Japanese tap water is safe to drink. According to posters distributed by Japan Water Works Association (日本水道協会), Japan is one of only 15 (out of 196) countries in the world with potable tap water.
However, there are more and more people who concern about things that are safe for food and beverage. Therefore, some do not drink tap water directly, they buy and drink mineral water instead. This article will talk about where to buy mineral water and the difference between Japanese and foreign mineral water.

1. Places to Buy Mineral Water

You can buy mineral water at supermarkets, convenience stores, and vending machines.
Mineral water is sorted in the same way as various kinds of coffee, energy drinks, etc.
The price is around 100JPY~150JPY depending on where you buy it. Obviously, it is most expensive when you buy the water from vending machines.

2.The difference between Japanese and foreign mineral water

Japanese mineral is soft water and most of the foreign mineral water is hard water.
Hard water contains a significant quantity of dissolved minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. On the other hand, soft water is surface water that contains low concentrations of ions and in particular, is low in ions of calcium and magnesium.
Japanese mineral water and overseas mineral water production methods are different. You will not notice the difference in taste if you don’t drink it, but soft water and hard water have different tastes. Hard water is generally said to be bad. However, hard water is not bad, it just does not fit Japanese people only. Obviously, travelers coming to Japan, especially those from Europe, may feel uncomfortable at first drinking Japanese mineral water. If you drink want to drink hard water while traveling, it is easiest to buy hard water mineral water such as “Evian” in any convenience store in Japan.

3.Most popular mineral water in Japan

Suntory Tennensui Natural Mineral Water (南アルプスの天然水)

Water Hardness is about 30. The water is collected in the Southern Alps, located just two hours from Tokyo. Water is nurtured in a place surrounded by magnificent mountains such as Mt. Kaikomagatake in the west and Mt. Yatsugatake in the north.

Water Hardness is about around 30~40. There are seven water intake locations like Hokkaido, Yamagata Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Ehime Prefecture, and the hardness varies depending on the water intake location.
The plastic bottle is made of plant-derived materials which are realized resource reduction That’s why it is said that it is the lightest one in the country among 1020ml 1L class plastic bottles.

Irohasu (いろはす)

Water Hardness is about around 30~40. There are seven water intake locations like Hokkaido, Yamagata Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Ehime Prefecture, and the hardness varies depending on the water intake location.

The plastic bottle is made of plant-derived materials which are realized resource reduction That’s why it is said that it is the lightest one in the country among 1020ml 1L class plastic bottles.