Japan has 47 prefectures and each prefecture boasts its unique ice cream favours that leverage home-grown ingredients. Eating ice cream is hence a great way to know more about the local produce of the prefecture you are visiting. When you happen to visit in summer, a refreshingly cool soft serve will be a lifesaver too. I have tried to consolidate some of the ice cream flavours you should look out for in Japan.

Ice cream flavours

Hokkaido Prefecture

Hokkaido milk

Lavender & melon (cantaloupe) - at Farm Tomita in Furano, Hokkaido

Chocolate - at Shiroi Koibito Park in Sapporo

Cremia

Soft serve on melon with adzuki beans - in Furano, Hokkaido (autumn menu)

Akita Prefecture

Rose petal - at Kakunodate Spring Festival

Sendai Prefecture

Sakura - at Matsushima Bay

Ibaraki Prefecture

Sakura Mochi - at Mito Plum Blossom Festival, Kairakuen

Yamanashi Prefecture

Ramune X Vanilla - at Oshino Hakkai

Tokyo Prefecture

Warabi mochi ice cream - at Kabukiza (Ginza)

Aichi Prefecture

Gold leaf - at Nagoya Castle Spring festival

Ishikawa Prefecture

Sakura - in Kanazawa

Melon-pan ice cream sandwich - at the World's Second Best Freshly Baked Melon-Pan Ice Cream shop in Kanazawa

Soy sauce ice cream - at Yamamoto Soy Sauce Miso shop in Kanazawa

Nagano Prefecture

Wasabi - at Daio Wasabi Farm, Hotaka, Matsumoto

Apple and milk ice cream - at Enza Cafe, just outside of the entrance to Jigokudani monkey park

Osaka Prefecture

Ramune - at Osaka Aquarium

Kyoto Prefecture

Black Sesame - at the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)

Kyozuan tofu ice cream - not far from Fushimi Inari in Kyoto

Kagawa Prefecture

Sola shio salt ice cream - at Naoshima island

Kumamoto Prefecture

Aso milk ice cream

Okinawa Prefecture

Shikuwasa - at Blue Seal stores

Mango - at Blue Seal stores