Somen, shaved ice, chilled Chinese noodles… There are all kinds of cold foods we crave in summer, but ice cream, which is especially easy to enjoy, is a great ally in getting through the scorching heat.
There are many kinds of ice cream, from classic varieties available at convenience stores to local specialties loved by residents.
In August 2024, Boat Race Kojima held the “National Ice Cream Festival 2024,” bringing together more than 100 kinds of local ice cream. The local ice creams gathered from all over Japan were all rare varieties that are hard to find in Kurashiki.
Drawn by this quintessential summer event, I went along with my mother.
The information presented was current when this article was published in September 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is the National Ice Cream Festival 2024?
The National Ice Cream Festival was an event held at Boat Race Kojima.
It took place on race days from Thursday, August 1, to Thursday, August 22, 2024, and more than 100 kinds of local ice cream were sold at the boat race venue.
Alongside classic ice creams often found at specialty product fairs, such as Blue Seal Ice Cream from Okinawa Prefecture and Shirokuma Ice Cream from Kagoshima Prefecture, there were also unusual ice creams with flavors you could hardly imagine, such as garlic ice cream and eggplant ice cream.
With more than 100 varieties of ice cream to choose from, it seemed that many people were sharing them with family and friends.
Also, at this event, you could buy them for less than the regular price, making you want to taste-test all kinds of ice cream.
Boat Race Kojima offers a free direct bus on race days, making it easy to get to the venue—a welcome bonus. The bus departs from the following stations and locations:
- JR Kojima Station service
- JR Kurashiki Station service [via Shionasu] [via Amaki]
- Konko Station service [via Shin-Kurashiki Station]
- Tenmaya service
This ice cream festival is perfect for summer and fun for all ages. Here’s what it was like on the day.
![[Race days, August 1–22] National Ice Cream Festival 2024 at Boat Race Kojima: Enjoy summer with 100 kinds of local ice cream from all over Japan](https://media.kuratoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/23002326/IMG_4301.jpg)
What the Event Was Like
On Sunday, August 11, I took the free direct bus from JR Kurashiki Station to the boat race venue.
Admission to Boat Race Kojima costs 100 yen. Even if you don’t have any small change, there’s a change machine right by the entrance gate, so there’s no need to worry.
Since it was summer vacation, various events were taking place at the boat race venue.
There was a line at the water-play area, where small children could have fun. The children’s cheerful voices rang out as they played energetically despite the scorching heat.
A specialty products market featuring goods from Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, was also being held that day. The unusual local products on display caught my interest, but first I headed to the ice cream festival venue.
On the way, I happened to see boat racers practicing. It looks like it would feel great to speed across the water under a blue sky.
A Venue Lined with Freezers Packed with Ice Cream
As I made my way toward the back of the boat race venue, I spotted the entrance to the ice cream festival. I heard that a special venue had been set up just for the event.
After passing through a wall decorated with a cute ice cream design, I first picked up an insulated bag to use while shopping. The bag is returned at checkout.
Freezers were lined up all the way to the back of the venue. They were arranged by region, so people who had already decided which ice cream they wanted to try could easily find what they were looking for.
Many families were choosing ice cream together with their children. Cheerful conversations filled the venue, such as, “They have Mom’s favorite strawberry flavor!” and “I wonder what this one tastes like?”
The walls of the special venue featured descriptions of more than 100 kinds of ice cream. I had decided in advance which ones to buy, but reading the engaging descriptions might have made me hesitate.
The freezers also had signs showing staff recommendations, so if you’re having trouble deciding, you might want to use them as a guide.
Just looking inside the freezers, you’re bound to come across ice creams with intriguing names or eye-catching appearances, so choosing on impulse could be fun too.
I kept the ice cream I planned to buy in the insulated bag until checkout. Thanks to the bag, I could shop without worrying.
After paying, we moved to a bench inside the boat race venue.
