To Create an "Ice Cream Shop Where People from All Over the World Gather" in Front of Asahikawa Station! A Regional Revitalization Project to Save 110,000 Tons of Imperfect Vegetables and the Dairy Crisis
Iroenpitsu Co., Ltd. announced a regional revitalization project aiming to solve the structural issues of "mass disposal" and "labor shortage" in Japan's primary industry, starting from Asahikawa. The project focuses on creating an ice cream shop that utilizes 110,000 tons of imperfect vegetables to save the dairy industry and attract people globally.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 23:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
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Our company endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to express dreams. This press release is a dream of Iroenpitsu Co., Ltd.
Iroenpitsu Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Asahikawa City, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Yuki Otawara), with the mission of "giving form to individual colors," announces three dreams to solve the structural issues of "mass disposal" and "labor shortage" faced by Japan's primary industry, starting from its hometown of Asahikawa.
■ Background: My sister and brother-in-law facing life in the extreme cold, and the "110,000 tons of waste" seen on site
Representative Otawara's sister and brother-in-law inherited a ranch in Horonobe Town, Hokkaido, in December 2025, after serving as members of the regional revitalization cooperation team. Witnessing them dedicate their lives to caring for cows in the extreme cold, sometimes below -20 degrees Celsius, I strongly resolved to "support the primary industry that my close and important people are trying to protect, with my strengths in 'communication and planning.'"
While actually involved in public relations support and logo creation for my sister and brother-in-law, and visiting many farmers through our company media "Caracan," I witnessed a serious reality. In the Kamikawa region alone, 35.4% of the annual production of potatoes, a major agricultural product, amounting to approximately 111,000 tons, is excluded from the market as "imperfect." Farmers sometimes pay up to 70 yen per kilogram for this disposal, which severely pressures their management. (※Actual figures published are based on our company's research)
■ "Ice Cream Revolution" to transform "colors that were supposed to be discarded" into regional treasures
"I want to transform these wonderful resources into value in a different form." The answer to that is "ice cream," which is my origin. For three years during high school, I learned at an ice cream shop the "smiles" that customers show the moment they receive their ice cream, and the power of communication that arises from it. Since starting my business, I have been conducting interviews while talking to various people about "I want to open an ice cream shop!"
Currently, towards opening an ice cream shop, I operate an Instagram account (@yuki_ice_trip) that shares the stories behind ice creams from various regions. Both IT and web work, and ice cream shops, are the same in that they "color (Color) everyday life." 1kg
Iroenpitsu Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Asahikawa City, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Yuki Otawara), with the mission of "giving form to individual colors," announces three dreams to solve the structural issues of "mass disposal" and "labor shortage" faced by Japan's primary industry, starting from its hometown of Asahikawa.
■ Background: My sister and brother-in-law facing life in the extreme cold, and the "110,000 tons of waste" seen on site
Representative Otawara's sister and brother-in-law inherited a ranch in Horonobe Town, Hokkaido, in December 2025, after serving as members of the regional revitalization cooperation team. Witnessing them dedicate their lives to caring for cows in the extreme cold, sometimes below -20 degrees Celsius, I strongly resolved to "support the primary industry that my close and important people are trying to protect, with my strengths in 'communication and planning.'"
While actually involved in public relations support and logo creation for my sister and brother-in-law, and visiting many farmers through our company media "Caracan," I witnessed a serious reality. In the Kamikawa region alone, 35.4% of the annual production of potatoes, a major agricultural product, amounting to approximately 111,000 tons, is excluded from the market as "imperfect." Farmers sometimes pay up to 70 yen per kilogram for this disposal, which severely pressures their management. (※Actual figures published are based on our company's research)
■ "Ice Cream Revolution" to transform "colors that were supposed to be discarded" into regional treasures
"I want to transform these wonderful resources into value in a different form." The answer to that is "ice cream," which is my origin. For three years during high school, I learned at an ice cream shop the "smiles" that customers show the moment they receive their ice cream, and the power of communication that arises from it. Since starting my business, I have been conducting interviews while talking to various people about "I want to open an ice cream shop!"
Currently, towards opening an ice cream shop, I operate an Instagram account (@yuki_ice_trip) that shares the stories behind ice creams from various regions. Both IT and web work, and ice cream shops, are the same in that they "color (Color) everyday life." 1kg