Would you help yourself to a beverage labelled Free Tea? That was the choice one shopper made recently at a Japanese convenience store. The non-Japanese man was seen openly drinking from a bottle of lemon iced tea which he had taken from the shelf, resulting in an argument with store staff. "What did I do that was wrong? It's written right there on the label," he apparently questioned angrily. After an explanation by the cashier, it became evident that it was all lost in translation. Free Tea was the brand name, not an offer of a complimentary drink. The confusingly named tea is a product of Japanese beverage giant Pokka Sapporo. The drink "encourages people to be free from a stress-filled society".
