View Full Version : 'booze' for kids in Japan...
I'm speechless!
I was alerted to this blog for someone in Japan...
Japanese beer for children - Kodomo no nomimono (http://www.kilian-nakamura.com/blog-english/index.php/kodomo-no-nomimono-japanese-beer-for-children/)
May 25, 2007 on 6:16 pm | In 02 Marketing & Ad Trends (http://www.kilian-nakamura.com/blog-english/index.php/category/marketing-advertising-trends-japan-tokyo-shibuya-commercials-guerilla-campaigns/) |
Can you imagine these products being marketed overseas? With so much concern about “the children” these days we doubt that fake beer for kids would make it past the pitch stage at any beverage company. Well, almost (http://www.reason.com/blog/show/119638.html) any company. Sure, there’s the sparkling grape juice that kids sometimes get on New Years Eve in lieu of champagne, but to have it specifically marketed to kids is a different matter. While Americans would likely overreact and freak out, we haven’t seen any such reaction here in Japan and these drinks have been out for a couple of years now.
http://www.kilian-nakamura.com/blog-english/wp-content/kodomo-no-nomimono1.jpg (http://www.kilian-nakamura.com/blog-english/wp-content/kodomo-no-nomimono1.jpg)
http://www.kilian-nakamura.com/blog-english/index.php/kodomo-no-nomimono-japanese-beer-for-children/
article continues at linked site and includes further images.
j4bberw0ck
31-May-07, 22:47
Is this a problem? Sorry if I'm misreading your post.
Is this a problem? Sorry if I'm misreading your post.
I haven't quite decided how I feel about it, but it does seem strange. It would appear that extremely young kids are even given non-alcoholic beer and no-one finds it odd.
Strange customs!
Metalattakk
01-Jun-07, 01:07
I don't think we're in any position to judge the Japanese and what they expose their kids to. I'm sure they know what they're doing.
Culturally, they are much different to us western Europeans.
Who can possibly say that they are wrong?
Mind you, the wee guy at the top certainly has that "Are you looking at my pint...?" look about him....
:D
Colin Manson
01-Jun-07, 01:34
It has been around for a long time in other places.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_(soft_drink)
j4bberw0ck
01-Jun-07, 08:51
It struck me that in the UK, a country with a huge problem with alcohol (inasmuch as being drunk is often the purpose of a night out or a party) we've tried the highly regulated approach and it simply hasn't worked. The French and Italians (although the French rates for cirrhosis are higher than ours, I believe) don't have the social problems with alcohol we do, by and large, and their children are exposed to drinking alcohol at a much earlier age than ours.
We spend half our lives giving kids "children's" versions of adult things. Maybe this early acquaintance with "beer" isn't entirely bad.
It struck me that in the UK, a country with a huge problem with alcohol (inasmuch as being drunk is often the purpose of a night out or a party) we've tried the highly regulated approach and it simply hasn't worked. The French and Italians (although the French rates for cirrhosis are higher than ours, I believe) don't have the social problems with alcohol we do, by and large, and their children are exposed to drinking alcohol at a much earlier age than ours.
We spend half our lives giving kids "children's" versions of adult things. Maybe this early acquaintance with "beer" isn't entirely bad.
I must say I was a bit shocked initially, but when I think about it, it's only giving children a "pretend" version of a product for adults, and it's not harmful in itself.
Japanese culture is very different from ours, and I find the Japanese attitude to whaling and eating whale meat much more upsetting. Must admit I have no idea whether alcohol mis-use causes much of a problem in Japan. :confused
Right now I believe a higher percentage of people have cirrhosis in France than in the UK. Not for long though, perhaps. The number of younger people in this country (and particularly young women) who already have liver disease -which will develop into cirrhosis, and eventually liver failure, if they don't stop, or at least drastically cut back, their drinking -is very much on the rise. We will see these people dying from liver failure in another ten/ twenty/ thirty years.
I think we need to sort out our cultural problems with alcohol. :(
When I was a kid I used to love going into the off license and buying a can of Bass Shandy!
Just for the pure fact that it had a beer content even if it was 0.0000002% or somethinge equally ridiculous![lol]
It struck me that in the UK, a country with a huge problem with alcohol (inasmuch as being drunk is often the purpose of a night out or a party) we've tried the highly regulated approach and it simply hasn't worked. The French and Italians (although the French rates for cirrhosis are higher than ours, I believe) don't have the social problems with alcohol we do, by and large, and their children are exposed to drinking alcohol at a much earlier age than ours.
