Only For The Adventurous! Unique Japanese Sodas

While there are any number of delicious foods and exciting menu options to choose from all across Japan, during your travels you are practically guaranteed to find some form of food or drink that is sure to make you do a double take, stopping you in your tracks as you stare at the label trying to discern if it is what you think it is.

The same can be said for Japanese sodas too - while you are sure to find plenty of standard international brands like Coca Cola and Pepsi, as well as the Japanese summertime favorite ramune, you will also find some region-specific ones, especially when you venture outside of the Tokyo area.

From: Ice Cold, Bubbly Ramune - The Taste Of Japanese Summer!

Ramune is a clear, lemon-flavored soda that originated in England, but really developed into its own in Japan. They are the most popular non-alcoholic drink of summer in Japan, and come in a distinctive glass bottle that you have to pop open using its lid. This causes a glass ball to plop down into the neck, which can make drinking ramune difficult if you don't know the trick to it. Check out Ice Cold, Bubbly Ramune - The Taste Of Japanese Summer! to learn how to drink ramune like a pro.

Unique Regional Drinks

As with most cities or regions, there are some products or foods that instantly spring to mind when you hear their name. Canada - maple syrup, England - fish and chips, and so forth. When it comes to Japan, each region has it own famous food products too, which are reflected in the types of souvenirs sold there. You can find plenty of cute and delicious souvenirs all across the country, but there's one type that I recommend trying: regional ciders and sodas.

For example, during a road trip to Shizuoka prefecture to see Mount Fuji and Kakegawa Castle, I came across these three drinks: green tea cola, fresh tomato cider, and blue Mount Fuji cider. These drinks were all available at service/parking areas in their souvenir section. The price for these drinks ranges from about 120-400 yen, depending on the size of the drink and where you find it, but they are a satisfying way to quench your thirst and a great way to try out one of the products of the region.

If you happen to be in the Shizuoka area, I recommend all three of these drinks - they tasted very refreshing and don't leave any aftertaste in your mouth either. The Mount Fuji cider also comes in grape, if you'd rather have something with a stronger flavor to it. In other regions of Japan, you can find scores of other flavors like lemon cider in Nagasaki, apple cider (a Japanese cider) in Aomori, and even melon ramune in Hokkaido!

Traveling to different regions of Japan might be difficult if you have budget or time constraints though, so if you are desperate to try any of these regional treats, then you may want to pay a visit to prefectural gift shops or areas, such as Okinawa Town, Onsenza, the Oita prefecture shop, or Marugoto Kochi, the Kochi prefecture store.

These colas highlight some of the best natural products of the regions, but to those who are feeling more adventurous and want to go for broke, why not give this a try instead!

Unbelievable Flavors!

Yes - you are reading that label right - it's unagi cola!

Unagi, or eel, is the main ingredient in hitsumabushi, a famous dish in the Nagoya area, but Shizuoka is also known for its grilled eel too. This cola, which contains real eel extract, is just as it says: it is really eel flavored cola. If you have ever eaten hitsumabushi or grilled eel on sushi, then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect of this drink - it tastes like eel, with a mouthful of cola afterwards.

It is a bit strange at first, but after the second or third sip, it actually tastes pretty good! Posting a photo of a drink like this on your SNS is sure to cause a stir among your friends and family back home too.

You can also find other unique sodas, like kimchi ramune, takoyaki ramune, wasabi cider, and even Kanazawa curry cider in Ishikawa too.

Trying out different things and finding unique items you can't see overseas is one of the great parts of traveling in Japan, so be sure to give one of these drinks a try if you happen to find one that catches your eye. It's sure to be a memorable experience!