Video Introduction

This video, titled "How to open Ramune??a marble in a bottle?," was uploaded by "Food Tripping," a channel that introduces all sorts of foods, both from Japan and around the world.

How to Open Ramune, a Popular Summertime Drink in Japan

Photo：How to open a Ramune bottle

Ramune is a popular summertime drink in Japan. If you've never tried the drink before, or even heard of it, then you're missing out! Ramune has been around for quite a long time now, but if you've never had it before you might struggle with how to open it.
Check out the video to see how to open a ramune bottle.
[Video] 0:42 - How to open a Ramune bottle

To open a Ramune bottle, remove the plastic wrapper along the perforations. Then, hold the special plunger that comes with the bottle in your hand. While holding the bottle with your other hand, push the plunger into the mouth of the bottle, and the marble that served as the stopper will fall down into the bottle.

Disposing of Ramune Bottles

These old-fashioned Ramune bottles are made of glass. Therefore, some people may not know how to dispose of them. Glass Ramune bottles must be disposed of according to the regulations of each municipality in Japan.

Alternatively, they are sometimes accepted by supermarkets and liquor stores. In the case of glass Ramune bottles, it's possible to reuse them, so it is best to return them to the place where you purchased the Ramune.

Why Ramune Has a Marble Inside It

Photo：Ramune

Today, ordinary ramune bottles are corked with a marble. By dropping the marble, the stopper is released and the Ramune is ready to drink. Ramune itself is delicious but the bottle is also fun to open and can leave you feeling nostalgic. If you had the joy of opening drinks like this or eating snacks with an extra element of fun added in when you were a kid.

When Ramune bottles were first sold, they were sealed with a cork instead of a marble. However, because of the high price of cork and the fact that it drained the carbonation of the Ramune, marbles were conceived as an alternative.

According to one theory, the marble method was developed in England in 1872, and imported to Japan in 1887, where the marble Ramune bottle became widespread.

Later, however, the use of PET bottles and other bottles became popular as substitutes for glass Ramune bottles in Japan, leading to many manufacturers discontinuing the use of glass Ramune bottles.

The old-fashioned marble stopper Ramune bottle is a summertime tradition in Japan and is considered the original Ramune. Although the glass bottle style is decreasing due to the rise of PET bottles, Ramune bottles are once again attracting attention on Japanese social media, such as Instagram.

Where to Buy Ramune in Japan

Photo：A Ramune bottle

It might be difficult to find Ramune if you aren't actively looking for it. However, they're sold at supermarkets and candy stores in Japan, so if you manage to find them at a supermarket, consider trying it out! A case of 30 200 ml bottles costs about 3,000 yen (~$22 USD), so you can enjoy the refreshing taste of bottled Ramune for about 100 yen per bottle.

Summary of Ramune, a Tasty Drink to Cool of During Japan's Hot Summers

In this article, we introduced Ramune, a popular summertime drink/tradition in Japan. If you've never had the chance to try Ramune, definitely give it a try. You even get a free marble to play around with afterwards!

Recently, bottled Ramune has been popularized on Japanese social media among the younger generation because of its retro look and how photogenic it is on Instagram.
If you're a fan of anime/manga and light novels, you may have even heard about Ramune from the light novel "Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle."

Originally, Ramune is said to have originated from lemonade, which was created in England, and its refreshing taste and cool feeling are what make it so great for summer. If you're craving some Ramune after reading this, don't be shy, pick up a bottle next time you see it!