When you think about it, there is no place that is more compatible with ice cream than Okinawa. Tropical fruits grow in abundance, producing high-quality brown sugar and salt. The island also has a wide variety of herbs and spices, so there is no shortage of ingredients.
What's more, it has an ice cream-like climate with summer lasting half the year. A trip to this subtropical island revealed the happy relationship between life and ice cream.
Representing the current Okinawa ice cream scene! CAFUNÉ
We started our trip at the popular Futenma shop CAFUNÉ. Located on the corner of an old shopping street, it attracts a steady stream of locals and tourists alike. The sight of people chatting on the shop's benches with ice cream in hand exudes a happy aura. "Ice cream is something you don't really need, but having it makes you happy. That's what's great about it," says owner Aoi Taira.
After visiting the famous restaurant SALT&STRAW in Portland, USA, he thought, "It would be great if there was a restaurant like this in Okinawa." The name of the restaurant is a Brazilian word that refers to the gesture of gently running your fingers through the hair of a loved one. It also incorporates the Okinawan word "kafu" (happiness).
Both the benches and the interior are designed with curves, creating a gentle atmosphere. 
The next ingredient to be used in the ice cream is plums. 
There are nine different types of ice cream available every day.
The signature "Kafune" is in vibrant yellow. Below is yogurt and passion fruit. The pink is brown rice sweet sake made with Okinawan red koji. Below is strawberries from Ginoza Village. The waffle cone (150 yen) is also handmade on the spot. 
The owner, Aoi, and her dog, Leo, are flanked by her husband, Hiroshi Taira, the production manager, and staff member Ayako Fujimoto.
Uruma Gelato: Concentrating the charm of the local city of Uruma into gelato
Overlooking Kin Bay, Uruma Gelato was founded in 2010 and is one of the pioneers of Okinawan craft ice cream. Representative Sachie Omura, who was involved in organic farming, was recommended gelato by Iga no Sato Mokumoku Handmade Farm while searching for ways to utilize agricultural products.
"I immediately decided to do this because I thought it would be useful for farmers and tourism!" The additive-free gelato, made with Uruma ingredients such as mineral sea salt (Nuchimasu) and golden sweet potato (Kuganiimo), is very popular with producers for its pleasant aftertaste.
Double flavor of island chili peppers and golden sweet potatoes. A bonus of a bite of purple sweet potato is always included. The island chili peppers have an addictive taste. 
Various ingredients, including Uruma City's proud salt "Nuchimasu", awamori "Danryu", dragon fruit and island chili peppers. 
Representative Omura and his second daughter, Tamae Terumi. 
The store is located on the way to the Mid-Sea Road.
Fresh gelato made using a special method, H&B Gela Okinawa
H&B Gela Okinawa, run by husband and wife team Fumihiko and Yoko Noguchi, also opened around the same time. Located in the Naha Makishi Public Market, which is bustling with tourists from Japan and abroad, it offers over 20 types of gelato.
"As I thought about how I wanted to share the deliciousness of Okinawan fruits, the number of options just kept increasing," he says with a laugh. His signature product is "raw gelato," made with a mixture of fresh fruit. It is always cooked in a special Yachimun pot after an order is placed. The refreshing texture of the fruit pulp is a taste like no other.
A cone of five flavors, from top to bottom: strawberry, mango, bitter melon, fruit papaya, and dragon fruit, costs 800 yen. 
The fresh gelato is cooked to order, and the tray is a custom order from Ikutoen, a pottery manufacturer in Tsuboya.
The Noguchi couple run an ice cream shop, but their warmth is what makes them so popular. 
Okinawan fruits are also available in parfaits and juices.
Okinawa's Soul Ice Cream: A must-try when you're there
Blue Seal is an ice cream cone that cannot be missed when touring Okinawa's ice cream scene. Founded in 1948 on a US military base to produce dairy products for the US military stationed in Okinawa, the brand's products have since been sold in parlors and other establishments, becoming popular among Okinawans. It's truly an ice cream cone that was "born in America, raised in Okinawa."
Blue Seal: An ice cream paradise that can be enjoyed by both adults and children
Why does it taste so much better when eaten in the Okinawan atmosphere? Because of its location, the Chatan store attracts a wide range of customers, from tourists to U.S. military families and Okinawan middle and high school students. A family takes a photo of their child in front of the giant ice cream sculpture inside the store. Their happy appearance naturally brings smiles to the faces of those around them.
In the center is a purple sweet potato soft serve and salted chinsuko sundae. On the left is Neopolitan and SF mint chocolate, and on the right is Blue Wave and island pineapple coconut. 
Catherine, the Madonna of the Chatan store.
Look for the huge neon sign along National Route 58. 
The menu is now more diverse with more flavors from Okinawa. 
The Orange Book contains the original recipe from when the company was founded. American Flavor still follows this recipe today.
Okinawa Ice Cream Maestro〈UD ICE CREAM〉
"There is no one who doesn't like ice cream, and it's worth making because people are happy with it," says Yaka Kazuhiko of UD ICE CREAM. After studying fermentation science at university, he is a dedicated ice cream craftsman who has been making ice cream at an ice cream maker in Okinawa for 19 years.
