The report covers what we consider to be the most
innovative and outstanding items amongst the exceptionally wide range of
functional beverages now available in Japan. The report begins with an
introduction of House Foods Corp' s "House Ukon No Chikara [House the Power of
Turmeric]" (100ml aluminum bottle - Price: 180 yen) which holds a commanding
90% plus share of the overall functional beverage market.
The beverage is formulated with curcumin (30ml per 100ml bottle) - a substance
extracted from the curry spice turmeric said to be particularly effective in
reducing the severity of hangovers. The curcumin also gives the beverage a
slightly bitter yet refreshing flavor that makes it pleasant to drink. In
response to the item' s success, a number of the larger drink producers have
also launched their own similar versions, including Lotte with "Nomi Tomo
[Drink Buddy]", Kirin Beverage with "Kirin Hakko Ukon [Kirin Fermented
Curcumin]" and Ajinomoto with "No Mikata [Drink Support]". The report also
covers functional cosmetic beverages and includes Shiseido' s recently released
"IN & ON" which is sold as part of a comprehensive 6-week beauty program.
According to Shiseido, the beverage helps improve the overall skin condition
from within the body, augmenting the effects of the creams and lotions applied
externally.
Other examples include Pokka Corp which has become the first Japanese company
to retail a powder type functional beverage solely via drug store outlets.
Each 5g sachet of the "Beauty Prune" beverage contains 2.5g of dietary fiber -
the equivalent amount contained in 3 prunes - and is being specifically
targeted at women suffering with constipation.
Other products of note include Melodian Harmony Fine' s "Mizu Suiso No Chikara
[The Power of Water Hydrogen]" a functional water beverage produced using
independently developed technology that increases the concentration of
hydrogen in the water. The hydrogen rapidly and safely neutralizes and expels
so-called"bad" active oxygen in the body responsible for many of the symptoms
of visible ageing, etc.
"Kirin Yasumu Hi No Alc 0.00% [Kirin' s 0.000% Alcohol Beverage for Days Off]"
from Kirin Brewery is a beer-flavored beverage with a zero alcohol content.
The item is formulated with ornithine - a type of amino acid extracted from
corbicula (a type of Japanese shell fish) said to be effective in helping the
liver to recover from the damaging effects of excessive drinking.
UDR hopes that the descriptions of the wide range of Japanese innovative
functional beverages outlined in the report (60 items from 45 companies) will
provide a valuable aid in the development and /or marketing of new items
within each of your own countries.
To this end, the report aims to provide a concise overview of each of the
items with accompanying photograph of the item and brief profile of the
manufacturer. The scope of the report covers all types of what is widely
termed "Functional Beverages" and in addition to the item types briefly
outlined above also includes low or zero calorie soft drinks, isotonic and
other sports drinks as well as health tonics. Data used in the compilation of
the report has been obtained from Japanese trade journals, manufacturer press
releases, and interviews with manufacturers and other related organizations in
addition to trade exhibitions and events, etc.
Innovative Functional Beverages in Japan 2010-2015 published by Universal Data Resources, Inc. in October 1, 2011. This report consists of 32 Pages and the price starts from US $ 880.
