What Is Ramune, Japan’s Beloved Summer Festival Drink?
Ramune is one of the most famous soda drinks in Japan. It is known for its refreshing taste and unique bottle with a marble in it. In this article, we answer all your questions about this popular summertime drink: What exactly is ramune? What is the most popular ramune flavor? Why is there a ball in the ramune bottle? And more!
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What Is Ramune?
Ramune (ラムネ) is a popular carbonated soft drink in Japan. Its name is derived from the English word “lemonade” which is pronounced as “leh-mo-nei-doh” (レモネード) in Japanese.
It’s not a “lemonade” in the American sense, which is a drink made from lemon juice, flat water, and plenty of sugar. Rather, it is a “lemonade” in how the people of the UK or Australia understand the word: a sweet lemon-lime-esque soda like Sprite or 7 Up.
What Does Ramune Taste Like?
It’s actually hard to describe the taste of classic ramune. It’s sweet but not overly so, a bit citrusy, and very refreshing, especially on a hot summer day.
The original or classic is the most popular ramune flavor. Melon, apple, and strawberry are some other flavor variations that have been available for a long time and are fairly popular. Some companies also produce novelty ramune flavors like takoyaki, curry, wasabi, or even cream stew.
History of Ramune
Ramune was introduced to Japan in 1853 by Commodore Matthew Perry, who brought a fleet of U.S. naval ships to Yokosuka to do trade. At the time, it came in cucumber bottles with a cork stopper tied with wire, and was stacked on its side to keep the cork moist so that it would maintain its size.
It took until 1865 for a Japanese person to manufacture and sell ramune. Fujise Hanbei, a merchant from Nagasaki, sold it under the name “lemon water” (レモン水). At some point, people began to recognize it under the name “ramune” instead.
Japan started using the now iconic ramune bottles with a ball cork from 1887. The bottles were imported from the United Kingdom at first, but they found a way to manufacture the bottles domestically by 1892. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before bottle caps were born in the United States in the early 1900s, rendering the bottles with ball corks obsolete in many countries. Japan, however, has continued to use them up till this day.
By 1953, the production of ramune accounted for more than 60% of carbonated drinks. This turned out to be its peak - from there, it slowly saw a decline in sales and production. Today there are only around 30 companies still making ramune in Japan, such as Kawasaki Inryo, Hata Kousen, Tombow Beverage, Kimura Drink, and the Trebon Corporation. The COVID-19 pandemic further brought down sales, as the drink is most popular when drunk during special events like a “matsuri” festival, many of which were canceled during the pandemic.
How to Open Ramune
The first thing you’ll notice about ramune is the distinct shape of its bottle, which can be made from glass or plastic. Slender and roundish with a narrowing near the bottom of its neck and a little dent, it’s unlike anything most people have seen. The second thing you’ll notice is the marble in the neck of the bottle.
In the old days, using a marble inside a carbonated soda bottle was the only way to keep it fizzy as the carbon dioxide would push it to the top of the neck, sealing in the bubbles. Today, only Japanese ramune and Indian banta soda use this kind of bottle.
To open a ramune bottle, first you have to free the plastic opener hidden underneath the wrapping at the top of the container. You then place the opener on the mouth of the bottle and push down, making sure to keep applying pressure so that the drink doesn’t fizz over. This dislodges the glass marble wedged into the bottle’s mouth, which later drops into the container.
When you’re enjoying your ramune, make sure to orient the bottle so that the marble is kept in place by the dent in the neck, otherwise it might move too close to the opening and obstruct the flow of the soda. No worries, though - the marble is too big to fall out, so there is no danger of accidentally swallowing it.
Where to Find and Buy Ramune in Japan
While it’s easy enough to buy ramune online from websites like Amazon, it is actually a bit difficult to find it in stores in Japan. This is because they’re mainly sold at festival stands in the summer. Some places where you might find ramune for sale in Japan are Don Quijote or larger supermarkets.
An alternative to ramune is Mitsuya Cider. In the past, cider was actually a different carbonated soft drink made with apple juice. Nowadays, only the packaging differentiates the two sodas. You can find Mitsuya Cider a lot more easily in convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan.
