Hoping for the next subscription release. 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)' used to have a soft-serve ice cream subscription!
Hello, this is Tasuki.
Every year, July 3rd is 'Soft-Serve Ice Cream Day'.
On July 3, 1951, the first cone-style soft-serve ice cream in Japan was sold at a stall during a carnival hosted by the U.S. military at Meiji Jingu Gaien in Tokyo.
This event became a commemoration, and the Japan Soft-Serve Ice Cream Association designated July 3rd as 'Soft-Serve Ice Cream Day' every year.
Reference: NISSEI Soft-Serve Ice Cream Land
Soft-serve ice cream is delicious, isn't it? There is a soft-serve ice cream shop I love that I have written about on note twice in the past. I have a fracture, but since I cannot walk, all my plans to go out have been canceled, and my mental state is very poor.
At the very least, I want to go to that soft-serve shop to eat. Because I have been feeling more depressed lately due to the many restrictions caused by my fracture, I need something to look forward to.
In this article, I wish I had written it in October 2025, but it seems that in Hyogo Prefecture, they had a soft-serve subscription at a service area!
A limited-time soft-serve ice cream subscription (flat-rate sales) project started at the 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)' on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway in Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is possible to eat one soft-serve ice cream per day for one month from the date of purchase of the service.
The 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)' outbound line offers 'Tanburan' made with Tamba chestnuts, and the 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)' inbound line offers 'Jet Black King,' which is kneaded with local specialty black soybean kinako. Both are popular items released in 2025 at 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)' and were usually sold for over 500 yen.
They were selling the subscription service until October 31, 2025.
This time, I would like to describe in detail what kind of soft-serve ice cream could be eaten with the subscription at 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)'.
What was the high-quality soft-serve ice cream that could be eaten with the 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)' subscription?
You could choose between a single plan (1,980 yen) that could be used on either the inbound or outbound line, and a double plan (2,980 yen) that could be used on both. Those who purchased it were given a card with the expiration date (one month) and a special Tamba-yaki bowl. From the second time onwards, you could bring these two items to receive the soft-serve ice cream.
'Tanburan,' named after the motif of Tamba chestnuts and the Western confection Mont Blanc, is known for its rich flavor and elegant sweetness. 'Jet Black King' uses bamboo charcoal, and its jet-black appearance has a big impact.
A representative from 'Komei Kogyo,' the operating company located in Osaka City, Osaka, for 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA),' stated, 'The single plan becomes more cost-effective the more you eat from the fourth time onwards. I want people to eat the autumn flavors of Tamba in the form of soft-serve ice cream.'
In the last few years, subscription services have expanded into various genres, such as clothing rentals and video and music streaming, but introducing them at highway service areas is a rare case.
'I hope that the soft-serve ice cream subscription will become a hot topic and lead to the promotion of local tourism. I would be happy if people visited the Tamba region many times,' said a male manager of the outbound line of 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA).'
My small happiness
The day before this article, I went to the orthopedic clinic and had an X-ray of my leg taken. Even though I have sciatica and spondylolisthesis, I forgot to wear my corset, called a Max Belt, to the hospital that day, and my lower back started to hurt.
And on the way home, I went to a convenience store.
I was buying the cigarettes my father smokes out of my own salary in his place, and the stock was running low.
Since my mother wouldn't know which ones to buy even if I asked her, I went into the convenience store on crutches.
Originally, I only intended to get the cigarettes. However, there was something I had been curious about.
It was the 'milk tea that is currently buzzing' that I saw on social media, and 'high-quality chocolate from a major manufacturer that a professional pastry chef said you should eat'.
As it happened, they had both in stock, so I bought them and went home.
It was the first time in a while that I had gone to a convenience store myself. An outing other than to the orthopedic clinic.
Before I broke my bone, I used to go to convenience stores occasionally. I could easily buy whatever I was interested in.
Now, there are restrictions even just going there, and because I have a fracture, I can't just buy anything.
Convenience stores are everywhere, but I was so moved to go to one after such a long time.
Even the chocolate that is rumored to be delicious, when I am feeling weak, I can savor it so much and feel happy; it made me realize that such modest happiness is so close by.
In my daily life, I take these things for granted, and I haven't been able to notice that happiness.
Just by going to the convenience store, my heart felt a little brighter.
The soft-serve ice cream subscription that 'Hyogo Nishiki Service Area (SA)', the main topic of this article, was offering is an irresistible project for someone like me who loves it!
The subscription might have already ended, but I personally felt that it is a subscription I would love for them to continue in the future.
