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Old Fashioned Japanese Ramune Soda
 Ramune soda has been a favorite in Japan for over a century, where people
tend to enjoy the act of opening the bottle as much as consuming the beverage
itself. This is because old style Ramune glass bottles include an
ingenious design which allows the bottle to be sealed from the inside by a clear
glass marble. The marble is held against the lip of the bottle by pressure
from the carbonated contents within. To open the bottle, one must use a
special plunger (included) to push the marble down and into the bottle where it
is then free to safely rattle about.
The marble typically comes loose with a pop! and some skill is needed to keep
oneself and those standing nearby from being sprayed with a bit of soda.
To drink the contents one must hold a Ramune bottle such that the glass
marble will be caught and held by dimples on the bottle's inner surface.
Otherwise, the marble will roll back and seal the opening when the bottle is
tipped to drink. First time drinkers of Ramune are sure to have
some fun working out all the details of opening and enjoying this very special
and unique Japanese beverage.
Ramune is typically sold in Japan
during the hot summer months at festivals and tourist destinations. My own
favorite Ramune sighting was at a beautiful waterfall in the foothills
surrounding Mt. Fuji. The vendor selling the Ramune kept the
bottles cold by submerging them in a shallow stream carrying icy snow melt from
the summit of Fuji-san. The setting was beautiful and the sight of young
Japanese children enjoying the stream-chilled Ramune made me think of old
Japan and the happy pleasures of a simpler time.
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Click
here
to see Ramune candy available for purchase from our eBay store
The Old Tokaido |
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