While ramune may be a bit difficult to find in stores, it is pretty inexpensive, costing around 100-130 yen in Japan. During festivals, some stands will mark the drink up as high as 200 yen or more!
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How to Make Ramune at Home
If you can’t find ramune anywhere, don’t worry! It’s actually really easy and cheap to make ramune at home! Just follow this recipe to enjoy the original or classic flavor:
1. Add 500 mL of water to a cup.
2. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar and ⅔ tablespoon of citric acid powder to the cup and mix with the water until fully dissolved.
3. Put the mixture in the fridge to cool. Once cooled, add the mixture to a drink container with a lid.
4. Add 1-2 drops of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the mixture, then put the lid on and turn the entire container upside down.
5. Leave the container like that for a while before flipping it back up. Drink it whenever you like!
For a change in taste, just replace the lemon juice with another kind of juice or syrup.
It isn’t easy to get clean and empty ramune bottles with ball corks nowadays, so we won’t cover the recipe for those. The process is similar though, just size all the ingredients down to a fifth because the bottles typically can only hold around 100 mL.
Commercial ramune has around 80 calories. If you make it at home, you may be able to play with the amount or type of sugar to get it a bit lower than that. Just make sure to take caution when experimenting with soda recipes.
Some places also sell ramune syrup to further simplify the process.
Other Ways to Enjoy Ramune
Ramune Day
May 4th is Ramune Day in Japan, as it’s said to be the day when the soda was first commercially manufactured and sold. On this day, you’ll see a lot of ramune-related products on sale, so keep an eye out!
Ramune Soda Candy
Though ramune soda has been declining in sales and popularity, alternative ways to enjoy the flavor such as ramune soda candy are still pretty hot and can be easily found in convenience stores and supermarkets throughout Japan. They’re especially popular with students and office workers, as they provide a nice hit of freshness when you need to perk up and stay concentrated. Like ramune soda, they come in a variety of flavors and are fairly inexpensive!
Ramune Ice Cream
Yes, there’s ramune-flavored ice cream as well! It’s a fairly common flavor that you’ll often find stocked in convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan. There’s ramune popsicles and "kakigori" shaved ice as well. Like the soda drink, ramune ice cream tastes light and refreshing. It is a really good treat to have in the summer.
Other Frequently Asked Questions About Ramune
Does ramune have caffeine in it?
No, ramune does not have caffeine in it. As we showed in the “How to Make Ramune at Home” section, it is a sweet soda made with sugar, soda water, and some kind of flavored juice or syrup.
Is ramune alcoholic?
No, ramune is not alcoholic. That said, a surprisingly popular way to drink ramune is by mixing it together with some Japanese sake. Like regular soda water, it adds a zing to the sake, making the drinking experience twice as refreshing!
By the way, some people drink ramune to reduce hangover effects. Alcohol can lower your blood sugar, so the sugar content in ramune can help raise it. We haven’t tested this ourselves, so it’s all hearsay, but if you’re desperate you could give it a try.
Are ramune bottles recyclable?
Yes, ramune bottles are recyclable.
Once you’re done, you can dispose of the empty container the same way you would a plastic or glass bottle. You do not have to get the marble out first (it's not edible, so don't try eating it). In fact, trying to pry the cap open to get the marble out can lead to injury, so please do not try it.
How long does ramune last? Does ramune need to be refrigerated?
Like other soda water and soft drinks, ramune is still fresh and bubbly a few days after opening. However, you’ll start to notice a decline in the bubbliness, so don’t leave it for too long. Unopened, it typically has a long shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated, although doing so will make it more refreshing.
Is it possible to get the ball out of the ramune bottle?
Yes, it is possible to get the marble out of the ramune bottle, but we don’t recommend it as it’s easy to injure yourself. All you have to do is remove the plastic mouthpiece at the top. Some of the bottles make it easy for you to do so by twisting the mouthpiece in the opposite direction that it was screwed on. Others require you to literally cut the mouthpiece off.
Thumbnail credit: PIXTA
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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