The only thing better than a nationwide ice cream tour is doing it without leaving the city.

Local specialty foods are one of Japan’s many delights, giving both domestic and international tourists a reason for leaving the major cities, and exploring the less-traversed parts of the country. However, what if there were a way to enjoy what different regions have to offer without having to take up valuable time getting there in the first place? Well, that’s where antenna shops come in. Antenna shops are set up by local municipalities or their affiliates in major cities to promote the region’s products and culture. Lately, Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan, located right next to JR Yurakocho Station, has been trending on social media for being a hotspot of delicious regional foods, particularly now that summer is here, as the shopping mall has transformed itself into a paradise of soft serve ice cream, stocking cold and refreshing treats from all over the country.

Among the various options on offer, the one that has made the biggest splash is the camembert ice cream from Joetsu Myoko Yukiguni Shoten Niigata-shoku no Kura on the first floor of the building.

The Nojo Camembert Soft Serve is made with fresh milk from cows raised on Sado Island, and can only be enjoyed at this store, if you’re not up to leaving Tokyo.

The full-size version costs 400 yen (US$2.71), whereas the mini one costs 300 yen, but with a solid cheese flavor and milky richness, you’re going to want to eat as much of this refreshingly light ice cream as you can—one full-size might not even be enough to satisfy your appetite for this perfect flavor. It is worth a visit to the store just for this ice cream alone.

However, with an entire nation’s worth of frozen treats to enjoy, why stop at just one variety? Right next door is the Okinawan goods store Ginza Washita Shop Honten, which has a soft-serve of its own that is similarly making its rounds on Japanese social media.

From the popular Blue Seal ice cream brand comes Mango & Beni Imo Soft Serve for 440 yen, and to get it you just have to pick up a ticket for the variety you want at the back of the store.

While your first thought might be that these two distinctive flavors would clash, they instead match beautifully, while also having a gorgeous appearance. The mango is fresh, fruity, and bursting with aroma, whereas the beni-imo (purple sweet potato) has a mildly sweet and gentle flavor. Despite the richness of the sweet potato, the aftertaste is incredibly refreshing.

Exploring the stores around the shopping mall a little more, you’ll soon discover that there’s a lot more there than just ice cream, such as casdoce from Hirado in Nagasaki. In a similar fashion to French toast, casdoce is made by soaking castella in an egg mixture, before it’s coated generously with coarse sugar.

Heading down to the B1 floor, you’ll soon discover Hirado City’s antenna shop Yurakucho Hirado Shokan, where you can pick up two pieces of the snack for 540 yen.

It might be overloaded with sugar, but it’s not overly sweet, and is more like enjoying the flavor of a thick-rolled omelet rather than castella.

Also, right next to the Niigata and Okinawa shops from earlier, you will come across the chocolate company Godiva’s world-first bakery Godipan, which serves over 30 kinds of bread. So be sure to pick some up when you swing on by, perhaps alternating between breads and ice cream for an afternoon full of culinary delights.

If you’re looking for a perfect summer outing, without long train journeys and overbearing heat, you should pop into Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan, as not only is it just a short hop from the station, you get to send your taste buds on a nationwide tour of ice cream, staying perfectly cool in an air-conditioned indoor space.

Location information:
Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan / 東京交通会館
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Yurakucho, 2-chome 10-1
東京都千代田区有楽町２丁目１０−１
Open: 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (Joetsu Myoko Yukiguni Shoten Niigata-shoke no Kura); 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (Ginza Washita Shop Honten); 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (Yurakucho Hirado Shokan) ; 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (Godiva Bakery)
Website

Related: Joetsu Myoko Yukiguni Shoten Niigata-shoke no Kura, Ginza Washita Shop Honten, Yurakucho Hirado Shokan, Godiva Bakery
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]