Until recently, it wasn’t common for Japanese food and beverage makers to name a product with an obvious function. Such product naming has long been used in cosmetics, and can be seen in the product ten made todoku mascara (“mascara that reaches up to the heavens”).
But with the growing demand for functional foods by Japanese consumers, the first products that turn the benefit into a brand name are appearing the beverage sector.
Asahi Soft Drinks has released a soft drink that contains the caffeine of two cups of coffee and energy from glucose. The purpose, obviously, is waking people up. No one is likely to miss this, as the name of the product translates as “Emergency Rations for Waking Up,” printed in bold on a bright yellow background.
Other recent example is fuyu no kenko taisaku sui (“winter health care water”) from Akaho Kasei, which claims to boost the immune system, and prevents or helps recover from cold. It contains vitamin C and magnesium, potassium, ginger and yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit).
Yet another example is Suntory’s gokaku energy (“energy for passing exams”), which contains 6 types of vitamins, glucose sugar, and caffeine. The product claims to provide stamina to students cramming for exams in marathon study sessions, and was launched just in time for the university entrance exams in February.
Learn more:
Other Asahi Products
Asahi Official Site (Japanese)