Our reporter was strolling through Ginza one afternoon and found herself in an Okinawa specialty goods store. As she was browsing through the aisles, she couldn’t help but notice a brightly colored can of Coca Cola with a red shisa (lion dog) printed on the front. Upon further inspection of the can, she realized that she had stumbled upon Okinawa Coca Cola, made with the waters of Okinawa. How would this special Coke taste? She just had to buy one and find out.
Our reporter first had to go home and put the Okinawa Coca Cola in the fridge. The suspense was killing her, but the Coke was bound to taste subpar if she drank it at room temperature. Once the can was chilled, it was time for the taste test!
She took her first sip and…it tasted just like normal Coke. It was definitely refreshing, but wasn’t different than any other Coke she’d had. Doubting her tastebuds, she took a few more gulps, but the Coca Cola made with water from Okinawa just tasted like plain old Coke.
Disappointed, our reporter admired the empty can. The design features images of shisa, a lion dog popular in Okinawan mythology, as well as manta rays, which can be found off the coasts of Okinawa, and the prefecture’s famous flower, the akabanaa (hibiscus). Even though Okinawa Coca Cola doesn’t taste any different than regular Coca Cola, the can is beautifully designed and would make a great souvenir from a trip to Okinawa. If you can’t make it to Japan’s southernmost prefecture or to the Ginza specialty goods shop, you can order Okinawa Coca Cola online here for 120 yen (US$1.18).
Images: RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]
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