From "Summer Profits Eaten Up in Winter" to Market Transformation
"In the old days, we used to burn through summer profits in the second half of the year." This is how Yudai Yamamoto, Manager of Morinaga Milk Industry's frozen desserts division, describes the former winter ice cream market after years of working in ice cream sales and marketing.
Even Morinaga Milk Industry — a major player that started selling ice cream in 1947 and launched the long-selling "Pino" brand in 1976 — struggled to secure winter profits. The company's ice cream business alone remained in the red until the late 2000s. "Ice cream is something children eat in summer" — this was once industry common sense.
Today, the situation has completely reversed. Winter ice cream spending has been climbing steadily, doubling over 20 years. According to the Japan Ice Cream Association, ice cream sales reached 645.1 billion yen in fiscal 2024, setting an all-time record for the fifth consecutive year. Manufacturers that identified winter as a business opportunity have fundamentally transformed the market.
The "Adult Ice Cream" Revolution Through Target Shift
The turning point came when companies switched their target demographic to adults. With an eye toward expanding winter sales, Morinaga Milk Industry pivoted from the then-mainstream child demographic to target adults. They researched rich, smooth ice cream that would appeal even in winter, developing "MOW" in 2003 and "PARM" in 2005.
PARM featured actor Akira Terao in its commercials, positioning it as "ice cream for adults." The product grew into a year-round seller including winter, eventually surpassing "Pino" to generate over 20 billion yen in annual sales. This success turned Morinaga's ice cream business profitable, making it one of the company's growth engines today.
Manufacturing Technology Advances Enable "Rich Ice Cream"
The development of adult-oriented rich ice cream was supported by advances in manufacturing technology. According to the Japan Ice Cream Association and other sources, companies made significant capital investments in the 2000s. Technology for creating finer ice crystals (essential for rich, smooth texture), ingredient formulation research, and filling techniques all advanced dramatically.
These innovations made possible the "smooth, rich texture" that was previously difficult to achieve, leading to a wave of high-quality ice cream products that satisfy adult palates.
"Heated Rooms" and "Kotatsu Ice Cream" Culture
Changes in eating settings also played a role. The Japan Ice Cream Association notes that "the spread of heating systems has established the habit of enjoying ice cream in warm indoor spaces even during winter."
Just as "kotatsu de mikan" (oranges at the heated table) was once a quintessential Japanese winter scene, "kotatsu de ice" (ice cream at the kotatsu) has become the new standard. Research shows ice cream tastes best when room temperature is maintained at 20-25°C, and modern living environments are supporting ice cream consumption.
Additionally, ice cream is valued as offering "worth beyond its price" even amid rising costs. Compared to cakes and other sweets, ice cream offers satisfaction at an accessible price point, gaining support as an everyday small luxury.
The "Limited Time Only" Winter Strategy
Another factor in winter ice cream's success is companies' aggressive launch of winter-limited products. The "only available now" sense of exclusivity stimulates consumer purchasing desire.
Meiji offers "Tokuno" (Extra Rich), a winter-only variant of their "Meiji Dear Milk" series made exclusively with domestic dairy products. In December 2025, they held celebrity-attended events promoting the winter scene of eating rich ice cream.
Lotte expands its flagship "Yukimi Daifuku" with variations like "Yukimi Daifuku PREMIUM -Nojuku- Mango" and "Yukimi Daifuku Heart Strawberry" as limited editions. "Heart Strawberry" features packaging partially reading "Yukimi Daisuki" (Love Yukimi) to create buzz, timed with Valentine's Day and other winter events.
Lotte notes that "the limited-time exclusivity of products you can only eat now attracts many consumers."
Yukimi Daifuku: Pioneer of Winter Ice Cream
No discussion of Japan's winter ice cream culture is complete without Lotte's "Yukimi Daifuku," launched in 1981. At the time, established dairy manufacturers dominated the ice cream industry. As a late entrant, Lotte bet on the counterintuitive concept of "ice cream that sells in winter."
TV commercials depicting cozy kotatsu scenes with ice cream against snowy backdrops proposed an entirely new lifestyle. The innovative concept of combining mochi rice cake with ice cream won massive consumer support, pioneering the winter ice cream category.
Surprising Regional Consumption Patterns
According to Ministry of Internal Affairs household surveys, ice cream consumption rankings surprisingly show cold-weather regions like Hokuriku, Hokkaido, and Tohoku at the top, while warmer western Japan and Kyushu rank lower. Yamagata City recorded the highest spending at 14,747 yen in fiscal 2024.
This reflects the superior heating infrastructure in cold regions, maintaining high indoor temperatures. Hokkaido in particular has Japan's highest insulated housing adoption rate at 81.6%, with winter indoor temperatures around 20°C — far warmer than anywhere else in the country.
Conclusion: From "Summer Dessert" to "Year-Round Reward"
Ice cream has evolved from "a summer dessert for children" to "an adult indulgence enjoyable even in winter" through the combined factors of adult-oriented rich product development, manufacturing innovation, and heating system proliferation.
