Energy Drink Resale Issue on U.S. Military Bases Leading to Sales Ban?

Resale Issues Intensify at the 2018 Yokota Air Base Open Event

Widespread Awareness of Energy Drink Availability on U.S. Bases Through Social Media

In 2017, a large number of Japanese visitors purchased energy drinks in bulk from vending machines inside Yokota Air Base during an open event. A tweet featuring images of these vending machines selling Monster Energy and other drinks, titled "Mazai-fu Tenmangu", went viral. The topic was later covered by various news sites and featured on aggregation websites, making it widely known.

By 2018, during the Yokota Air Base Open Event, the vending machines attracted unusually large crowds, possibly due to the previous year's viral tweet. Additionally, a tent deep inside the base was transformed into a makeshift energy drink shop, where massive containers of drinks were brought in, allowing many visitors to purchase in bulk.

Monster Energy was by far the most popular, with only a few selections from Rockstar and Red Bull available. Although a purchase limit per person was imposed, people could simply line up again, effectively allowing unlimited purchases.

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Concerns Among Base Retailers Regarding Resale

According to Japanese staff working on base, a growing number of people were reselling large quantities of energy drinks from these events on platforms like Mercari. This issue had become a concern among those involved, with some even hinting at the possibility of discontinuing sales. Many people on Twitter also reported hearing similar concerns, making the resale issue a trending topic after the 2018 event.

Social Media Efforts to Curb Resale Begin

Some individuals began calling on others to report resold items on Mercari, but the efforts had little impact. While "Energy-Drink-kun" and other volunteers attempted different methods of raising awareness, Mercari and Yahoo! Auctions took no action.

This growing issue revolves around Japanese visitors purchasing large quantities of energy drinks at open-base events and reselling them. However, beyond this, there is also the long-standing issue of base personnel reselling these products.

Resale of Products from Within U.S. Military Bases Has Been a Known Issue for Years

While the recent trend of civilians reselling base-exclusive products has gained attention, the issue of base personnel reselling items from on-base stores has been a problem for years, even among those stationed there.

A quick search for "U.S. military base resale" reveals numerous discussions on the topic.

For example, the resale black market on Mercari can be seen here.

Yahoo! Chiebukuro has also had ongoing discussions about this issue for years, as seen here.

Additionally, a community for American military spouses in Japan has also discussed the serious issue of base-to-civilian resale, as seen here.

These discussions touch upon food sanitation laws, customs regulations, and other legal considerations regarding selling American products in Japan. However, since no verified legal experts or high-level base officials have weighed in, the legality remains uncertain—so take these discussions as reference material.

While base personnel have engaged in this type of resale for years, the situation has escalated now that ordinary Japanese civilians are reselling on a massive scale. The issue gained further traction through social media, raising concerns that energy drink sales at base open events may be discontinued.

Will U.S. Military Bases Stop Selling Energy Drinks?

Purchase Limits as a Resale Prevention Measure Are Ineffective

While some base events impose a purchase limit per person, buyers can simply line up again to buy as many as they want. This suggests that base retailers are not seriously trying to enforce these limits.

Unstoppable Spread Through Social Media

Social media posts boasting about buying "overseas energy drinks at U.S. military bases" will likely continue to rise. Resellers will keep selling as long as buyers exist, and people unable to attend the events will keep purchasing resold items. The cycle seems unstoppable unless sales are completely banned.

The Energy Drink Resale Issue Goes Beyond Morality

While many people view resale as a moral issue, this situation goes beyond that. Since these are overseas energy drinks being sold in Japan without proper import procedures, the legality is questionable—potentially falling into a legal gray (or even black) area.

Originally, base open events were intended as goodwill exchanges between the U.S. military and local Japanese communities, featuring food stands, merchandise sales, and even flea markets in some cases.

However, given how severe the resale issue has become, it's hard to say what the future holds for these events.