Dr. Pepper

So it's a bit odd when it comes to soft drinks here. Coca-Cola is king, and from what I've been able to learn, they seem to have a monopoly on the bottling rights in Japan. I noticed that it's VERY difficult to find Pepsi here, though both Laura and I have noticed it in at least two vending machines near two of our schools. That said, Pepsi PRODUCTS are readily available. The one's I've noticed so far are:

Mountain Dew
Gatorade (though it supposedly tastes like a salty electrolyte beverage, like all Japanese sports drinks)
Dr. Pepper

For those who know my taste in pop, I've mixed feelings about this. First, I much prefer Pepsi to Coke for everyday consumption, with the exception of drink mix and with sushi. It helps greatly that we've found those vending machines, but they're a ways out simply for a bottle of Pepsi and a trend in Japan is that stores change stock on just about everything seasonally. So if you love something, stock up as it may never be available again. Not sure how this works for vending machines though.

What really DOES help soften the blow is the dominating presence of Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew. Now, you may be saying to yourself 'Those are Pepsi, damn it!' and you would be right. In a bizarre twist that actually seems at home in Japan, Pepsi has struck a deal with Coca-Cola to have Coke bottle and sell their products here. The reason for this (as far as I've been able to discern) is that Coke's similar products (like Mellow Yellow and Powerade) fail miserably here. Fine by me. Sadly, while Red Bull has been recently introduced here, my favorite energy drink (Coca-Cola's Full Throttle) is no where to be found. Neither is Mountain Dew's. Grape Fanta is here in full force, so at least Coca-Cola is good for something.

A wonderful twist with Dr. Pepper here are the cans. Compared to ours THEY. ARE. GORGEOUS. They have an amazing art display on the unlabeled side, and while I haven't purchased more than one can, I have been told that the art work does vary. Not sure how many variations there are or how often they come out, but I will find out as this has sparked my first Japan-centric hobby... collecting Dr. Pepper cans. What fun!