Each of the locally-themed designs will be limited for sale in different regions of the country.

While Pepsi tantalises our tastebuds with new and exciting limited-edition flavours in Japan, Coca-Cola keeps us on our toes with new and exclusive packaging.

Following on from the huge success of Coca-Cola’s beautiful sakura bottle, which was a hit during the hanami cherry blossom viewing season, the company has now announced it will be releasing five new bottles in Japan, to coincide with the summer holiday season.

Unlike the sakura bottle, which was available to purchase around the country, these five designs will be limited for sale in each of their corresponding regions.

First up is the Hokkaido bottle, which features well-known landmarks that can be found in the country’s northernmost prefecture. There’s the Sapporo Clock Tower, the Sapporo TV Tower, Hakodate’s Goryokaku Tower, and the statue of Dr William Smith Clark, an influential American professor who taught in Hokkaido in the late 1870s. The words “Hokkaido” can also be seen written in Japanese, along with an image of the prefecture and snowflakes, in reference to the area’s renowned snowfall. This bottle will be limited for sale in Hokkaido only.

Next up is the Tokyo bottle, which shows the famous city skyline, including Shinjuku high-rises, the Rainbow Bridge, and the iconic Tokyo Tower. This bottle will be limited for sale in regional and central Tokyo.

Moving down the country, we come to Kyoto, which features an image of a kimono-clad maiko looking out over an arched bridge and Daimonji-yama, a Kyoto mountain known for “Gozan Okuribi“, an event where the huge kanji character on the mountainside is set alight to celebrate the end of Obon, the festival of the dead. This bottle will be limited for sale in the Kansai region of Japan.

Next in line is Setouchi, which pays homage to the region’s famous floating torii gate, located at Itsukushima Shrine, and the Seto Ohashi Bridge that connects the mainland with the island of Shikoku over the Seto Inland Sea. This bottle will be limited for sale in the Shikoku and Chugoku regions of Japan.

The final bottle in the lineup is the Kumamoto edition, which gives pride of place to Kumamoto Castle, the city’s most revered structure, which suffered devastating damage following a series of earthquakes in 2016. This bottle will be available to purchase in Kyushu only.

The summer holiday period is one of the peak times for travel around Japan, when people return home to celebrate the important festival of Obon with family members. Travel in Japan always involves regional souvenir-giving, so these bottles will be vying for your attention at souvenir shops, convenience stores and supermarkets during your travels.

The Hokkaido and Tokyo bottles will be released on 19 June, with the other four designs available in their respective regions from 17 July. The slimline bottles will only be produced in limited numbers, and according to the company, they’ll only be available while stocks last.

Source, images: Coca Cola Japan

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