The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 1919
Calpis: the fermented milk drink created by chance
A failed fermented milk product was left overnight with sugar. The result was a drink that became a Japanese household staple for over a century.
Calpis Co. · 1919-07-07
What happened
Kaiun Mishima traveled to Inner Mongolia in 1902. There, he encountered airag, a traditional fermented milk drink. The airag helped his digestion. He returned to Japan determined to create a similar cultured milk product. He founded Calpis Co. in 1916 to develop it.
Mishima's first three attempts failed. Daigomi (1916) was made from cultured cream, but the company could not produce enough cream for mass production and was left with surplus skimmed milk. Daigoso was made from that skimmed milk but sold poorly. Lacto Caramel contained live lactic acid bacteria but melted in summer. Calpis was created by chance when Mishima added sugar to Daigoso and left it overnight.
Calpis was launched on July 7, 1919, at 1.60 yen per bottle. The company marketed it as 'the taste of first love'. The concentrate was economical — customers added water at home. It grew from a special-occasion gift into a household staple by 1965. In 1991, Calpis Water (pre-diluted, ready-to-drink) sold 20.5 million cases in its first year.
Why it happened
- Calpis was created when Mishima added sugar to a failed product and left it overnight — not a planned product development or a strategic launch.
- Three previous products (Daigomi, Daigoso, Lacto Caramel) had all failed before the accidental discovery of Calpis.
- The 'taste of first love' slogan was written for a drink that was itself an accident — the marketing was as improvised as the product.
The lesson
Mishima was inspired by Mongolian airag. Three products failed before Calpis. He added sugar to a failed batch overnight. The result was Calpis. It became a household staple for over a century.
Sources
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