This is a review of the soft serve ice cream from Roadside Station Aurora Town 93 Rikubetsu in Rikubetsu Town. Despite the upcoming July, the temperature outside is only 11°C. The inn is located on the second floor of this roadside station, so I enjoyed the soft serve ice cream in my room. This soft serve ice cream is participating in the Tokachi Soft Serve Ice Cream Rally. The description of this shop's soft serve ice cream mentions that it is blended with plenty of Tokachi milk and fresh cream. Contrary to my expectations, it was a light and refreshing soft serve ice cream. It has a rich milk flavor without feeling heavy in the stomach, and the aftertaste is also refreshing. The shop is scheduled to be open until October 31st. With the town having an average low temperature of -20°C in January and an average temperature of -11°C, the idea of eating ice cream in winter is quite... chilly.

Rikubetsu, known as the coldest town in Japan, is home to a roadside station called "Aurora Town 93." Whenever passing through this town, I always make sure to stop by this roadside station. Inside, they sell local souvenirs like mountain vegetables. Towards the back, there is a soft-serve ice cream corner. I order a soft-serve ice cream for 280 yen. It is very soft and creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness and a strong milk flavor. The soft-serve melts quickly, so it's best to eat it fast. The natural taste of the soft-serve is delightful.

I stopped by Aurora Town 93 hoping to use the restroom and see if they had the product I was curious about. After refreshing myself, I visited the freely accessible Rikubetsu Railway's "Maetel" train and then checked out the products in the store. I was happy to find "Rikubetsu Milk" available. The town started producing and selling low-temperature pasteurized milk using locally sourced milk in May this year. I bought a 200ml bottle for 150 yen and enjoyed it outside. I love milk, so I try different kinds when I come across them. This Rikubetsu milk was the sweetest I've ever tasted, with a strong sweetness and a smooth finish. It didn't have a layer of cream on top, making it easy to drink. I could easily drink three more bottles in one go. The milk is made by pasteurizing milk collected through JA Rikubetsu Town at 65 degrees for 30 minutes once a month at the Town's Agricultural and Livestock Processing Training Center. The product is called "Rikubetsu Low-Temperature Pasteurized Milk" and comes in 200ml (150 yen) and 900ml (450 yen) containers. I highly recommend it and would buy it again next time if it's available. Thank you for the delicious milk!