Ice cream that you want to eat in summer. Even if you have no appetite due to the scorching heat, you find yourself reaching into the freezer thinking, "If it's ice cream..."
Boat Race Kojima will hold an event called National Ice Cream Festival 2024, which is irresistible in the hot summer.
Over 100 types of local ice cream from all over Japan will be lined up at this event.
Local ice cream that is usually hard to obtain without going to the site or a specialty fair will gather, making you want to enjoy ice cream from various regions at this opportunity.
The ice cream festival, perfect for summer, has been covered to find out what kind of event it is.
What is the National Ice Cream Festival 2024
The National Ice Cream Festival 2024 is a local ice cream event hosted by Boat Race Kojima.
Local ice cream from all 47 prefectures and several countries overseas will gather, with an astonishing over 100 types available, featuring many flavors utilizing regional specialties. The ice cream will be sold at special prices, which is another appealing point.
For details on the flavors and selling prices, please check the special site.
The event will be held at a special venue set up within Boat Race Kojima, and the purchased ice cream can be eaten on the spot. While it is generally recommended to eat at the venue, it seems you can also take it home if you bring a cooler bag.
The schedule is as follows. It will be held on the days of boat races in August.
- August 1 (Thursday) - August 4 (Sunday) from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM (other dates will have the same hours)
- August 8 (Thursday) - August 13 (Tuesday)
- August 17 (Saturday) - August 22 (Thursday)
With local ice cream like "Blue Seal Ice" from Okinawa and "Shirokuma Ice" from Kagoshima, you can obtain classic local ice cream that is usually only available at specialty fairs, which is unique to the Ice Cream Festival. There are many local ice creams that you may see for the first time, making it hard to decide which one to eat.
I would like to introduce some ice cream that personally caught my attention.
Local ice cream using regional specialties
The "Sea Grapes Ice Cream" coming from Okinawa is a product that mixes sea grapes with milk ice cream. The flavor has a slightly salty taste of salty milk. Since it's summer, ice cream that provides salt is appealing. You can enjoy the poppy texture of the sea grapes.
From Shizuoka Prefecture, ice cream made with the local specialty eel will be featured. It is said to retain the unique aroma of eel, and the sansho pepper, which is essential for eel, is also included. The combination of eel and ice cream is a dish that is hard to imagine, and I am curious about its taste.
The "Popo Ice Cream," unique to the fruit kingdom of Yamanashi, is also a must-see. Popo is a fruit so rare that it is called a phantom fruit, characterized by a rich flavor reminiscent of a mix between banana and mango. I want to try the flavor of this phantom fruit.
There were many other ice creams that caught my attention, but there are so many varieties that I couldn't include them all, so please check the special site.
The National Ice Cream Festival, featuring over 100 types of ice cream, has an interesting backstory. I spoke with Ms. Ono Wakiko from the Kurashiki City Boat Race Office about how it was planned.
Interview with the person in charge
Why did you plan the Ice Cream Festival?
Ono (no honorifics)
At Boat Race Kojima, we hold events every summer to attract people who are not familiar with boat racing.
Since August is the summer vacation period, we planned the Ice Cream Festival as an event that families can enjoy together.
An event that gathers and sells ice cream from all over the country is rare outside of department stores, and I think it will be a unique event.
We decided from the beginning to gather 100 types of ice cream, but as we prepared, we thought, "Since we are at it, we want ice cream from that prefecture too," and the number of local ice creams increased, resulting in ice cream from all 47 prefectures. We also have several types of ice cream from overseas.
It's an event that is perfect for hot days.
Ono
Yes, I think ice cream can be enjoyed regardless of gender or age.
While we plan it with the hope that "people unfamiliar with the boat race venue will come," we would also like our regular customers to come and enjoy it.
I hope that those who have no appetite due to the heat can casually enjoy it.
Do you have any ice cream that you are particularly interested in?
Ono
Personally, I want to try the Dracula Ice Cream from Aomori Prefecture. It is an ice cream made with garlic, and I am very curious about it as it seems like it would be good for a tired body...
It seems that the name Dracula comes from a legend related to Shingo Village. I thought it was unique to local ice cream to not only use local specialties but also incorporate regional legends.
Speaking of local specialties, in Kochi Prefecture, there are many ice creams made with citrus fruits like mikan and yuzu.
In particular, Kochi Ice is committed to using local ingredients, so it is one of the ice creams I want to try.
I think all the ice creams are attractive, so it might be a good idea to check the special site in advance for the ice creams you are interested in before coming.
Please tell us your recommended way to enjoy it.
Ono
I would love for you to come in groups and share various flavors little by little to appreciate the goodness of local ice cream.
I think it can be enjoyed by people of all ages, so it would be exciting for families of three generations to come together.
Also, comparing ice creams of the same flavor, like milk, to enjoy the tastes of each locality is also a good idea.
Since this event will be held multiple times, it might be interesting for those nearby to aim to conquer it. While conquering all 100 types may be difficult, it is also recommended to focus on "Chugoku region" or "Hokkaido" and try to conquer those.
Please give a message to the readers.
Ono
With over 100 types, I think there will be many ice creams that you encounter for the first time.
Also, for those from outside the prefecture, there will be local ice creams that will evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Since there will be a truly diverse range of local ice creams, please come and find your favorite ice cream.
Conclusion
The National Ice Cream Festival, featuring a variety of unique local ice creams, has many rare ice creams that can only be purchased directly at this event, and during the interview, we had lively discussions about "which ice cream we would like to try."
In addition to unique flavors, there are also many ice creams that focus on local specialty ingredients, so I think you can enjoy comparing classic flavors like milk and fruit.
Since it is held at a boat race venue, it might also be nice to enjoy ice cream slowly while watching the races.
As one of your summer memories, please make sure to visit Boat Race Kojima with friends or family.
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Data for National Ice Cream Festival 2024 in Boat Race Kojima
| Name | National Ice Cream Festival 2024 in Boat Race Kojima |
|---|---|
| Dates | August 1 (Thursday) to August 4 (Sunday) August 8 (Thursday) to August 13 (Tuesday) August 17 (Saturday) to August 22 (Thursday) From 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM (same hours for other dates) |
| Location | 6-3 Motohama-cho, Kojima, Kurashiki City |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | 100 yen for facility entrance |
| Website | Special Site for National Ice Cream Festival 2024 |
