It's a testament to Japanese YouTuber Hikakin's clout that any culinary pursuit he undertakes will be met with tons of attention. His first venture into the guts of a nation, a cup ramen released in 2023, became a must-have item for the terminally online and eventually lead to a physical store in Tokyo Station boasting hours-long lines. There's nothing particularly special about his miso-flavored offering, but it's Hikakin. We gotta know what's up!
Now comes ONICHA, a Hikakin-brand barley tea sold exclusively at Seven-Eleven stores across the country. Press materials for it emphasize its efforts to turn the everyday drink into something more "fun." Examples given include the cute packaging and the fact if you peel the label off you get a fortune (all of them appearing to lean positive, I guess Hikakin cursing you via tea would be a bad look). Also...it has an "exciting" marketing campaign online, which appears to largely be an extension of Hikakin's own activities.
An influencer introducing a product is nothing new in the social-media-smothered world of 2026, and if anything ONICHA feels surprisingly straightforward in a space defined by Prime drinks and LUNCHLY nutrition gutters. This...tastes like barley tea. It's completely fine and quenches thirst in a pinch. The little devil on the label is indeed adorable, but I'm not sure the hug-a-bility of a mascot sways anyone to one drink or another. After finishing this I felt satisfied but wondering if this was some levels-deep prank pulled on me by a YouTuber, who orchestrated a big-ol marketing campaign to promote a basic beverage. Still, I'd probably grab it again if I found myself parched near a Seven-Eleven, so maybe he's on to something.
