KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2017 - 18:47 | Lifestyle, All

A new refreshment stand featuring a unique faucet opened Thursday at Matsuyama airport in western Japan, making a reality the long-running joke that orange juice flows like water in citrus-producing Ehime Prefecture.

At the stand, named the Orange Bar, customers can serve themselves the juice of local citrus fruits for 350 yen per glass, with the type of juice varying depending on the season. Ehime is one of Japan's major citrus fruit production areas.

A similar orange juice faucet had been set up at the airport in the past, but only temporarily. The joke that orange juice comes out of facets across Ehime Prefecture is known all around Japan.

One of the stand's first customers, Yuri Yagi, 5, carefully poured herself a drink. "It's sweet and yummy," was her review of the local product.

The launch of the juice stand came at a time when the number of travelers at Matsuyama airport is expected to increase ahead of the National Sports Festival to be held in the prefecture this fall.

"We are hoping (the shop) prompts more people to try out the specialty of Ehime," an airport official said.