Blue Seal Ice Cream is a Japanese ice cream chain operated by Foremost Blue Seal. It is particularly prevalent in

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

, and its slogan is "Born in America, Raised in Okinawa."

History

The United States military created the ice cream for American soldiers stationed in Okinawa after the close of World War II, to boost morale and give them a familiar taste of home. Its first factory opened in 1948 on a US military base. The Blue Seal products were only offered to Americans until 1963, when the company began selling to the Okinawan public. Their flagship store in

Urasoe is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east. As of February 2024, the city has an estimated population of 115,518 and a population den ...

also opened that year, which still maintains a retro American diner theme. Later on, the company transferred to local ownership and Okinawan flavors such as ''beni-imo'' ( purple sweet potato) and Goya bitter melon were introduced. In 2009, Blue Seal opened a location in

Shibuya is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station. As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,60 ...

, Tokyo, marking its first expansion into the

Kanto region Japanese Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region * Kantō-kai, organized crime group * Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ''Pokém ...

References

External links

*{{Official, https://www.blueseal.co.jp/en/ Okinawan cuisine Ice cream parlors Japanese companies established in 1948 Restaurants established in 1948