One such producer in this situation, Kimura Drink, has given an insightful comment on this phenomenon as well as ramune drinking trends across the Pacific Ocean in particular: However, despite these troubles, there are exceptions, and some producers have ended up sending more shipments of ramune abroad than within Japan. ▼ Your typical Japanese summer festival scene, pre-COVID-19.
With Japan facing its fourth wave of infections and growing unease of the country’s slow vaccine rollout, it’s fair to say many ramune producers are not optimistic that sales will pick up this summer, especially as several Japanese beverage and soft drink companies have already withdrawn their membership from the National Ramune Association. Lastly, tourist spots also sell a good amount of ramune, but Japan is still closed to international tourists and many locals have been postponing domestic travel plans. Secondly, izayaka pubs usually generate a lot of revenue for ramune sellers, since it’s also used in cocktails, but with business hours shortened by prefectural state of emergency decrees, demand from pubs has dropped too. The main reason the ramune industry has taken a financial blow is due to the lack of festivities and events where ramune is commonly sold, such as summer festivals, according to the National Ramune Association. But what has led to this fall specifically? COVID-19 has hurt a variety of different industries, but what’s with ramune’s situation? For ramune sold in plastic receptacles instead, the drop in sales is even more steep: 1,160,000 bottles sold in 2019 vs 279,000 bottles sold in 2020, or a 76 percent decline. Ramune sold in glass bottles was totaled at 1,319,000 units in 2019 whereas 2020 sales showed a 35 percent decrease with only 855,000 bottles sold. In terms of sales, they’ve been dropping across the board for this iconic soda. Before the pandemic, only 37 companies remained, and with four closing down in 2020, the number of ramune manufacturers has fallen to 33 total. At one point, ramune production facilities were numbered at 2,300 in Japan at the peak of its popularity, though unfortunately such golden days have not continued into the present.
▼ Will summer in Japan ever be the same if ramune of all things disappears?Ĭreated in the late 1800s by a Scottish pharmacist in Kobe, ramune has experienced much love and positive reception, becoming a hit in Japan and even abroad. However, as we enter our second summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, ramune’s future is facing a bleak outlook as COVID-19 forces manufacturing facilities to shutter and causes plummeting sales.
This drink’s appeal point isn’t just its sweet, carbonated goodness, but the iconic glass bottles it’s sold in as well as the translucent marble lying within its neck, making it a fun and charming addition to any picnic or afternoon snack break. Though ramune can be enjoyed year-round, the Japanese soft drink is most associated with hot summer days.