"How on earth do you drink this?"... The story of Japan's popular soda that is 'somewhat embarrassing at first meeting' [Nichiyoubi Nichibunka]

'Lemonade' Brought by Foreign Ships Was the Beginning
Glass Bottles with Marbles... Preventing Carbonation from Escaping
Difficult to Manufacture and Tricky to Drink, but Exported Thanks to the Retro Boom

"How on earth do you drink this?"

Have you ever seen the glass bottle of soda served with boiled eggs when visiting Japanese hot spring resorts? Many people get confused at first because the bottle doesn't open easily. Some even end up ruining their clothes as the soda bursts out explosively when they tap it with their palm. This drink is called 'Ramune.' Today, we will share the story of Japanese soda Ramune.

Ramune sold at Hatasan. Rakuten.

Ramune is a beverage that originated from the West. At that time, carbonated drinks were sealed with cork stoppers. This drink was brought to Japan on foreign ships. It was in 1853 when American Admiral Perry arrived in Japan aboard a foreign ship. Admiral Perry invited samurai and other officials on board to negotiate with the Edo Shogunate. He offered them lemonade with carbonation that was on the ship. The bottles were sealed with corks, and when the cork was opened, there was a 'pop' sound, which startled the samurai who thought it sounded like gunfire, causing them to grab the swords at their waists.

This 'lemonade' was the origin of Ramune. As the word 'lemonade' was pronounced in Japanese, it naturally became 'Ramune.' After Japan opened its ports, British ships brought lemonade through the port of Nagasaki and started selling it to foreigners.

Then, in 1872, the British invented a bottle with a marble inside. Corks were expensive and over time the carbonation would escape, so they needed a better sealing method. The solution was the marble. Carbonated gas and the beverage were injected into the bottle, and when the bottle was inverted, the marble would naturally rise to the neck of the bottle due to the carbonation.

In 1887, Japan also imported Ramune bottles with marbles. Then, in 1892, a glass company in Osaka succeeded in manufacturing the bottles. In fact, the bottles made in Japan were more sophisticated, surprising even the British. Nowadays, Ramune comes in various flavors like soda and watermelon, but the original Ramune was only lemon-flavored.

From the 1900s, Ramune became a popular, affordable drink for the common people. It reached its production peak in 1953, when over 60% of carbonated drinks were bottled Ramune. At that time, a competing drink called 'Cider' was introduced to Japan. Although both Ramune and Cider are carbonated drinks, Cider was imported with crown-shaped caps like modern beer bottles. Also, Cider was apple-flavored, not lemon-flavored. Cider was considered a drink for the wealthy, while Ramune was seen as a commoner's drink. Nowadays, the distinction is less clear, and only glass-bottled carbonated drinks with marbles are called Ramune. The lemon flavor has shifted to soda flavor as the standard.

Various types of Ramune sold at the online store Rakuten. Rakuten.

Ramune rose to be the representative Japanese carbonated drink, but in the 1960s, other sodas like cola entered the market and gradually took over the crown. Ramune's revival came thanks to the retro boom. Just like in Korea, where retro trends brought back nostalgia, more people started seeking Ramune again.

As it continued, Ramune became the iconic image of Japanese beverages. However, with the widespread use of PET bottles, producing and manufacturing glass bottles became difficult, and places that maintained this method gradually disappeared. Today, only Japan, India, and Taiwan sell glass-bottled Ramune with marbles worldwide.

Thanks to this, Ramune has become a popular product overseas. Most Ramune manufacturers are small and medium-sized enterprises, but they consistently export to about 40 countries including the US, China, and Australia. About 40% of total sales come from exports.

So, how do you open Ramune? The method is simple. Here is the explanation from Ramune manufacturers. First, remove the plastic wrap at the top of the Ramune bottle. There is a cap that seals the top, which can be separated into a cap that presses the marble and a ring that surrounds it. After removing just the cap, insert the protruding part of the cap into the bottle opening and press down with your hand. This pushes the marble down, allowing you to drink. The tip is not to drink immediately but to keep pressing the opening with your hand for about 5 seconds to let the carbonation settle properly.

How to open Ramune provided by Ramune manufacturer Kimurasa. Kimura.