Got Calpis? Fresh from Japan's dairies
By TOM BARRY -- Every serviceman and woman ever stationed in Japan has heard of the milk-laced drink "Calpis" and how it got its name. Most of the stories have become urban legends.
Calpis is no doubt the oddest consumer brand name in Japan (and there are many). It is a line of soft drinks and beverages that's been around since 1919. The company's slogan is "Drink Calpis for health of body and mind." On one of its product labels the consumer is encouraged to "Try Happy!" I, for one, wouldn't have it any other way.
From pro ball players to famous sumo wrestlers, Calpis is a celebrity-driven brand and its name appears on everything from sweatbands to race cars. Who can forget Jimmy Osmond (yes, Donny's little brother) pitching it in Japanese TV commercials in the '70s? Even Mark Wahlberg shucked his Calvin Kleins to get in on the endorsement act in the '80s (which I'm certain he'd sooner not have you know about).
One of the best-sellers is Calpis Water, the Japanese equivalent of Gatorade. But be very careful in enunciating the name in mixed company: "Excuse me, miss. May I have some of that Cal-piswater?" (Reminds me of Horses--t cigarettes in Mexico, an actual brand!)
Needless to say, don't expect to see it on American store shelves anytime soon, unless of course the company considers an entirely new image makeover here in the States.
But in Japan, Calpis is one of the strongest brand names around. Truth is, it's not that bad. Over the years, the brand has expanded to include a wide assortment of products, from carbonated sodas and latte to Calpis yogurt and sorbet.
The name ought to give you a clue as to its principal ingredient. Yes, as disturbing as it may sound Calpis is dairy-based! The company bills it as the "world's first cultured milk product" with origins in ancient Mongolia. It is produced through a fermentation process.
Although the name "Calpis" sounds a lot like a synonym for "bovine urine" the company assures that there is no relationship whatsoever. The real story is that Calpis is acompound of cal (short for calcium because milk is one of the main
ingredients) and pis (short for sarupisu, a word describing one of the "five tastes" in Buddhism).
Quite simply, the company's president, Kaiun Mishima, thought the compounded name sounded good. Obviously, no English-speaking individuals were invited to that particular meeting.
As disturbing as the name may sound, one of Calpis' advertising icons is a caricature of a black man sipping the milky beverage. And you thought the blackface image -- long ago considered an offensive stereotype -- went by way of the Sambo's restaurant chain and Jim Crow. Welcome to Japan, folks, a land rich in stereotypes.
You may be interested in visiting the Calpis homepage to get the definitive story. It's a very sobering treatise on the company's history and the origin of its signature product. Evidently, Calpis find little humor in any of the foregoing.
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See this story in its original context, including photos, on Trivia Page 5 of Japan Brats.
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