Head over to Kobe Daimaru any time from 4 January to the 18 January 2021 for a frosty, flavourful and fulfilling experience at the Aipaku Ice Cream festival.

Exhibiting the finest ice cream from across Japan, carefully selected from local ice cream manufacturers by the Japan Ice Mania Association, the Aipaku event is a paradise for ice cream connoisseurs.
The first event was held in Harajuku in 2015. Since then, Aipaku has been held all over the country, and has become the largest ice cream event in Japan with a cumulative total of 2.8 million visitors over the years.

Aipaku is held at the Daimaru store in the downtown area of Kobe’s Motomachi. This year marks the third time that the event has been held in Kobe city, with last year’s event selling more than 100,000 ice creams.
The event normally takes place in October, but this year, the organisers have decided to hold the event in winter, and challenge ice cream lovers to experience the pairing of cold weather and ice cream.

So why winter?

Well, the ice cream loving group Japan Ice Mania Association have established ‘Winter Ice Day’ in the hopes of increasing the demand for ice cream during the winter months. By holding annual events, the group hopes that the “winter ice cream boom” – a culture unique to Japan – that has been seen in recent years in Japan will continue in the future.
Not only will a continuous growth in the winter ice cream market mean good things for ice cream manufacturers, it also means that consumers can enjoy a wider variety of products as the market develops the industry for winter consumption.

At this year's event you can expect to check out demonstrations and taste soft serve ice cream, shaved ice and gelato. Additionally, you can commemorate the event with a bunch of ice cream-themed souvenirs, or take your favourite dishes home with you with an original Aipaku dry ice storage bag.

Aipaku 2021’s seller information and the menu line up will be announced on the official event website and across social media (facebook, twitter and instagram) after 15 December 2020.

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Event Name: Ice Cream Expo ‘Aipaku KOBE’
Date: 4 January - 18 January 2021
Time: 10:00 - 20:00 (until 16:00 on the last day)
Venue: Daimaru Kobe Store, 9th Floor Event Hall
Admission: Free