The origin of what used to be called Coffee Milk

Today, and April 20th annually, is Coffee Milk Day 珈琲牛乳の日 (Kōhī gyūnyū no hi) in Japan. The anniversary celebrates the birth of one of Japan's popular drinks; the sweet, creamy blend first created by Moriyama Milk.

The company's founder developed the original bottled coffee milk in 1920. At the time that Moriyama Milk created the drink, dairy products were still evolving in Japan. Moreover, flavored milk was a novelty. On April 20th, 1923, the drink made its debut at Kozu Station on the Tokaido line. Despite being quite pricey at the time, it sold better than expected. 

Due to legal changes in Japan in 2003 products could no longer be labeled "coffee milk" unless they contain 100% raw milk, so modern versions of the drink appear under adapted names, such as "cafe au lait", "milk coffee" or "caffe latte". Yet the spirit of the original milk still lives on and the day "Coffee Milk Day" reminds people how coffee flavored milk drinks came to be so popular in Japan.