"The Sea Is Not Japan's Sewage"…Chinese Milk Tea a Huge Hit in Japan with This Phrase

Chinese Xiangpiao Piao Includes Japanese Criticism Phrase on Cup Sleeve
Chinese Cheers on Sleeve... Purchase Verification Challenge Also Popular

Chinese milk tea brand 'Xiangpiaopiao (香飄飄)' has become a hot topic after it was revealed that the cup sleeves (the outer packaging bands) of its beverages sold in Japan contained content criticizing Japan.

The Chinese milk tea brand 'XiangpiaoPiao' sparked controversy by inserting sleeves criticizing Japan's contaminated water discharge into their beverages.
[Photo by Weibo]

On the 7th, Yonhap News quoted China's state-run Global Times reporting that "sales of Xiangpiaopiao surged after it included phrases criticizing the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan." The company included such content on the sleeves of juice tea products imported into Japan, sparking controversy. Upon closer inspection of the sleeves, critical phrases such as "The ocean is not Japan's sewage," and "0.1% of the land (referring to Japan) pollutes 70% of the ocean" are written. The reaction within China has been unprecedentedly intense. In fact, on Chinese social networking services (SNS), the product has gained great popularity, with a 'purchase certification challenge' becoming widespread.

Last weekend, tens of thousands of people simultaneously accessed a live sales broadcast hosted by Xiangpiaopiao, during which three out of six products sold out. Sales also increased significantly. Whereas the company previously earned about 2,500 yuan (approximately 470,000 KRW) per day, after including the phrases on the sleeves, daily sales skyrocketed to 1 million yuan (approximately 190 million KRW), a 400-fold increase. The stock price also rose. According to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Xiangpiaopiao's stock price hit the daily limit on the 6th.

Netizens participating in the 'Xiangpyaopyao' fruit juice tea purchase verification challenge.
[Photo by Weibo]

The sleeves are currently sold out due to the surge in demand. Local media reported that Xiangpiaopiao employees stated, "The phrases criticizing the contaminated water were not a company policy but were voluntarily added by local staff." On the 5th, the chairman of Xiangpiaopiao conducted a live broadcast, rewarding the related employees with 100,000 yuan (approximately 19 million KRW) and announcing that the profits from products sold during the four-hour broadcast starting at 8 p.m. that day would be donated to an environmental protection foundation.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) completed the fifth ocean discharge operation of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant today (the 7th). The discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima Daiichi began in August last year, and approximately 39,000 tons have been disposed of so far. The sixth discharge is scheduled to take place between May and June.