We spend half our lives giving kids "children's" versions of adult things. Maybe this early acquaintance with "beer" isn't entirely bad.
I agree that in the UK we certaintly haven't got it right, alcohol is a problem here in a way that it isn't in any other European country. It would appear that the regulated and taxed to the hilt approach does no good whatsoever.
In countries where the laws have been much more relaxed for decades or even centuries, drinking of alcohol is also much more relaxed. People enjoy reasonable priced alcohol as part of an enjoyable social gathering in many contexts and getting drunk is not the point going out.
Not sure that this approach is necessarily right for the UK because the Japanese society is much more wrapped up in tradition, honour and respect than ours.
Perhaps having some national pride - and having something to be nationally proud about help.
The UK Governments simply cannot trust people enough to allow them any leeway in matters like alcohol so Britain is probably always going to have a problem with lager louts and yob culture.
I think the UK problem is not the booze, and it's not the taxation or the regulation it's the whole attitude to respect for society as a whole and for other people that leads to the problems we suffer.
If kids were brought up to respect others and to respect responsible adults and sensible laws then I think we could have kiddie-beers without the slightest problems.
I'm happy for the Japanese that they can allow their children to enjoy these joke beers and it causes them no problems.
When I was a kid I used to love going into the off license and buying a can of Bass Shandy!
Just for the pure fact that it had a beer content even if it was 0.0000002% or somethinge equally ridiculous![lol]
I remember those days! We felt so devilish and grown up because it had real beer in it!
Perhaps the laxness now of selling Frascati to 14-16 year olds by local shopkeepers who turn a blind eye to the age of the people they are serving and the gangs of 'excuse me Mister, can you get me... ?' kids hanging around outside are a big part of the problem.
I wonder where they get their money from ? I can't afford to drink as much booze or smoke as much as these kids do!
It is shocking!!! I mean look at the amount of head on the pint in the middle... and you can just tell the kid in the top pic is an aggressive drunk, any responsible parent wouldn't give him any :lol:
the nomad
01-Jun-07, 11:42
Beer without alcohol yuk, that's like sooooo not there.
Jeemag_USA
01-Jun-07, 12:49
This country was way ahead of them, I remember regularly buying cans of Top Deck from (collets) Frazers when I was a bairn, lager shandy flavor and also buying sweetie cigarettes and chocolate cigars. nothing shocking about the Japan story except maybe they are putting it in a glass bottle, you can get your fingers stuck in them. you know your kids can go into a shop and buy a plastic gun?
That bottom picture with the wee lassie is a cracker, on yersel wee burd, fill yer boots! :)
Then there are the old staples: ginger beer and root beer! Names are just as influencial as taste.
Then there are the old staples: ginger beer and root beer! Names are just as influencial as taste.
So there are, canuck! Must say I've never known what root beer is!:roll:
Is there a difference between ginger beer and ginger ale? Is one slightly alcoholic and one not? :confused
i think its setting a bad example, i mean u wouldnt give my wee one any![disgust]
Angela not sure about any differnce between ginger beer and ginger ale I suppose that it must be possible to get an alcoholic version somewhere, maybe in China where everything seems to contain ginger!
Root beer if you have never had is wonderful, well I think so, but then I like Dandelion & Burdock too. If you don't like Dandelion & Burdock which is very similar then you'll probably detest root beer. It tastes a bit like you would imagine Germolene would taste if it were a drink! :)
I think at least one of the burger giants does it, MacDonalds or Burger King probably both. It's very refreshing with a burger on a hot day.
Japanese society is much more wrapped up in tradition, honour and respect than ours.
My son was in Japan a couple of years ago, and he told me there are beer vending machines in train and bus stations and even in the streets. Apparently Japanese youths have such a code of honour that they don't abuse this situation. Can you imagine the situation here with beer machines on every street corner? Although I suppose they'd be permanently empty.
Let's face it - we have Northern European drinking habits - like the Finns, Russians, etc. Alchoholics from Mediterranean cultures exist but they have a different style of alcoholism.
Yes I remember candy cigarettes. And root beer's even better with a dollop of vanilla ice cream in it.
