Rumors of ramune’s demise were greatly exaggerated.

There was a time in Japan where ramune was the soda of choice for kids and adults, whether at festivals, cooling down after some time in a bathhouse, or while visiting candy stores. It came in a very unique glass bottle design where the opening was stopped by a vacuum-sealed glass marble which you had to pop out of place to access the sweet beverage inside.

However, in the later years of the 20th century, competition in the soft drink market grew more intense. The design of ramune’s recyclable glass bottles became harder to maintain, even more so with the advent of cheaper plastic bottles. Ramune also largely made the switch to plastic, but by that time, its market share had already shrunk significantly.

You can probably still get it in a lot of supermarkets and traditional candy stores, but finding some in one of Japan’s many convenience stores is rare.

▼ I used to buy mine in souvenir shops, back when Hata Kosen was doing inventive flavors like French Fries and Kimchi.

However, leading ramune producer, Hata Kosen in Osaka, is hoping to bring the drink back to its former glory with Hata Premium. The actual drink is largely unchanged from regular ramune, because if something isn’t broke, there’s really no need to fix it. But the presentation is on a whole other level.

The bottle has an interesting optical illusion where the top compartment that the marble sits in looks completely separate from the bottom. Also, if you’re either as unlucky or as uncoordinated as I am and find popping the marble often results in soda exploding everywhere, Hata Premium can be bought with a dedicated wooden popper that appears to be more stable and should reduce the chances of messy explosions. It can also be purchased with standard plastic poppers for a lower price, but I’d say the wooden one is worth the investment.

▼ This is a typical scene when I use a plastic popper.

A special launch event was held in Tokyo’s upscale Omotesando area, during which a bartender from the stylish Bar_Museum in Ebisu prepared Gin Ramune and Salty Dog Ramune cocktails using Hata Premium.

Currently, Hata Premium is only sold online by the case. A case of 20 bottles costs 7,776 yen (US$53) with a wooden popper and 6,480 yen ($44) with plastic ones. However, bottles will also be given out at select hotels and events from late July to early August, so if you’re lucky, you might just get a taste of the soda high life while on the road this summer.

But even if you can’t, it’s still worth it to try some regular ramune while in Japan. I only wish Hata Kosen would bring back that excellent Kimchi Ramune, or better yet: Hata Premium Kimchi!

Hata Premium Sample Giveaway Locations
2 , 3, 9, 10, 11 August – Ashimizu at Tokyo Midtown Roppongi
18 July – APA Hotel & Resort Osaka Umeda Tower and Osaka Nambe Ekimae Tower
25 July – APA Hotel & Resort Roppongi East, Nishi-Shinjuku-Gochome Station Tower, Ryogoku Station Tower, and Tokyo Bay Shiomi
2 August – APA Hotel & Resort Tokyo Bay Makuhari
9 August – APA Hotel & Resort Niigata Ekimae Odori, Myoko, Sapporo, and Hakata Ekimae East

Source: PR Times
Featured image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, © SoraNews24
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