Living in Japan requires me to introduce this topic with one very important cultural difference that exists between Japan and the United States: The Japanese market absolutely dwarfs the U.S. market in terms of beverage choices. Saying that the difference is exponential may actually be an understatement. This is highlighted by the ubiquitous vending machines that are usually the first thing to drive this reality home. The choices are daunting, and many tourists, myself included, will snap tons of photos of these machines… which often appear in rows, providing dozens of beverage options. The U.S. has closed the gap considerably in the last decade or so; however, I feel that gap is still considerable.

That being said, the above context applies mostly to pint-size or smaller packaging, with the effects less apparent in the one liter and over categories. When it comes to milk, and milk substitutes, the trend seems to continue. America actually has more choices for milk substitutes, but not milk itself, where Japan provides a greater variety of options for fat percentage, brands, and *blends. Japan seems to march to its own drum with regards to milk. The Japanese do not consume as much milk as Americans, but their milk consumption is rising. A breakdown of the milk market, according to my observations, follows:

General Notes:

I surveyed half a dozen different supermarkets, and several different specialty shops in Tokyo. Here again, Japan’s diversity dwarfs America’s, as there are many supermarket chains, and competing with them are many hypermarkets and convenience stores.
Lactose free or ‘Lactaid’ products do not appear to be sold in Japan; or at least they are not advertised in that manner.
There is no UHT (135C/275F+) milk in Japan to my knowledge. The maximum temperature of pasteurization seems to be 130C (266F) or 120C (248F) for the vast majority of milk.
The other pasteurization options, which are not common, range from 63C (145F) to 66C (151F), with the more common global 72C method almost nonexistent.
Non-homogenized milk is very rare, but can be found in some stores.
There is NO raw milk sold in Tokyo commercially. The only way to get raw milk is to visit a small farm that has cows, goats, or sheep. (I note one online exception below.)
The ‘organic’ label is not commonly used with milk products. Not sure why. We do however see it on some of the ‘milk coffee’ products.
There is no goat, camel, or other animal milk available commercially in Tokyo.
*Blends, or flavored milks are common; with coffee, tea, strawberry, banana, and less commonly chocolate. These blends are with milk 90% of the time, with the occasional soy or coconut milk blend. These blends are occasionally in the ‘real’ milk area due to branding (i.e. sometimes a brand will have its milk and coffee milk together on the shelf)
Almond milk is becoming more popular, with the “Almond Breeze” brand being the only option. However, it is NOT usually slotted against milk, but rather competing with the substitutes and blends (i.e. it is not consuming the same shelf space, and is instead shelved with other types of drinks. For example, it is in a completely different area that is not part of the continuous shelf space that milk is occupying (being separated by other drinks, or around a corner, or even in a different aisle).
Cows milk seems to stand alone at the moment, competing mostly with itself in various forms, as noted in below.
Soy milk seems to be competing more with the other alternatives, such as sesame milk, almond milk, yogurt drinks, coffee milk, teas, flavored milk, juices, and even corn pottage.
Soy milk is most commonly labeled as “Daizu” (written in Japanese) and as “Soy Milk” written in English. Additionally, it sometimes comes in different flavors, such as strawberry and banana, but only in small sizes (1/2 pint or less).
One key competitor to milk is reconstituted milk products. I cannot break this out as a substitute product because, like everywhere else, much of what we call milk is in fact reconstituted in part (i.e. powdered skim milk is added to various various ‘real’ milk varieties). I believe this practice is carried even further in Japan, adding to its varieties of milk (mostly the fortified versions).

In The Stores

ONLINE: Before looking at the stores I would like to list the two best milk brands available commercially in Japan (to my knowledge), which are only available as options online via direct sales. By best, I mean quality, and not price. The price is in fact prohibitive; although I do use the cheaper of the two:

Yufuin brand: grass-fed, non-homogenized, 63C pasteurized, $10/Liter (nearly $40/Gallon!)
Omoiyari brand: Raw milk! The only source I have found. $20/Liter ($80/Gallon)

Those milk brands are not really intended for consumers; however, I do in fact use the Yufuin milk, and I use about 5 liters a week… about $200 a month, and almost all of it is for kefir.

I can tell you from my experiences with kefir and non-homogenized milk that the difference between 63C (145F) and 65C(151F) pasteurization matters. There is one milk brand noted below, Wild Milk, which is pasteurized at 65C, and it will leave some yellow fat on my kefir grains that cannot be managed by the kefir. It will eventually suffocate the kefir if not removed by rinsing with other milk. Apparently, this is because the non-homogenized milk fat has denatured at 151F, and is too large. This is a bit ironic, as homogenized milk is less healthy, but due to the rupturing of the fat (making it smaller) during homogenization, it cannot bind to and smother the kefir, regardless of how badly denatured it is. This problem is (or seems) unique to non-homogenized milk that is pasteurized above 63C. I found this information while researching after I observed the phenomena on my kefir grains. There is more than one brand of milk available at 63C, so the farmers and/or cheese makers seem to be aware of the issue with denaturing. [Not sure why the enzymatic action of the kefir is not breaking down the denature fat; although, I can guess that perhaps those particular enzymes are not getting a chance to be produced, make contact, etc.]

