A Sip of Japan: Exploring Japanese Drinks from Tradition to Trend

When people think of Japanese drinks, nihonshu (sake) and green tea often come to mind. But Japan’s beverage culture is far more diverse, spanning everything from ancient fermented rice brews and probiotic milk drinks to seasonal sodas, creative cocktails, and unique health-focused beverages. Each sip tells a story of history, health, craftsmanship, and innovation.

Whether you’re strolling through a konbini (convenience store) in Tokyo or sitting in a quiet tea house in Kyoto, drinks in Japan are as much about culture as refreshment. Enjoying them in authentic Japanese cups, bowls, or glasses only deepens the experience. Browse our drinkware collection.

Fermented and Dairy Drinks: A Healthy Tradition

Fermented beverages have long played a role in Japanese life. One of the most beloved is amazake (甘酒, sweet fermented rice drink), enjoyed warm in winter and sometimes chilled in summer. Made from kōji (fermented rice), it’s naturally sweet, low in alcohol, and often associated with soothing natsu-bate (summer fatigue) or enjoyed during New Year’s celebrations.

Japan also introduced the world to Yakult, the small but powerful probiotic drink created in 1935 with Lactobacillus casei Shirota. Its global success inspired a wave of yogurt drinks, flavored soy milk, and even playful drinkable jellies, designed for on-the-go refreshment. You may also encounter yuba (tofu skin)-based drinks, a nod to the deep connection between soy and Japanese cuisine.

Other dairy drinks, such as Calpis (a fermented milk-based soft drink), offer a sweet, tangy experience and are available in both still and carbonated (Calpis Soda) forms. These beverages bridge the gap between tradition and modern wellness.

Health and Functional Drinks: Wellness on the Go

Japanese vending machines and konbini shelves overflow with health-focused beverages. One classic is aojiru (青汁, green vegetable juice), a bitter kale- or barley-based drink that promises vitality and is packed with nutrients. For something milder, you’ll find aloe drinks, on-the-go vitamin drinks, and energy jellies like In Jelly, which can be sipped or squeezed during busy commutes.

Hydration is also a priority, especially during Japan’s humid summers. Pocari Sweat and Aquarius are popular isotonic sports drinks that help replenish electrolytes and minerals lost through sweat. Flavored soy milks available in varieties like banana, sakura, matcha, and even limited-edition pudding are another staple for those seeking plant-based nutrition.

As research on probiotics and plant-based nutrition grows, Japanese drinks continue to innovate while staying rooted in functionality.

Japanese Alcoholic Beverages: Tradition Meets Innovation

Japan’s alcoholic offerings are world-renowned. At the heart is nihonshu (日本酒, sake), brewed from rice and water, with premium varieties like daiginjo celebrated for their delicate aroma and flavor. Shochu, distilled from barley, sweet potato, or rice, is another favorite often enjoyed straight, on the rocks, or mixed with water (ochawari) or soda in cocktails.

Regional treasures include awamori from Okinawa, known for its robust, earthy flavor, and sweet fruit liqueurs such as umeshu (plum wine) and yuzushu (yuzu liqueur), which are refreshing served over ice or with soda.

Modern Japan has also made its mark with Japanese whisky (think Suntory, Nikka, or Hibiki) and a booming craft beer scene, alongside staples like Asahi Super Dry and unique brews featuring local ingredients like yuzu, matcha, or cherry blossoms.

Enjoying these drinks from traditional sake cups (ochoko) or handcrafted beer glasses adds a layer of artistry to the tasting experience.

Japanese Cocktails and Mixed Drinks: Playful and Refreshing

Step into an izakaya, and you’ll likely see chuhai (チューハイ)—a fizzy mix of shochu and soda, often flavored with lemon, peach, grape, or seasonal fruits. Variations include the crisp lemon sour, tropical shikuwasa sour (from Okinawan citrus), and sweet peach oolong (mixing peach liqueur with oolong tea).

Japan also loves canned cocktails, like Suntory’s Horoyoi (low-alcohol, light and sweet) and Strong Zero (a stronger, more potent alternative). Western-inspired mixes like the Tokyo Mule (Japanese spirit with ginger and citrus) and the ever-popular cassis orange (cassis liqueur and orange juice) round out the lineup.

These inventive drinks reflect Japan’s playful approach to flavor and its embrace of both tradition and trend.

