Japanese Canned Coffee
Encyclopedia
is ubiquitous in Japan
, with a large number of companies competing fiercely and offering various types for sale. Japanese canned coffee is already brewed and ready to drink. It is available in supermarkets and , with vast numbers of cans being sold in vending machines that offer heated cans in the autumn and winter, and cold cans in the warm months.
: the English-language term "can coffee" was created in Japan and is believed to have entered English usage as a way of distinguishing it from a typical can of, for instance, Folgers
or Nescafé
. In the United States, at least, "canned coffee" is the preferred term, if used at all.
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.
is well known in Japan for pioneering canned coffee with milk in 1969. The official government web site of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, claims that the world's first canned coffee—Mira Coffee—appeared in Shimane in 1965, but this was short-lived.
More significant perhaps was the 1973 introduction by Pokka
Coffee of the hot and cold drink vending machine. The Japanese Wikipedia version of this article claims that it was this introduction that allowed the industry to take off, and in 1983 canned coffee makers shipped more than 100 million cases.
One noteworthy element of Japanese canned coffee is the liberal use of English both for the word "coffee" and the brand name. Engrish
is also used. Occasionally the Japanese word dominates the can design, or, for effect, the kanji
for may be used as well (also pronounced kōhī). Apart from company and content information English is the primary language used on Japanese coffee cans, often for marketing and branding reasons.
Can design and shape have changed drastically. The earliest cans were simple in terms of graphic design and were often corrugated in the middle two-thirds of the can. Cans with straight steel sides appeared next, finally settling on a more modern shape. Like the earlier cans, this type also starts as a flat sheet that is curled and seamed. Extruded steel is also used extensively. Aluminum coffee cans are almost non-existent, although UCC Black is a notable exception.
Certain clichés entered the world of canned coffee graphic design early on and remain in use today. One in particular is white cream swirling into a cup of black coffee, while another is coffee beans. A more noteworthy cliché is the use of Western faces as part of the design, notably Pokka Original from the early 1970s, and Boss Coffee
which first appeared in the early 1990s. Of seemingly more recent origin is the use of ice cubes on many iced coffee brands.
Other brands include Kissui (Sapporo Softdrinks), Itoen, Sangaria
, Coffee Time (Yakult
), BG (Meiji Dairies
), and Cafe La Mode (Calpis
). Regional and house brands are common, and the bigger companies offer regional versions of their coffee.
Coffee can graphic design follows certain strictures, especially the use of English, as well as some clichés and certain colors. Until recently most cans produced by a particular company followed a set pattern, with color differentiating the type of coffee. Recent can design, however, especially among the major brands, has abandoned that tradition. The cans often provide superb examples of modern Japanese commercial graphic design.
Commemorative cans are quite common in Japan, for major events such as the Tokyo Motor Show, sports teams and sporting events, and manga
characters.
There are no books available on the topic. It is likely that rarer Japanese coffee cans have a monetary value, but for the time being efforts at systematizing the hobby are at a low level. Foreign collectors of Japanese coffee cans may exist, but their numbers are likely extremely low.
All of the below are in Japanese, offering numerous images of historic Japanese coffee cans:
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, with a large number of companies competing fiercely and offering various types for sale. Japanese canned coffee is already brewed and ready to drink. It is available in supermarkets and , with vast numbers of cans being sold in vending machines that offer heated cans in the autumn and winter, and cold cans in the warm months.
History
Canned coffee is a Japanese creation, and the term kan kōhī is wasei-eigoWasei-eigo
are Japanese pseudo-Anglicisms: English constructions not used in the English-speaking world or by native English speakers, but that appear in Japanese. This should not be confused for foreign words gairaigo, which generally refer to words from European languages, especially American English...
: the English-language term "can coffee" was created in Japan and is believed to have entered English usage as a way of distinguishing it from a typical can of, for instance, Folgers
Folgers
Folgers Coffee is a major brand of coffee in the United States, part of the food and beverage division of The J.M. Smucker Co.-Company history:...
or Nescafé
Nescafé
Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee made by Nestlé. It comes in the form of many different products. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé's flagship powdered coffee product was introduced in Switzerland on April 1, 1938 after being developed for seven or eight years...
. In the United States, at least, "canned coffee" is the preferred term, if used at all.
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.
UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.
is a manufacturer of coffee and tea products in Kobe, Hyōgo. "UCC" stands for "Ueshima Coffee Company".Note that the official English corporate name is fully capitalized: UCC UESHIMA COFFEE CO., LTD.It owns Kona coffee farm on the island of Hawaii....
is well known in Japan for pioneering canned coffee with milk in 1969. The official government web site of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, claims that the world's first canned coffee—Mira Coffee—appeared in Shimane in 1965, but this was short-lived.
More significant perhaps was the 1973 introduction by Pokka
Pokka
is a corporation headquartered in Japan, which sells canned or bottled coffee, flavored tea and an assortment of other beverages.It was known as Singapore's No.1 Jasmine Green Tea.-External links:* * * *...
Coffee of the hot and cold drink vending machine. The Japanese Wikipedia version of this article claims that it was this introduction that allowed the industry to take off, and in 1983 canned coffee makers shipped more than 100 million cases.
Engrish
refers to unusual forms of English language usage by native speakers of some East Asian languages. The term itself relates to Japanese speakers' tendency to inadvertently substitute the English phonemes "R" and "L" for one another, because the Japanese language has one alveolar consonant in place...
is also used. Occasionally the Japanese word dominates the can design, or, for effect, the kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for may be used as well (also pronounced kōhī). Apart from company and content information English is the primary language used on Japanese coffee cans, often for marketing and branding reasons.
