Korean drink?
Please note that the “Mother’s Milk” is a FAKE: it is a gimmick created by advertising agency 570 Design, and you can download your own papercraft make-it-yourself version at http://www.570.co.jp/570room2003/papercraft/paper_milk.html
June 24th, 2007 at 11:12 amAnyone else notice the uncanny resemblance between Korea’s “Coolpis” and Japan’s “Calpis”??
June 25th, 2007 at 9:32 amSome guy here in the U.S. is trying to market PIZZA flavored BEER..
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_134181507.html
I agree, it’s mostly the names that are wacky in Japan. I’d take a luke-warm calpis over pizzabeer anyday.
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August 16th, 2007 at 3:01 amSince so many new soft drinks and beverages launched in Japan every year fail terribly, does this mean that Japan is going to move to the “hard drinks” and create hundreds of drinks and beverages that contain alcohol? If so, what a nightmare
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