Japanese Coffee and Café Drinks: A Culture of Cans and Cafés

Coffee has a special place in Japanese daily life. Canned coffee, sold hot or cold in vending machines, is a uniquely Japanese phenomenon, with options ranging from black and unsweetened to creamy café au lait and sweet milk coffee. Convenience stores stock fresh drip coffees, café au lait, and creative spins like bubble tea (originally from Taiwan, but now a Japanese favorite) and specialty hot chocolates.

For purists, Japan’s roasteries and kissaten (old-style coffee shops) offer carefully brewed coffee beans with attention to detail that rivals tea ceremonies. Whether enjoyed in a paper cup from a machine or in a finely crafted ceramic mug, coffee in Japan reflects both efficiency and artistry.

Japanese Soft Drinks and Sodas: Playful, Colorful, Iconic

Few drinks capture nostalgia like Ramune (ラムネ) the classic “marble soda” with its unique glass bottle and fizzy sweetness. Opening a bottle by popping the marble into the neck is a rite of passage at summer festivals. Ramune comes in a rainbow of flavors, from lemon-lime and melon to bubble gum and even adventurous options like takoyaki.

Alongside Ramune, you’ll find Calpis Soda, citrusy Mitsuya Cider (a non-alcoholic soda with a clean, refreshing taste), and hydrating Pocari Sweat. Qoo is a popular fruity drink for kids, available in flavors like orange, apple, and white grape, often with drinkable jelly versions.

Japan’s soda scene is also known for limited-edition and region-specific flavors—think Japanese Fanta in white peach, muscat grape, or plum, and seasonal sodas that change throughout the year.

Japanese Teas: A World Beyond Matcha

No exploration of Japanese drinks is complete without tea. Beyond the iconic matcha (抹茶, powdered green tea), there’s:

• Sencha: The most common everyday green tea, with a fresh, grassy taste.
• Gyokuro: A premium shade-grown tea, prized for its sweetness and umami.
• Genmaicha: Green tea blended with roasted brown rice, offering a nutty, toasty flavor.
• Hojicha: Roasted green tea with a warm, earthy aroma and low caffeine, perfect for evenings.
• Mugicha: Caffeine-free roasted barley tea, enjoyed cold in summer.
• Oolong tea: Light and floral, often served in restaurants.
• Kombucha: In Japan, a savory kelp tea, distinct from Western-style kombucha.
• Cherry blossom tea (sakura-yu): Made with preserved cherry blossoms, enjoyed in spring.
• Yuzu tea: A citrusy infusion, often mixed with honey for a soothing winter drink.
• Ofukucha: A special New Year’s tea for good luck, made with green tea, pickled plum, and kelp.

Sweet or seasonal options like royal milk tea (black tea with milk and sugar), bubble tea, and limited-edition blends ensure there’s always something new to try. Serving tea in an authentic chawan (matcha bowl) or delicate teacup connects you to centuries of tradition.

Seasonal and Limited-Edition Drinks: Fleeting Delights

One of the joys of Japan is its ever-changing array of limited-edition beverages, released to match seasons and cultural events. Sakura lattes, sakura tea, and even strawberry Coke appear in spring. Summer may bring mitsuya lemon cider or lychee sparkling water, while autumn could feature a black sesame latte. Quirky flavors like pudding-flavored soy milk or melon and bubble gum sodas add to the fun.

Even global chains like Starbucks Japan join in, offering sakura-themed drinks during cherry blossom season. The impermanence of these beverages makes them all the more precious much like the fleeting beauty of sakura blossoms themselves.

Canned and Convenience Drinks: Japan’s On-the-Go Culture

Japan’s beverage culture is inseparable from its love of convenience. Vending machines on nearly every corner dispense hot and cold drinks, from vitamin-packed waters to canned coffee, teas, and even hot chocolate. Konbini (convenience stores) offer an astonishing range of single-serve drinks, including vitamin C lemon sodas, energy jellies, and seasonal specialties.

This accessibility means you can always find something new to try, no matter where you are in Japan.

Conclusion: Drinking in the Culture

From probiotic pioneers like Yakult to timeless cups of matcha, Japanese drinks reflect a culture that blends health, craftsmanship, and creativity. Each sip offers a chance to taste history, innovation, or a fleeting seasonal moment.

So next time you pick up a Japanese drink, remember: you’re not just quenching your thirst, you’re sipping on culture.