Companies' active investment in winter-limited products is expected to continue. Even amid rising prices, ice cream that delivers "value beyond its price" has become an irreplaceable source of comfort for Japanese consumers.
What about in your country? Do people eat ice cream during winter? Are there "adult-targeted ice cream" products or "winter-limited flavors"? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
References
Reactions in Japan
Eating ice cream at the kotatsu in winter is absolutely the best. You don't have to worry about it melting so you can savor it slowly, and rich flavors taste incredible. Whoever thought of this is a genius.
It's amazing that PARM sells over 20 billion yen annually. Akira Terao's commercials really established it as 'adult ice cream.' That branding was brilliant.
As someone from Hokkaido, eating ice cream in winter is so normal that I'm surprised when people from Honshu are shocked by it. Our rooms are warm, so it's actually easier to eat than in summer.
Going from 'burning through summer profits in winter' to profitability is textbook-worthy as a target-change success story. The decision to pivot to adults was brilliant.
I look forward to winter-limited ice cream every year! The 'Heart Strawberry' Yukimi Daifuku with 'Yukimi Daisuki' packaging is too cute. Buying it for Valentine's.
Ice cream prices have gone up, but it's still much cheaper and more satisfying than buying cake. 'Worth beyond its price' is exactly right. Great cost-performance among sweets.
When I was a kid, I only ate ice cream in summer, but now I might prefer winter. The richness of MOW and PARM suits winter. Times have changed.
I'm proud that Kanazawa ranks high in ice cream consumption. We love sweets and eat ice cream even in winter. Yamagata being #1 is surprising, but Tohoku has good heating too.
So manufacturing technology advanced in the 2000s making rich ice cream possible. Didn't know that. It does feel like today's ice cream is smoother and tastier than before.
My routine is eating ice cream after a bath on winter nights. Rich vanilla or chocolate tastes especially good. My day doesn't feel complete without it.
Honestly, I wonder if you need to eat cold things in winter, but maybe it makes sense when you've heated the room too much. The battle with air conditioning bills...
I've loved Yukimi Daifuku since I was little. 1981 release means it's older than my parents lol. But I still get excited for every new flavor. Lotte is genius.
Didn't know Dear Milk Tokuno was winter-only. Love that they only use domestic dairy products. Need to buy it before winter ends.
645.1 billion yen ice cream market hitting all-time highs for 5 consecutive years is amazing. Still selling despite inflation - 'small luxury' demand? Japan's ice cream love is real.
So western Japan has lower ice cream consumption because of weaker heating. True, Kansai homes don't heat as much as Hokkaido. When it's cold, I want warm food.
In the UK, we don't really have a habit of eating ice cream in winter. But it's fascinating how Japanese companies succeeded by shifting their target to 'adult ice cream.' Great marketing case study.
As a Swede, I can relate to eating ice cream in winter! Nordic countries also have warm indoors, similar to Japan. The paradox that colder countries eat more ice cream is interesting.
Apparently winter ice cream consumption is increasing in Spain too. But I've never heard of a strategy to actively release 'winter-limited products' like Japan. Manufacturers could learn from this.
Americans eat ice cream year-round, but 'adult-targeted' positioning is unusual. It's interesting that Japan's PARM succeeded with this strategy outside of Häagen-Dazs.
Japanese ice cream is super popular in Taiwan! We have MOW and PARM too. I didn't know that 'manufacturing technology advances enabled rich ice cream' - very educational!
In Germany, ice cream is traditionally a summer food. Japan's turnaround from 'unprofitable ice cream business to profitability' offers many lessons for manufacturers. Great example of innovation and market development.
Ice cream is popular in France too, but consumption definitely drops in winter. The analysis that Japan's unique 'kotatsu' culture supports ice cream consumption is fascinating.
India's ice cream market is growing rapidly with less seasonal variation. Japan's 'limited edition' strategy captures consumer psychology well and could be applied in India too.
In Poland, few people eat ice cream in cold winter. But hearing about 'Yukimi Daifuku,' I think wrapping ice cream in mochi is genius! I want to try it!
New Zealand is known as the world's top ice cream consuming country. Japan's market doubling in 20 years is impressive. A great example of manufacturer efforts and consumer changes aligning well.
China's ice cream market is also growing rapidly. Japanese brands are trusted for quality and safety, especially among young people. 'Adult-targeted' messaging would work well in China too.
Brazil is warm so we eat ice cream year-round, but we don't have 'winter-only exclusivity' like Japan. The seasonal marketing approach is innovative and educational.
In Korea too, winter ice cream consumption has been increasing. I think it's partly influenced by Japan, but eating ice cream in an ondol-heated room is the best! The connection between heating culture and ice cream consumption makes sense.
In Australia, we eat ice cream even in winter (June-August). But Japan's '2000s manufacturing technology innovation' perspective is fresh. A great example of technology transforming markets.
As a Canadian, eating ice cream in winter is actually normal. Indoors are warm, and ice cream is comfort food. Felt a connection finding so many similarities with Japan.