A few years ago, Coca-Cola Japan launched their regional bottle designs that celebrate famous landmarks and traditions in major Japanese cities. These elusive aluminium bottles of coke can only be found in the specific regions they feature, making them fun souvenirs from any trips around Japan.

Northern prefectures such as Aomori, Akita and Iwate have featured before, with bottles that incorporate traditional festivals and prominent buildings into the design. But now these three areas will appear side-by-side on one Coca-Cola can.

It’s being sold under the moniker of the ‘Michinoku Design’. Michinoku is a former province of Japan that spanned these three modern-day prefectures.

The name of each prefecture is written in kanji, beside a depiction of a famous festival customarily celebrated in that area.

For Aomori there is the popular Nebuta lantern festival, Akita is represented by the Kanto festival, and for Iwate there is an illustration of someone dancing the Morioka Sansa Odori while beating a taiko drum.

This specially designed can of coke can only be found in the Northern Tohoku area and went on sale on 14th June. Though they are sometimes hard to track down, regional design Coca-Cola cans and bottles can often be located in souvenir shops and vending machines nearby tourist attractions.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.