Azuki Bar Day is celebrated on 1 July and the makers of the tasty frozen snack sure know how to celebrate!

Japan is steadily gliding into the really hot months now and this is when frozen snacks are at their peak demand. One long seller here has been the Azuki Bar by Imayura Confectionery made with azuki beans.

Now, for the uninitiated, a bar of frozen beans may not sound too appetizing, but Azuki Bars have a very mellow taste comparable to chocolate but much milder which makes them even more refreshing for a hot summer’s day. Plus, for our lactose intolerant and vegan friends, these “ice cream” bars contain no milk though you wouldn’t guess it from eating one.

But don’t take my word for it. Take one of the over 19,000 free Azuki Bars that will be handed out once again on 1 July in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka. This is all done in honor of Azuki Bar Day which was established in 2007 with the Japan Anniversary Association to raise awareness of… Azuki Bars I guess.

Sure, it’s not the deepest holiday around, but it is sure to be the coolest with free Azuki Bars a-plenty being given away in the following locations:

■ Tokyo
Tokyo Midtown (Canopy Square) / 東京ミッドタウン　キャノピースクエア
Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Akasaka 9-7-1
東京都港区赤坂9-7-1
6,000 Azuki Bars

Mie Terrace Kaijo / 三重テラス会場
Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Muromachi 2-4-1, Ukiyoziji Senjuya Bldg. Yuito Annex 1F/2F
東京都中央区日本橋室町2-4-1 浮世小路千疋屋ビル「YUITO ANNEX」1F・2F
450 Azuki Bars

■ Nagoya
Nana-chan Street / ナナちゃんストリート
Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi, Nakamura-ku,  Meieki 1-2
愛知県名古屋市中村区名駅一丁目2番
4,000 Azuki Bars

■ Osaka
Diamor Osaka, Event Space D’s Square /  ディアモール大阪　イベントスペースディーズスクエア
Osaka-shi, Kita-ku, Umeda 1-Chome, In front of Osaka Station in the Diamond Underground Shopping Area
大阪市北区梅田1丁目　大阪駅前ダイヤモンド地下街
5,000 Azuki Bars

■ Fukuoka
Solaria Lion Hiroba / ソラリアライオン広場会場
Fukuoka-shi, Chuo-ku, Tenjin 2-1-1, Solaria Terminal Bldg. 1F
福岡市中央区天神2丁目1番1号 ソラリアターミナルビル1F
4,000 Azuki Bars

All venues will be unloading their supply of Azuki Bars from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except for the Osaka event which begins at 10:30 a.m. Also, all events will end when supplies run out so don’t expect the Mie Terrace one to be open long.

Superfans of Azuki Bars may want to check out the Tokyo Midtown event at 2:30 p.m. where a special talk will be held shedding light on some of the secrets of Imuraya’s product development.

By the way, Azuki Bars are often touted as “the world’s hardest frozen snack” so be sure to bite with caution. Still, if you’re in need of a frosty treat or some makeshift armor, you can’t go wrong with one of these freebies.

So, be sure to mark Azuki Day on your calendar!  Then, make sure nobody sees your calendar, lest they think you’re weird.

Source: Japaaan, My Game News Flash
Images: SoraNews24