Kurashiki Milkshake Project - Offering Milkshakes that Convey the Charm of Okayama Prefecture Eggs at 8 Stores Until October 11 (Sunday)

Milkshake made by mixing eggs, milk, and sugar.
For older people, it may be nostalgic, and for young people, it might be a perfect drink for the Showa retro boom.

In Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, a new food event called Kurashiki Milkshake Project has been born. The organizer is Sakamoto Egg, which handles the production, processing, and sales of eggs.

The first event in 2026 will feature eight stores in and around the Bikan Historical Area.
Why milkshake? We interviewed about the reasons and thoughts behind the Kurashiki Milkshake Project.

What is the Kurashiki Milkshake Project?

The "Kurashiki Milkshake Project" is an event to enjoy milkshakes, held from September 18 (Friday) to October 11 (Sunday), 2026. The inaugural event features eight stores around the Bikan Historical Area.

The participating stores are as follows.

The condition for the Kurashiki Milkshake Project is to use Okayama Prefecture-produced eggs. Other than that, the discretion is left to the stores.

The event features a stamp rally, and when you collect five stamps, you can exchange them for Sakamoto Egg's Hoshi no Sato Tamago (Star Village Eggs). You are guaranteed to receive it, so why not collect stamps and get some delicious eggs?

The exchange location is Sakamoto Egg Bikan Area Store (Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum 2nd floor).

Why milkshake in Kurashiki?

Milkshakes were popular from the 1960s to the 1980s.
They are a beloved drink not only in Kurashiki but across the country. So why milkshake now in Kurashiki?

In fact, Okayama Prefecture ranks 3rd to 5th in egg production nationwide and 1st in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, and its quality has been well-regarded since long ago. Eggs produced in the Bichu region from the Taisho to Showa eras were shipped to Kansai under the name "Bichu Tamago." Shipments to the Kansai region continue even today.

To promote the charm of Okayama's eggs, which are surprisingly not well-known, and to match the retro atmosphere of the Bikan Historical Area, these elements combined to create "milkshake in Kurashiki."

Unique milkshakes from classic to creative

Milkshakes are made with simple ingredients: eggs, milk, and sugar. Their ease of preparation likely contributed to their past popularity. Because the ingredients are simple, there is a wide range of individuality and variations.

For example, the milkshake at Ueda Coffee Shop is made in a classic style but has the richest flavor among the participating stores. The secret to its rich taste is the eggs; instead of using one egg as is typical, they use two.

There are also unique variations of milkshakes.
At Coffee El Greco, in addition to the classic plain version, new matcha and chocolate flavors have been added for the project.

When I tried the matcha milkshake topped with vanilla ice cream, it had a gentle sweetness with a hint of matcha. As the vanilla ice cream melted a bit, it became even richer. Although milkshake is a drink, it felt like a new sensation, almost like a parfait.

Discover the charm of Okayama's eggs

We spoke with Akihiro Sakamotoさかもと あきよし, the creator of the Kurashiki Milkshake Project and Sakamoto Egg.

Why did you start the Kurashiki Milkshake Project?

Sakamoto (no honorific)

I wanted people to know that Okayama Prefecture actually has a high production of eggs and to make it a food ingredient that Okayama residents can promote. Okayama's eggs are of high quality and were called Bichu Tamago. They have been shipped to the Kansai region both in the past and present.

The reason for their high quality is that they use good feed, which comes in through Mizushima Port. Mizushima Port can accommodate large ships, allowing for cheaper procurement of feed.

Mizushima has had many feed factories for a long time. The environment is conducive to producing good eggs, and the abundance of feed leads to high production.

I hope people enjoy the history of eggs along with the Kurashiki Milkshake Project.

By the way, why milkshake? I thought it would be easier for the stores to participate. There are already stores that provide it.

I also think the fan base is broad, from people in their 50s and 60s to young people. The townscape of the Bikan Historical Area also matches the retro feel of milkshakes.

Was it difficult to recruit participating stores?

Sakamoto

Actually, I intended to start this project on a small scale.
Since it was the first time, I thought of limiting the participating stores and just reaching out to acquaintances who own coffee shops. However, with the help of a business owner acquaintance, when I reached out to the stores, they smoothly agreed to participate, leading to this form.

Among the participating stores, some already made milkshakes. At El Greco, I initially thought of picking up their existing milkshake, but they developed new flavors for this project.

They created matcha and chocolate flavors, and when I tasted them, they were incredibly delicious. It was interesting to see milkshakes being created that we hadn't even thought of.

At ROJAN BŌRO cafe kurashiki, they use mango, which is a fantastic idea. This store only makes milkshakes during the project period.

As we began preparations, we realized we might need a website. That meant we would need professional photographers to take pictures, and the scale kept expanding. As a result, we also created flyers and stamp cards.

The character for "Kurashiki" in the flyer for the Kurashiki Milkshake Project has the mouth part of the character "倉" changed to "日." This was done to reflect Japan. Additionally, because I want this project to be the best in Japan, I added an extra line to the character for "一."

An image character was also created. Her name is Hinano-chan, inspired by a chick.

Thoughts on the Kurashiki Milkshake Project

How do you want people to enjoy the Kurashiki Milkshake Project?

Sakamoto

While preparing for the project, I spoke with various people, and I heard quite a few say, "I haven't had a milkshake in a while."

When I ordered and drank it during the negotiations for the project, I found it delicious after a long time. Milkshake is a drink that appeals to everyone, isn't it? I hope older people find it nostalgic and younger people discover how delicious it is.

My job is not just to sell and produce eggs, but I believe I can also contribute to regional revitalization centered around eggs. The Kurashiki Milkshake Project is part of that.

Our customers are often restaurants and hotels before they reach consumers. I hope to promote these businesses and together we can revitalize the region. I want people to appreciate the value of eggs even more.

Future developments

Can you tell us about future developments?

Sakamoto

I would like to expand the store area to Mizushima and Tamashima. If there are stores that can participate, I would love for them to join.

Since we aim to be the best in Japan, we need to grow.

Conclusion

I was excited to hear about the birth of new food in Kurashiki and conducted the interview with anticipation.
Milkshakes can be made with just eggs, milk, and sugar. Because of their simplicity, there seems to be a wide range of variations, and the milkshakes from the Kurashiki Milkshake Project are full of personality.

Until the interview, I had no knowledge of the high production volume and quality of eggs in Okayama Prefecture. Through this project, I hope that the appeal of Okayama-produced eggs will spread to more people, and that the entire region will thrive.

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