After retiring in 2010, he has been involved in the launch and product development of numerous ice cream brands and shops both within and outside the prefecture. Meanwhile, at his own shop in Tomigusuku, he takes his time and effort to make only the things he likes, using carefully selected ingredients. If you're traveling to the north, you should definitely try the ice cream at Okinawa Big Ice.
The sight of female students setting up parasols and selling ice cream along the road on weekends was a typical sight during Okinawa's long summer.
The orange one is mango, next to it is chinsuko, and below it is rum raisin made with Iejima rum. The purple one is dragon fruit and shikwasa, next to it is beegu (Okinawa rush grass), and below it is kabuchi (island mandarin orange). The fruit flavors actually feel fruitier than fresh fruit. The refreshing taste of beegu is shocking. 
The owner, Yaka-san, runs the shop, which feels more like a lab than a store.
Enjoy refreshing ice cream at a cafe with a spectacular view! <Ice Cream Cafe Ark>
Due to the changing times, roadside sales were discontinued this year, but you can still enjoy the nostalgic flavor at Ice Cream Cafe Ark. The four-story cafe was built by the late founder, Uema Mitsuhide, in the image of Noah's Ark.
Ibuki Uemama, who succeeded her father as representative, says, "I want to carry on the Okinawan ice cream culture that my father left behind through this Ark."
Five mini ice cream flavors (colorful) for 720 yen: cherry blossom, shikuwasa, purple sweet potato, pineapple, and passion fruit. 
The blue and white sign is a sign for roadside sales.
Uema Seifu and Takaesu Kanasa are siblings who took over from their father, who passed away suddenly in 2021. They have many memories of selling on the roadside, such as receiving gifts from customers. 
The cafe, located on a hill, offers a panoramic view of the East China Sea. The ice cream comes in sugarcane and nostalgic vanilla flavors.
Ice cream scenery on the fertile Yaeyama Islands
The ice cream scene on Okinawa's outlying islands is also not to be missed. This time, we'll be hopping around some of the most popular shops in the Yaeyama Islands.
From the island to the world with authentic gelato! <Jugoya>
First up is the gelateria Jugoya, which has only been open for a year but is already attracting gourmets and foreign tourists on vacation on Ishigaki Island. The owner is a native islander, Uechi Hiroki. The name of the shop comes from the Okinawa soba restaurant run by his grandfather, and the Japanese-style storefront is a reference to Uechi's previous work as a kabuki kimono dresser.
From the more than 200 varieties they have developed, they select from island ingredients, traditional Italian, and Japanese flavors, and offer 10 different varieties each day. "Ice cream recipes are really complex, delicate, and mathematical. From there, we search for the answer that suits the climate of Ishigaki."
A showcase that will leave you mesmerized by its beauty. 
On the left is Ishigaki watermelon and brown sugar pistachio, and below is Ishigaki pineapple. On the right is purple sweet potato and mango, and below is brown sugar praline. The delicate and smooth taste is impressive. 
The peak time is in the evening. You can also enjoy pairing the drink with ice cream. "This is ice cream that adults will love," says Uechi. 
There is a noren curtain outside, and inside the store there are tiles with Nakamuraya's oshiguma and yagasuri patterns, which makes sense when you hear about Uechi's previous job.
Ishigaki Island Milk Crown: Milk ice cream made in harmony with cows
Osanai Masayo's Ishigakijima Milk Crown is a food truck located along the road to Hirakubozaki, the northernmost tip of Ishigaki Island. She raises her own Jersey cows and produces craft milk and yogurt. "In order to produce delicious milk, it's important that the cows live happily," says Osanai.
The richness of this milk ice cream is made so that you can enjoy the taste of milk as it is. I remembered that on the island, the god who brings happiness is called "Miroku (Milk)."
Don't pass by the soft serve ice cream ornaments! 
Milk ice cream is served on weekdays and milk soft serve on weekends. 
There are currently eight Jersey cows being raised in the adjacent pasture. 
Osanai's previous job was as a graphic designer, and although this was his first time raising cows, he felt like he could do it.
Enjoy the bounty of the island at a seaside teahouse (Yubu Island Teahouse)
Yubu Island can be reached by water buffalo cart from Iriomote Island. Yubu Island Teahouse, located on Manta Beach, is a directly managed store of Iriomote Island's ice cream brand, Mahal Gelato. "'Mahal' means 'delicious' in our language. We are particular about using fresh, delicious, seasonal ingredients from Iriomote Island," says representative Ryoko Hayashi.
In fact, the ice cream is transported from Iriomote Island on the first water buffalo cart of the morning. There's something exciting about the idea of ice cream being pulled across the sea by a water buffalo. A while back, there was a mysterious word game that became popular where people would say "Happy Ice Cream!" if they uttered the same words in conversation. The sight of Okinawan ice cream makes you wonder if this is where it originated.
On the left is Okinawan Blue, made with butterfly pea and salt from Iriomote, and below is peach pineapple. On the right is spring turmeric, and below is Awamori, made with aged Yaesen sake (kusu). Each has a vibrant flavor of the ingredients. 
The round trip fare for the buffalo cart is 2,000 yen. 
Every day, Hayashi walks to work over the sea, carrying everything except the ice cream. 
A teahouse surrounded by subtropical plants 
Island banana, pineapple, island lemon, butterfly pea, spring turmeric... Fresh seasonal ingredients are used.
