Pocari Sweat
Pocari Sweat (ポカリスエット) is a popular Japanese soft drink, manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.. It was first sold in 1980. The drink is also produced and distributed in other Asian countries, such as South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. The drink can be obtained in many "Chinatown" areas around the world, as well. It had been sold in both powder form and as canned drinks.
Pocari Sweat does not taste like sweat; it is a mild-tasting, relatively unsweet drink, much like other Japanese soft drinks. The "Sweat" part of the name is meant to refer to its marketing as a sports drink. Although it appears humorous to many native English speakers (so much so that it was even parodied in a book by humorist Dave Barry), Japanese people do not generally mentally translate the name and are not bothered by it.
Trivia
The arcade game Golden Axe featured a parody of Pocari Sweat. In the ending sequence when the characters run through the town, a variety of parody shops can be seen in the background, most notably a large "Hokari Sweat" sign.
See also
Categories: Soft drinks | Japanese cuisine