Tribute to Regain（リゲイン）

 

Uh...nope. Not quite the Japanese vitamin drinks I was hoping for when I brought my request to the almighty Bing just now, but it'll do.

From NHK

In any case, I had heard that the once-booming industry of Japanese vitamin drinks has now noticeably shrunk and fallen on tough times. And please correct if I got the message wrong, but I also caught wind that the famous vitamin drink Regain has been discontinued. That's pretty big news. Mind you, during my years in Japan and no matter how tired I got, I never became a regular purveyor of vitamin drinks of any kind aside from the odd Regain or Oronamin C. 

Still, it's a shame to hear that the familiar bumblebee colours of Regain will no longer be seen again. Its commercial blitzes were a wonder to see, and one ad became so famous that it even made CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" to show how industrious Japanese workers were. I will now show three of the commercials and songs and artists that were part of the Regain media machine along with the catchphrases that accompanied them at the time.

(1999) Ryuichi Sakamoto -- energy flow

Tamatta tsukare ni.（たまった疲れに。...For your built-up fatigue.）

The commercial was actually for the Regain tablets but the healing arrangement of the Professor's "energy flow" in itself was probably effective for the ears and mind and soul for the exhausted masses of corporate Japan. It's almost as if Sakamoto（坂本龍一） were playing just for you by the side of your futon.

(1992) Masahiro Motoki -- Higashi e Nishi e （東へ西へ）

Zenryoku de iku. Regain de iku.（全力で行く。リゲインで行く...Go with all your strength. Go with Regain.）

Honestly, I hadn't known that Motoki's（本木雅弘） cover of "Higashi e Nishi e" was part of the Regain experience. Actually, I knew that song more for the former member of Shibugakitai's（シブがき隊） notorious performance on NHK's Kohaku Utagassen. It may have been December 31st but the network's switchboard was most likely lit up like a Christmas tree and not merrily so.

(1989) Saburo Tokito -- Yuuki no Shirushi （勇気のしるし）

Ni-juu-yo-jikan tatakaemasu ka?（24時間、戦えますか。...Can you battle it out for 24 hours?）

But for me, Regain will always be represented by Tokito's（時任三郎）character of Saburota Ushiwakamaru（牛若丸三郎太）singing the ultimate challenge song to all those in the company trenches attempting to make that sale or seal that deal. In contrast to Sakamoto's comfortable warm blanket approach, the original big theme for the drink is the call to arms to business battle, fueled by all those vitamins and minerals (and maybe caffeine?) like a chemical arsenal for body and mind.