What’s the Parm in a little celebration?

Parm, chocolate-covered ice cream bars on sticks, are often overlooked in the vast ecosystem of Japan’s frozen treats. But their simplicity has served as a reliable ever-popular treat in an industry that sometimes gets unhinged with spaghetti ice pops or crab ice cream. It’s just nice to know the sober deliciousness of Parm has always been around for the past 20 years.

However, after 20 years of being the dignified ice cream in Japan, it’s time for Parm to let its hair down and get a little funky. So, to celebrate this milestone The Great Parm Exhibition will be held from 3 to 7 July in the trendy Harajuku district of Tokyo.

▼ A map of the exhibition space

Upon entering this exhibition, guests are first greeted with an introduction narrated by movie star Yutaka Takenouchi, probably best known outside of Japan for his role as the Prime Minister’s aide in Shin Godzilla. He also appears in commercials for Parm.

From here you can view the Parm Dissection Book, a tome that outlines the creation of Parm and gives never-before-seen insights about its design and production. After this, there is the My First Bite display where notable fans of Parm, such as Takenouchi and the head of product development for Morinaga Milk Industry shared their first times sinking their teeth into its silky smooth chocolate and ice cream.

▼ My First Bite

Next up is the All of Parm section which will showcase the over 100 varieties of Parm that have been released over their 20-year history. Then it’s on to the Grandeur of Happiness, where a giant monument, the size of 10,000 Parm bars, will be erected. This scale was chosen because an estimated 10,000 Parm bars are eaten every 15 minutes in Japan based on last year’s sales data.

From here you can enter the Chocolate Room which is designed to make it feel like you’re inside a Parm bar and surrounded by smooth chocolate walls. Various displays highlight the unique qualities of this chocolate, like the Velvet Curtain that represents the coating which Morinaga refers to as Velvet Chocolate, and a giant pair of human lips that causes the chocolate to melt deliciously on contact.

In the Just the Way You Are section, photos taken by fans of Parm are on display, giving a unique look at the bar seldom seen in slick advertising campaigns. Nearby is the Joy That’s Supposed to Be There exhibit which simulates the happiness of finding a Parm in the freezer in three different ways.

▼ Much of the exhibition has a minimalist theme that exemplifies the simple charm of Parm.

The Moment of Birth gives visitors a rare glimpse of Parm bars entering existence from the factory, just before packaging and shipping to spread joy around the country. Next to that is the Parm Garden, which is an area with Yogibo bean bag chairs that resemble Parm bars both in appearance and smooth texture. And next to that is the Trick Parm trick art area where you can take a photo as if pulling out a giant Parm from its wrapper.

▼ Parm Garden

And last but certainly not least, there is a My Parm Bar experience where you can create your very own ice cream snack by dipping your frozen bar into melted chocolate and then adding up to two toppings of your choice. This can be done at no extra charge, but visitors must first take the Parm Love Test that gauges their love of Parm.

And speaking of charges, admission is only 700 yen (US$5), but parts of this event will only be held as long as supplies last so you may not want to wait until the last minute of this five-day celebration of all things Parm. Take the time now to get yourself Parmed and ready.

Event information
The Great Parm Exhibition / 大パルム展
With Harajuku Hall
Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 1-14-30, 3F
東京都渋谷区神宮前１丁目14-30 3F
Event runs 3 July-7 July
Hours: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Admission: 700 yen

Source, images: PR Times
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