What comes to mind when you hear "cream soda"?
The classic cream soda is a retro-style drink with summer-like blue or green soda, topped with vanilla ice cream and a canned cherry, but in recent years, it seems there are various colors of cream soda available.
I compared cream sodas from three stores participating in the event "Cream Soda IN Yakage," where 27 shops in Yakage Town each offer their unique cream sodas.
What is "Cream Soda IN Yakage"?
Cream Soda IN Yakage is an event held in the retro-pop town of Yakage, where you can enjoy unique cream sodas, and it will be held for the third time in 2025. It is organized by the Yakage Town Tourism Exchange Promotion Organization.
The number of participating stores has been increasing year by year, and in 2025, it has significantly increased from 18 stores last year to 27 stores.
The event will take place over two months, from May 1 (Thursday) to June 30 (Monday), 2025.
For details, please check the image below.
Stamp Rally is also ongoing
At participating stores, you can receive an original sticker for each cream soda you order, and there is also a stamp rally where you can get one stamp for every 100 yen spent on eligible products.
If you meet the following two conditions, the first 500 people at the "Yakage Visitor Center Wholesale" will receive an original glass as a gift, so it sounds fun to give it a try.
- Collect 50 stamps (5,000 yen including tax)
- Visit 3 stores
A beginner in Yakage tourism tasted cream sodas at three stores
For me, who moved from Kanto to Kurashiki in December 2023, Yakage Town was a place I rarely had the opportunity to visit.
Since a fun event is being held, I went on a cream soda tour with a friend who lives in Yakage Town.
Mizukura no Sato Fruitopia offers a pink cream soda
The first place I headed to was Mizukura no Sato Fruitopia.
This is a farm I had often seen at markets and was curious about.
It is a farm in Okayama Prefecture, known as the fruit kingdom of Okayama. My expectations were high.
Here, they are offering a "Fresh Strawberry Cream Soda."
Soon, a pink cream soda arrived, which was neither blue nor green.
Not only is it cute in appearance, but there are also chunks of strawberries inside the cream soda.
While sipping the refreshing cream soda, I indulged in the sweet strawberries.
It was a luxurious cream soda.
Tempe Cuisine Fermentation Tei offers a white cream soda
Next, I chose Tempe Cuisine Fermentation Tei for lunch.
Tempe is a health food ingredient made by fermenting soybeans with tempeh mold.
At Tempe Cuisine Fermentation Tei, they offer croquettes and lunches made with tempeh.
As a first-time tempeh eater, I ordered the set meal featuring the shop's signature tempeh croquette.
Tempeh is said to have little taste or smell, and it offers a light flavor with a pop-like texture compared to regular croquettes.
Here, I ordered a "Sweet Sake Tempe Cream Soda" for dessert.
Since it uses sweet sake, a white cream soda appeared.
Drinking three cream sodas in one day makes me concerned about calories, but knowing that fermented foods and tempeh are used makes me feel like I'm consuming something good for my body.
The unique flavor of sweet sake transformed into a light aftertaste, perhaps thanks to the tempeh.
It was a smooth sweet sake cream soda.
YKNOT COFFEE WORKS offers a brown cream soda
After the meal, instead of coffee... on this day, it was cream soda.
YKNOT COFFEE WORKS offers an "Espresso and Fruit Syrup Cream Soda."
The color is a strong brown from the espresso.
I was surprised that, despite the explanation that espresso was included, it was easy to drink due to the refreshing fruit syrup.
According to the owner, the fruit syrup is made from dark cherries.
Not too sweet, not too bitter, while enjoying a well-balanced adult brown cream soda, the conversation with my friend became lively.
As a coffee lover, I also purchased the original blend coffee roasted in the shop.
Get original goods too
As I received cream soda stickers at each store, excited by the cute designs, my friend told me, "There is a gacha machine for original goods at the Yakage Visitor Center Wholesale," so I went to check it out.
The gacha machine has the following two types.
- Original masking tape
- Can badges, mirrors
I chose a gachapon that randomly contains a can badge and a mirror.
I got a mirror with a pop art cream soda design.
I liked the size of the mirror itself and the design logo, which is not too big, making it easy to slip into my pouch for everyday use.
Conclusion
At first, when my friend suggested drinking three cups of cream soda in one day, I honestly felt a bit reluctant, thinking, "I might get tired of it if I drink that much."
However, after visiting three shops that serve cream soda, I was surprised to find that each place had distinctive cream sodas that were not boring at all. I enjoyed each one visually and flavor-wise throughout the day.
I was driven by my friend, but the town of Yakage is compact and close to the station of the Ibara Railway, so it seems like it would be enjoyable to explore using public transportation. This event is also enjoyable for people living outside of Yakage Town.
Of course, since the event lasts for two months, it's also great to visit multiple times to fully experience it.
It was an event that allowed for unique enjoyment for those living in and around Yakage Town.
The extreme heat has begun, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees every day.
How about feeling cool with colorful and unique cream sodas?
Cream Soda IN Yakage Data
| Name | Cream Soda IN Yakage |
|---|---|
| Dates | From May 1, 2025 (Thursday) to June 30, 2025 (Monday) |
| Location | 1989 Yakage, Oda District, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Free of charge |
| Website | Cream Soda IN Yakage |