Can design and shape have changed drastically. The earliest cans were simple in terms of graphic design and were often corrugated in the middle two-thirds of the can. Cans with straight steel sides appeared next, finally settling on a more modern shape. Like the earlier cans, this type also starts as a flat sheet that is curled and seamed. Extruded steel is also used extensively. Aluminum coffee cans are almost non-existent, although UCC Black is a notable exception.
Certain clichés entered the world of canned coffee graphic design early on and remain in use today. One in particular is white cream swirling into a cup of black coffee, while another is coffee beans. A more noteworthy cliché is the use of Western faces as part of the design, notably Pokka Original from the early 1970s, and Boss Coffee
Boss Coffee
is a brand name of canned and plastic bottled coffee and coffee-flavored beverages sold by Suntory in Japan. It was released in 1992 and is one of many brands of Japanese Canned Coffee....
which first appeared in the early 1990s. Of seemingly more recent origin is the use of ice cubes on many iced coffee brands.
Companies
Besides UCC and Pokka, all large Japanese beer, soda, and drink companies and most coffee companies either currently, or have at some point, offered canned coffee. The most popular brand today in below;- Boss CoffeeBoss Coffeeis a brand name of canned and plastic bottled coffee and coffee-flavored beverages sold by Suntory in Japan. It was released in 1992 and is one of many brands of Japanese Canned Coffee....
(produced by SuntorySuntoryis a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains...
) - Fire (Kirin Beverage)
- Dydo
- GeorgiaGeorgia (drink)is the name of a popular brand of coffee-flavored beverages sold by The Coca-Cola Company. It was launched in 1975 by Coca-Cola Company, a Japanese subsidiary of the company. It has since expanded to markets in Singapore, South Korea, India and Bahrain. Georgia enjoys the most success in Japan,...
(Coca-Cola of Japan) - Nescafe
- Roots (Japan TobaccoJapan Tobacco, abbreviated JT, is a cigarette manufacturing company. It is part of the Nikkei 225 index. In 2009 the company was listed at number 312 on the Fortune 500 list. The company is headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo. The international headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.-History:The company...
) - Wonda (AsahiAsahi Soft Drinksis a soft drink company founded in 1982 and headquartered in the Azuma-bashi district of Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It is a subsidiary of Asahi Breweries. The company sponsors the Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers, an American football team in the X-League, as well as a futsal team.-History:In 1884, began...
)
Other brands include Kissui (Sapporo Softdrinks), Itoen, Sangaria
Sangaria (soft drink)
is a Japanese brand of primarily tea-based soft drinks manufactured and marketed by , headquartered in Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, Japan.Most Sangaria soft drinks are infused with vitamins and marketed for their health benefits....
, Coffee Time (Yakult
Yakult
is a Japanese probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirota. It was created by Minoru Shirota who graduated from the Medical School of Kyoto University in 1930. In 1935, he started manufacturing and...
), BG (Meiji Dairies
Meiji Dairies
is the trade name of a food company in Japan, , until March 31, 2011.It was a major dairy industry company established in 1917. Apart from dairy products like milk, ice cream, and cheese, their lineup includes sports drinks, pizza, chocolate bars and food supplements like "Toromeiku", described as...
), and Cafe La Mode (Calpis
Calpis
is a Japanese uncarbonated soft drink, manufactured by , headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo.The beverage has a light, somewhat milky, and slightly acidic flavor, similar to plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt or Yakult...
). Regional and house brands are common, and the bigger companies offer regional versions of their coffee.
Types
There are numerous types of canned coffee in Japan, most of which make up a typical company's line up. Very common is "milk coffee," which includes milk and is generally quite sweet. Black coffee is also popular, as are , cafe au lait, and milk coffee without sugar. Georgia has offered American-style flavored coffees such as hazelnut, but those are rarely seen suggesting that Japanese coffee drinkers eschew them for more traditional tastes. Seasonal coffees are also produced, especially "ice coffee", which appears during the summer months. There seems to be no difference between ice coffee and cold coffee, except as a marketing gimmick. The coffee varieties are often sold both hot and cold.Can design
The original UCC can had a capacity of 250 ml, which appears tall and narrow to the Western eye. In the 1970s 190 ml cans appeared, and both of these can sizes still exist. Despite differences in the amount of coffee the price is the same for each. Size does not denote type of flavor in either the 250 or 190 ml can, but iced coffee cans tend to be short and fat and contain 280 ml. American-sized (350 ml) cans are almost non-existent, although Dydo produces one of that size called "American Coffee." Barrel-shaped cans are also fairly popular, while an aspect of the Roots' marketing campaign is the company's unique "waist-shaped" can. A new kind of cone-top type can with a twist-off cap has appeared in recent years, and many companies offer at least one of their coffee types in this kind of container.Coffee can graphic design follows certain strictures, especially the use of English, as well as some clichés and certain colors. Until recently most cans produced by a particular company followed a set pattern, with color differentiating the type of coffee. Recent can design, however, especially among the major brands, has abandoned that tradition. The cans often provide superb examples of modern Japanese commercial graphic design.
Commemorative cans are quite common in Japan, for major events such as the Tokyo Motor Show, sports teams and sporting events, and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
characters.
Can collecting
In Japan there is no coffee can collecting organization equivalent to the Brewery Collectibles Club of America. However, coffee can collectors do indeed exist in Japan, and some of them have put those images of parts of their collections online (see links below). How many collectors there are is unknown.There are no books available on the topic. It is likely that rarer Japanese coffee cans have a monetary value, but for the time being efforts at systematizing the hobby are at a low level. Foreign collectors of Japanese coffee cans may exist, but their numbers are likely extremely low.
External links
All of the below are in Japanese, offering numerous images of historic Japanese coffee cans: