A new experimental beverage has recently hit store shelves in Japan. NOPE is a new soda from the food giant Suntory, whose best-known beverage to date is Boss Coffee. And it has a huge marketing campaign to accompany it.
Advertisements for the new bubbly beverage are everywhere. It’s all over my YouTube feed. It pops up on my Facebook and Instagram feeds. Even during a casual scroll through X (formerly Twitter), the ads pop up several times.
In the combini, the refrigerated drinks section is dominated by bottles of NOPE, often taking up a whole shelf. You can find it everywhere in Suntory vending machines. The only thing more ubiquitous in ads is Ohtani Shohei’s face. (Daddy Ohtani is always watching.)
Cleverly, NOPE has managed to create a conversation around the drink organically, because nobody can decide on what it actually tastes like.
Can NOPE replace Dr Pepper? Japan says “nope”
Osaka food blogger @motooikemen tried Suntory’s new “Guilty Soda NOPE” and posted an honest review: 99 fruits and spices blended in, yet the flavor remains stubbornly indescribable. The response from followers was less a debate than a crowd-sourced mystery.
We analyzed 258 of the responses on that thread. Commenters start by comparing it to Dr Pepper. People also commented on the grape flavor, and other flavors like guarana, Fanta, fruit punch, cherry, and gum.
The emerging consensus was something like “Dr Pepper’s younger, fruitier sibling.” Notably, several commenters tested whether NOPE could replace Dr Pepper in their daily rotation.
The verdict: nope! In the end, most agreed, NOPE is a worse version of Dr Pepper.
Suntory’s clever “realmercial”
The product label doesn’t hint at anything other than a fruity and spicy taste. It only says that it is a giruti tansan (ギルティ炭酸), or “guilty soda.” It’s a reward you have on a cheat day.
The name plays into a recent trend of “guilty consumption” in Japan. Building on the popularity of calorie-rich foods such as Jirō-style ramen, more chains are offering oversized, almost American-style portions to consumers, marketing it as a guilty pleasure. Brands like Pasco and combini chains like Family Mart have sold rich foods under the banner of “guilty” and “indulgent.”
Want more news and views from Japan? Donate $5/month ($60 one-time donation) to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund to join Unseen Japan Insider. You'll get our Insider newsletter with more news and deep dives, a chance to get your burning Japan questions answered, and a voice in our future editorial direction.
Ikari Tomoko, a professor of marketing at Meisei University, says the “guilty” marketing appeals to stressed-out and sleepless Japanese workers who want a little treat to unwind. “Transgressive acts that push the boundaries just a little satisfy people’s sense of excitement and pleasure,” Ikari told Asahi Shimbun.
As a marketing move, this is the best kind of reaction that Suntory could want. Nobody is saying whether the drink tastes good or bad. Rather, everyone’s trying to figure out precisely what the flavor is.
It’s nice when a conversation moves beyond whether “thing good” or “thing bad.” NOPE is more of an experience. It has become something to try, and then tell others what you think the flavor is.
The fact that it has become something that makes everyone comment on it makes a realmercial, as hbomberguy would put it. Everyone has a take on what the drink reminds them of, or what the flavor is to them, instead of saying whether they even enjoy it.
When I first came across NOPE at a combini, I took a picture and sent it to two friends overseas. Both of them assumed it was a new energy drink. It does resemble the edgy packaging that you see from brands like Monster.
This also means that people who haven’t even tried the drink want to try it just to see whether they agree with others. It’s fun in a way, because even two people could have radically different ideas of what NOPE tastes like.
The packaging claims that there are 99 different fruits and spices in the drink. This would explain why people can’t come to a definitive agreement on the taste. The fact that the NOPE bottles are purple, and that grape is one of the listed flavors, might trick everyone into thinking the grape flavor is stronger than it actually is.
So, what does NOPE taste like?
Personally, I think it tastes like a grape-flavored Dr Pepper with a mix of gum and cotton candy/candy floss. NOPE is also probably the sweetest drink I have had in Japan. It’s similar in sweetness to a lot of American sodas. The spice also has a heavy kick to it, which is probably why it reminds so many people of Dr Pepper.
I love soda, but very rarely drink it (NOPE was the first one I had this year), and the flavor felt like a punch to the throat. It might make a great soda float with vanilla ice cream. It would probably go great with a cheeseburger, too. NOPE tastes a lot like an American-style soda to me, with lots of frothiness.
See a side of Tokyo that other tourists can't. Book a tour with Unseen Japan Tours - we'll tailor your trip to your interests and guide you through experiences usually closed off to non-Japanese speakers.
Whatever it is, it’s a hit – for now. Suntory shipped 20 million bottles in its first week alone. Time will tell if this very American drink continues to be a hit, or whether the novelty fades and everyone goes back to drinking Dr Pepper for their weekly kick in the mouth.
Discover the “unseen” side of Japan
Japan is on everyone’s travel bucket list. Sadly, many end up going to the same places as everyone else. That can turn what could have been a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience into an exhausting battle with crowds.
We started Unseen Japan Tours for the same reason we started Unseen Japan: To give people a unique glimpse into Japan they can’t get anywhere else. Let us create a custom itinerary of hard-to-find spots centered on your interests. We can also serve as your guides and interpreters, taking you to places that non-Japanese-speaking tourists usually can’t access.
Contact us below to get the ball rolling today!
What to read next
This Ramen Shop in Japan Demands You Stay Off Your Damn Phone
The shop in Saitama Prefecture said it instituted the policy after a customer watched an “inappropriate” video.
As Nut Allergies Soar in Japan, Airlines Grapple with a Response
Nut allergies are overtaking both wheat and milk in Japan. Here’s how airlines are responding and how to stay safe on your trip.
250 Yen?! Super Cheap Ramen in Japan Draws Mixed Reactions
The cheap bowls are a relief to some trying to stretch their money in difficult times. To others, however, they’re a warning sign.
Sources
サントリー「ギルティ炭酸 NOPE」大ヒット！ 発売1週間で出荷本数2000万本を突破 SNSでの反響も後押しに. Oricon News
罪悪感たっぷり 「ギルティ消費」が飲食市場を席巻、健康志向の対極. Asahi Shimbun