Jeemag_USA
01-Jun-07, 20:48
My son was in Japan a couple of years ago, and he told me there are beer vending machines in train and bus stations and even in the streets. Apparently Japanese youths have such a code of honour that they don't abuse this situation. Can you imagine the situation here with beer machines on every street corner? Although I suppose they'd be permanently empty.
Let's face it - we have Northern European drinking habits - like the Finns, Russians, etc. Alchoholics from Mediterranean cultures exist but they have a different style of alcoholism.
Yes I remember candy cigarettes. And root beer's even better with a dollop of vanilla ice cream in it.
The code of honour obviously doesn't stretch to cigarettes, Japan has the one of the largest percentages of youths smoking in the world, mostly due to the avilability of cigarettes in machines on walls in the street and in other public places, I read that in another news story the other day. Its very odd to have alcohol vending machines, how are they supposed to card youngsters, thats very weird.
Jeemag_USA
01-Jun-07, 20:53
Angela not sure about any differnce between ginger beer and ginger ale I suppose that it must be possible to get an alcoholic version somewhere, maybe in China where everything seems to contain ginger!
Root beer if you have never had is wonderful, well I think so, but then I like Dandelion & Burdock too. If you don't like Dandelion & Burdock which is very similar then you'll probably detest root beer. It tastes a bit like you would imagine Germolene would taste if it were a drink! :)
I think at least one of the burger giants does it, MacDonalds or Burger King probably both. It's very refreshing with a burger on a hot day.
Dr pepper is kind of like a root beer or sasperilla but not quite as potent. The first time I had root beer it reminded me of the way Deep heat smells. But its growing on me now, I actually quite like it, its an acquired taste. My favorites are A&W and Barq's. Sarsparilla is also known as root beer. Sarsparilla, Ginger beer and root beer were all supposedly introduced as alternatives to beer for those taking the pledge. apparently?
The code of honour obviously doesn't stretch to cigarettes, Japan has the one of the largest percentages of youths smoking in the world, mostly due to the avilability of cigarettes in machines on walls in the street and in other public places, I read that in another news story the other day. Its very odd to have alcohol vending machines, how are they supposed to card youngsters, thats very weird.
Jeemag,
Point taken re the fags. The French seem to smoke like trains too (though not as bad as they used to) without visible abuse of alcohol. HOwever, in my experience if you give up one bad habit you surely have to replace it with another.
I'll email son about carding and beer vending machines because I don't know, and get back to you.
Root beer's too sweet for me. Ginger beer's my tipple (assuming wine not available).
Jeemag_USA
01-Jun-07, 23:03
Jeemag,
Point taken re the fags. The French seem to smoke like trains too (though not as bad as they used to) without visible abuse of alcohol. HOwever, in my experience if you give up one bad habit you surely have to replace it with another.
I'll email son about carding and beer vending machines because I don't know, and get back to you.
Root beer's too sweet for me. Ginger beer's my tipple (assuming wine not available).
I remember when i first visited Germany, the fag machines were all over too, stuck on walls or garages at the end of streets, thought it was very wierd, anyone could buy them. I remember before we made the new 5p piece you could take a load of old 5ps over to germany and get a pack of fags for 15p because the machines thought you were putting three francs in. I remember a friend taking over a bag of 5p pieces, therer must have been a tenners worth [lol]
All changed now though :roll:
I remember when i first visited Germany, the fag machines were all over too, stuck on walls or garages at the end of streets, thought it was very wierd, anyone could buy them. I remember before we made the new 5p piece you could take a load of old 5ps over to germany and get a pack of fags for 15p because the machines thought you were putting three francs in. I remember a friend taking over a bag of 5p pieces, therer must have been a tenners worth
Yeah, my kids discovered that US nickels or quarters or something worked for a much higher £ denomination in British phone boxes (before the Mobile Phone Age) but we digress from Japanese kiddie beer. If it's not a problem in Japan, who cares? But, like a previous poster, I've a problem with whaling. But that's my culture too, so am I wrong to disapprove on the grounds of my culture? Probably. They could find a lot wrong with us I'm sure. I'd really love to go to Japan.
Then there are the old staples: ginger beer and root beer! Names are just as influencial as taste.
When I was a kid my mother used to make ginger beer. I don't know how she did it but it used to grow. I mean it started off as one bottle and then reproduced itself till the house was full of bottles of the stuff. We couldn't drink enough to keep up with production. It was a strange life form that took over. Do any dot orgers know how to do this? I wouldn't mind making some....
(It was non-alcoholic.)
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