Meiji Holdings ended sales of almost all of its glass bottled milk and coffee beverages on Monday, marking the end of a product long intertwined with Japan¡¯s ²õ±ð²Ô³Ù¨, or bathhouse, culture.
Starting Tuesday, the company switched to paper cartons, pointing to declining demand, environmental concerns, and supply issues after its glass bottle supplier shut down, sparking worries about long-term availability. The move affects the brand¡¯s four most iconic 180-milliliter bottled beverages, including Meiji Milk and Meiji Coffee.
Meiji Milk has been a staple for nearly a century, having been around since 1928. The glass-bottled version holds a special place in bathhouses, where drinking a bottle post-bath has been a ritual for generations. In fact, public bathhouses played a key role in popularizing bottled milk in Japan.
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