If you've spent any time in Japanese saunas, you may have noticed people ordering something called Oropo.

Despite sounding like a soft drink, Oropo isn't sold in bottles. It's made by mixing Pocari Sweat, Japan's iconic electrolyte drink, with Oronamin C, a lightly carbonated energy drink rich in vitamin C.

The result is sweet, fizzy, surprisingly refreshing and, for many Japanese sauna enthusiasts, the perfect drink after a hot sauna session.

Oropo has become closely associated with Japan's modern sauna boom, helping replenish fluids after sweating while adding a little sparkle to yuagari, the pleasant feeling after leaving the bath. Many bathhouses now list it on café menus or even provide self-service stations so visitors can mix their own.

Unlike milk, which has been a bathhouse favourite for generations, Oropo is a much newer tradition. It's a reminder that Japanese bathing culture continues to evolve, blending old rituals with new ideas.

If you visit a Japanese sauna and see Oropo on the menu, it's well worth trying. Like so many bathhouse refreshments, it's become part of the experience.

Japan's bathhouses have developed their own unique post-bath traditions.

Explore more refreshments and rituals in the Yū Journal: