Western products some Japanese people love: Diet Dr. Pepper, the rare unicorn of drinks in Japan

Do you like Japanese snacks and drinks? Can you never get enough of some sweet, sweet Pocky washed down with a nice cold C.C. Lemon?

Well guess what? It goes the other way too! Some Japanese people love certain Western products that are super rare in Japan. Case in point, two of our SoraNews24 Japanese writers have an unhealthy obsession with Diet Dr. Pepper. Both of them have tried to track it down in Japan for years to no avail, finally giving in to lesser drinks.

But not anymore. Something rare and beautiful has been found in Japan, and its name is Diet Dr. Pepper.

Both SoraNews24 Japanese writers Meg and P. K. Sanjun have spent the better part of their adult lives searching high and low for a can of the legendary Diet Dr. Pepper in Japan. When asked why they like it so much, both of them claim it has a unique flavor and is highly addictive. Several times a year they get a craving for its fizzy, slightly medicine-y flavor, and they can’t do anything else until their yearning has been satiated.

Typically a normal Dr. Pepper does the job, but both of them worry about the effect that the high calories will have on their svelte figures.

▼ Chug it down P. K., chug it down! Worry about those love handles at the gym later!

To try to keep both their weight and horrible addiction in check, P. K. went so far as to call the Japanese Coca Cola offices and beg for any information about the mysterious zero-calorie Dr. Pepper. Here’s how that conversation went:

“Hi. I hear that you sell Diet Dr. Pepper overseas, and I just want to ask if you sell it in Japan anywhere?”

“I’m sorry. Unfortunately we do not have any plans to sell it in Japan at this moment.”

“But… but what about the high calories in normal Dr. Pepper? I- er, I mean, my friend can’t drink it.”

“Oh. Well, uh, thank you for voicing your concern. I will convey it to the department in charge of-“

“Please! I’m desperate! I need it! I beg you!”

“Uh… thank you for your call! Bye.”

Obviously that didn’t go well, but that hasn’t stopped them from searching. For years Meg and P. K. thought their quest would be fruitless…but not anymore!

It happened quite unceremoniously. Meg happened to meet a fellow Japanese fan of the drink who was just casually sipping on a Diet Dr. Pepper one day. She immediately ~~grabbed him by the neck~~ asked him nicely where he got it, and he said he bought a multi-pack at the bulk discount store Costco.

▼ There is was, staring at her, as if it wasn’t the most beautiful creature on Earth.

But that’s not all Meg noticed: this was no ordinary import Diet Dr. Pepper, this had Japanese written on it! This was “Made in Japan.”

▼ The kanji kokusan (国産) in the bottom right means that it was made in the country. And if that’s the case, then there must be more somewhere….

Meg had no idea what was going on, but that didn’t stop her from immediately chugging down a can of that sweet Dr. P.

▼ It’s hard to see in this picture, but her Dr. Pepper fangs are actually inside the can, sucking the sweet soda life force out of it.

Afterward, she immediately called the Coca Cola offices, where she discovered that right now Diet Dr. Pepper is only being sold in Japan in bulk at Costco. Maybe P. K.’s phone call had more effect than he thought!

▼ Meg was then missing for the next hour, and when she came back, the entire RocketNews24 office was filled with these:

▼ This is a photograph after we reassembled P. K.’s head once it finished exploding.

▼ “Guys. This is so much better than the last thing you made me put in my mouth.”

Well there you go fellow Diet Dr. Pepper addicts. If you’re in Japan and need to satisfy that craving, then it’s time to sign up for a Costco membership card (or you can use your American card, since they’re valid internationally). Just don’t blame us if you wake up in the middle of the night with two thirsty SoraNews24 writers raiding your fridge.

SoraNews24 —Japan News—