There were plenty of benches with tables throughout the venue, so finding somewhere to eat was no problem. Since we were there, we decided to sit where we could watch the boat races up close and enjoy our ice cream.
Taste-testing four local ice creams
I chose “Twin Leaf Shizuoka Specialty Eel Ice Cream” and “Sanriku Sea Urchin Ice Cream.” My mother, who came with me, bought “Black Sugar Candy Ice Cream” and “Nagato Farm Dorayaki with Soft Serve.”
First, I tried the one from Miyagi Prefecture that I had been most curious about: “Sanriku Sea Urchin Ice Cream.”
When I opened the lid, the first thing that surprised me was the generous topping of sea urchin on the ice cream.
The sea urchin is mixed into the salty milk ice cream, giving it a taste that evokes the Sanriku sea. There was no fishy smell at all; the rich sea urchin flavor went perfectly with the milk ice cream. Since it was summer, I was glad it also helped me replenish salt.
Next, I tried the Nagano Prefecture treat my mother had bought: “Nagato Farm Dorayaki with Soft Serve.”
The dorayaki has a thin wrapper with a soft, chewy texture that you wouldn’t expect from something kept in a freezer. The soft serve inside is like cold whipped cream, with the irresistible richness you’d expect from ice cream made at a farm. It’s easy to split in half and eat by hand, so I thought it would be easy for children to enjoy, too.
A boat race started right beside us as we ate our ice cream. Enjoying an exhilarating boat race while eating delicious ice cream made it feel like we were getting a great deal.
The third one I tried was from Shingo Village, Aomori Prefecture: “Black Sugar Candy Ice Cream.” It was the first time I learned that black sugar candy is a specialty of Shingo Village.
I’ve never tried actual black sugar candy, but this had a rich sweetness like Japanese-style caramel. It was a nostalgic-tasting ice cream with a faintly roasted aroma. Of the four we bought, it was the sweetest.
Finally, I tried the Shizuoka Prefecture flavor: “Twin Leaf Shizuoka Specialty Eel Ice Cream.” I bought it without having any idea what it would taste like.
It was a milk-flavored ice cream with notes of sansho pepper and the distinctive roasted aroma of eel. The unusual flavor was dominated by the sansho and eel rather than sweetness, and I could taste the richness of eel in the milk. It was a flavor I had never experienced before.
After trying these four distinctive ice creams, I felt that each one made delicious use of its local specialty. Most of them are ice creams you don’t see in Kurashiki, so I was glad to get to try these rare local flavors at the event.
If I’d had more time, I would have gone back several times to try them all. I learned about so many local ice creams, and hope I’ll come across them someday while traveling.
At the end, I took a commemorative photo at a cute photo spot before heading home.
From the Writer
The National Ice Cream Festival features more than 100 kinds of local ice cream.
I decided in advance what I wanted to buy, but when I arrived, there were so many tempting ice creams that I couldn’t choose.
I learned about specialties from all over Japan through ice cream—for example, that “black sugar candy is a specialty of Aomori Prefecture”—so I found there was more to enjoy than just eating. I also discovered that ice cream pairs well with all kinds of ingredients, and it was fun to imagine what ice cream made with Kurashiki specialties might be like.
Several events were held that day, including a specialty-products market and a water-play area, offering something for visitors of all ages, and the boat race venue was lively.
More events are planned in the future, so be sure to consider it as a destination for a day out.
Articles about Boat Race Kojima
National Ice Cream Festival 2024 at Boat Race Kojima: Information
| Name | National Ice Cream Festival 2024 at Boat Race Kojima |
|---|---|
| Dates | Boat Race dates in August 2024 August 1 (Thu)–August 4 (Sun) August 8 (Thu)–August 13 (Tue) August 17 (Sat)–August 22 (Thu) 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Location | 6-3 Motohama-cho, Kojima, Kurashiki City |
| Admission (tax included) | Admission to Boat Race Kojima costs 100 yen |
| Website | National Ice Cream Festival 2024 Special Website |
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