During my stay in Japan I was able to not only try a variety of foods but drinks as well. Some of the drinks I got to try in Japan were sake, vitamin c, roasted rice tea, matcha, peach flavored water, Ramune, plum wine, and many more. I enjoyed how diverse the drinks were and the level of sweetness was just right for most drinks. In comparison to drinks in the US, I normally do not buy very many because of the high price and most drinks are too sweet.
The brightly colored vending machines located almost every few blocks were one of the most noticeable objects when I first arrived in Japan. I was shocked by the large variety of drink options the vending machines contained. They were very amusing for me to get drinks from since most of the time I would not translate anything but look at the bottles and pick different drinks each time. Like most food in Japan, I was shocked by the low prices of these drinks in the vending machines or at convenience stores. However, I did not realize how unusual it would be to not see any water fountains or water filling stations around. I found myself looking for th
em at the beginning of the trip as I didn’t want to keep buying water bottles. Although the drinks were cheap, the cost of buying water frequently did add up, making me miss the free water refills available back home. The convenience stores offered a wide array of beverages and they also provided an opportunity to try local flavors in a quick and convenient manner. Drinks like vitamin C beverages and unique flavored waters were readily available and provided a refreshing break during my explorations.
When preparing for my trip to Japan one of the things I was looking forward to the most was the matcha. I can confidently say that matcha did not disappoint in Japan. During our free time I got to visit a traditional tea shop in Shimo-Kitasawa. Here we were able to choose what type of tea we wanted, the matcha options were thick (koicha) and thin (usucha). It was more bitter than I expected but they added a sweet on the side to tame the bitterness of the matcha. I thought the amount of matcha I was given at first was too little but after drinking it I realized that it was just enough.