Soft drinks / wine Tokyo & Japan

We will be boarding a Celebrity ship in Yokohama in May. I am wondering if anyone can suggest soft drinks and/or wine to purchase in Japan (to take aboard for our trans-Pacific) that are not-to-miss. We will be in Japan 4 days before boarding and then overnight in Yokohama before sailing so finding and transporting the drinks should not be a problem. Thank you.

There are many many Japanese soft drinks that you will not find outside Japan. Quite a few exotic flavours and combinations which change seasonally in Japan.

You can find them in the vending machines which are everywhere, in "kombini stores" ( convenience stores), supermarkets ( usually located in B1 or B2 floors of department stores), discount stores like Daiso or Don Quixote, or bottle shops like YaMaYa.

Your cruise line probably has limits on the amount of alcohol you can carry onboard. I leave it to you to deal with that.

However, alcohol prices in Japan are incredibly low. Duty and Import taxes on alcohol are nearly non-existent in Japan.

I rarely pay more than US$10 for a bottle of spirits in Japan. French wines and champagnes are cheaper in Japan than they are in France.

I have never found a Duty Free shop anywhere in the world that offers alcohol prices as low as any regular bottle shop in Japan.

Then there is also "NihonShu" (Japanese Sake). Most of the good stuff never leaves Japan. The Sake you buy outside Japan is too old, was mediocre to begin with, and has a massive import tax attached to it. A great bottle of Jun Mai Dai Ginjo - style Sake will cost you less than US$20 in Japan. A fantastic bottle of the same will cost you about US$30.

Nearly every bottle shop in Japan has a Duty Free sign at the door. Show your passport when you purchase and even the sales tax will be refunded on the spot.

Another native alcohol is Shochu, like a dilute vodka, that can be made from almost anything.

Due to tax laws, there are beers made from almost anything-but-malt too. The Kirin version is called Green Label "brewed for good times, Green Label brings you a comfortable time; the refreshing taste cheers your mind". And it does.

Incidentally, the first brewery in Japan was in Yokohama. It's now Kirin and they do tours.

Then there are soft drinks: try Pucari Sweat or Calpis.