On to the Supermarkets…

Queen’s Isetan – high-end supermarket, tends to be more expensive.

Milk: Substitutes do appear on contiguous shelf space; however, the choices for milk options are triple the options for all substitutes combined, with an additional display that has only milk. This supermarket probably has the largest selection of milk.

Wild Milk¹ brand: GRASS-FED, non-homogenized, pasteurized at 65C, $12/Liter
63C pasteurized milk brand, non-homogenized, NOT grass-fed, $8/ltr
66C pasteurized milk, homogenized, NOT grass-fed, $2.50/ltr
120C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr
130C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr

Within the 120C and 130C pasteurized brands, there is great variety in the fat content: nonfat milk, 2% milk, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, and 4.3.
Some brands are advertised as coming from Hokkaido, “Jersey” or “Brown Swiss.”
There are also various ‘Fortified’ milks, often touting some type of ‘Calcium’ or other fortification.

Milk Substitutes:

Soy: This is by far the largest soy milk section in any store, with several brands and flavors. It takes up perhaps 20% of the ‘substitute’ shelf space.
Yogurt & yogurt drinks: This is next to the soy section, and a bit larger than it.
Almond: Mixed in and around the soy section, only Almond Breeze in two sizes.
Corn Pottage: next to the soy, with the almond milk
No Rice, Hemp, or Coconut substitutes.
No flavored milks or juices in this area (except for two brands of coffee milk)

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CO-OP (Cooperative supermarket that also has a larger mail-order catalog). Considered the most trusted source for organic and/or Japanese produce and food products.

Milk: The milk stands alone, with some yogurt drinks and cream. The selection is only about one third that of Queen’s Isetan. The milk substitutes are on a different shelf, consisting of vegetable and fruit juices, teas, milk coffee, soy milk, and yogurt drinks. Combined, the substitutes still take up a bit less shelf space than the milk.

66C pasteurized milk, homogenized, NOT grass-fed, $2.50/ltr
120C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr
130C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr

Within the 120C and 130C pasteurized brands, there is some variety in the fat content: nonfat milk, 3.6, and 3.8
Some brands are advertised as coming from Hokkaido.
There are also various ‘Fortified’ milks, often touting some type of ‘Calcium’ or other fortification.

Milk Substitutes:

Soy: Two brands, taking up less than 10% of the shelf space in this section.
Coffee, tea, yogurt drinks, fruit & vegetable juice take up the remaining space.
No Rice, Hemp, Coconut, or (surprisingly) Almond substitutes.

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Maruetsu – considered a good middle-class supermarket.

Milk: Everything is on one continuous shelf space, but yogurt is not included. The selection is similar in size to the CO-OP. The milk substitutes are on a different shelf, consisting of vegetable and fruit juices, teas, milk coffee, soy milk, and yogurt drinks. Combined, the substitutes still take up a bit less shelf space than the milk.

66C pasteurized milk, homogenized, NOT grass-fed, $2.50/ltr
120C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr
130C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr

1. Within the 120C and 130C pasteurized brands, there is some variety in the fat content: nonfat milk, 3.6, and 3.8
2. Some brands are advertised as coming from Hokkaido.
3. There are also various ‘Fortified’ milks, often touting some type of ‘Calcium’ or other fortification.

Milk Substitutes:

Soy: More prominent here, taking up about 20% of the shelf space in this section.
Coffee, tea, milk protein drinks, fruit & vegetable juice take up the remaining space.
No Rice, Hemp, Coconut, or (surprisingly) Almond substitutes.

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Santoku – considered an average supermarket.

Milk: Everything is on a square island of continuous shelf space, shared with some non-beverage items. The selection is perhaps the 2nd largest. The milk substitutes do not have a strong presence, and seem to be used more as space fillers.

66C pasteurized milk, homogenized, NOT grass-fed, $2.50/ltr
120C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr
130C milk, many brands, none grass-fed, from $1.5 to $3/ltr
One odd note is that they have their own house brand of milk that is labeled as NON-GMO and No PHCF. This is clearly a marketing ploy, as GMO is not allowed in Japan.

Within the 120C and 130C pasteurized brands, there is some variety in the fat content: nonfat milk, 2%, 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8
Some brands are advertised as coming from Hokkaido.
There are also various ‘Fortified’ milks, often touting some type of ‘Calcium’ or other fortification. This supermarket seems to have more than most.

Milk Substitutes:

Soy: Not represented well here, taking up less than 5% of the shelf space in this section, and surrounded by milk and flavored milk options.
Coffee, tea, milk protein drinks, fruit & vegetable juice take up the remaining space.
No Rice, Hemp, or Coconut milk.
Almond Breeze is nowhere near the milk, being on the opposite side of the island and surrounded by juices, smoothies, corn pottage, and even some food items..

The quest for affordable raw A2 milk continues.