A fun drinking town tour event! "Cream Soda in Yakage" [Okayama]

• table of contents
• Get a pamphlet at the Yakage Visitor Center Wholesaler
• Get the new masking tape and keychains with gacha!
• Rent a walking bicycle at the Sanyo Road Yakagejuku Roadside Station
• Easily cycle through the old post town on a walking bicycle
• 1. Seeds Fujiwara/ Brown Sugar Lemonade Float
• 2. Taisho Roman Museum / Yumeji's Dream-Colored Cream Soda
• 3.t2lab./Ume Cream Soda
• Dango and cream soda?!
• Fresh crepes tabi
• 4. Healthy Sweets & Lunch Shop Mantenchaya / Lemon, Lemon, Honey Lemon
• 5. Yakage Machiya Community Center Yakage Chaya / Passion Fruit Cream Soda from Yakage Town
• 6. Yakage Inn & Suites / Old-fashioned Cream Soda
• 7. YKNOT COFFEE WORKS / Espresso & Dark Cherry Cream Soda
• Lunch at "Samurai Italian in Yakage, a post town"
• 8. Shokukobo Tsuo / Mixed Mango Cream Soda
• 9. Suisha no Sato Fruittopia / Fresh Strawberry Cream Soda
• Surprise strawberries!!
• Conclusion

Get a pamphlet at the Yakage Visitor Center Wholesaler

First, we went to the Yakage Visitor Center Wholesaler, located almost in the center of the Cream Soda event venue, and picked up a pamphlet with a map of the venue and details of the participating stores. There was also a digital stamp rally, and if you completed the following, you could receive a cute clear file!

① Order a cream soda at any of the two participating stores and get a stamp.

②Post a photo of the event on Instagram, X, or Facebook with the hashtag "Cream Soda IN Yakage"

Also, if you ordered a cream soda at a participating store, you would receive one of three colored stickers as a gift. I started the event full of enthusiasm and attended all four days of the event!!

[Yakage Visitor Center Wholesaler/Yakage DMO]

Address: 1989 Yakage, Yakage Yakage , Yakage Town gun, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-83-0001

Business hours: 9:00-17:00

Parking: None (use nearby tourist parking)

Get the new masking tape and keychains with gacha!

Next to the reception desk inside the Yakage Visitor Center inquiry office, there are new masking tape gacha and cream soda keychain gacha machines. The masking tape and keychains come in three colors each, and it was fun to experience the excitement of not knowing what you'd get. Many people, from children to adults, enjoyed these machines. (Please note that the cup holders from the gacha machines must be returned.)

Rent a walking bicycle at the Sanyo Road Yakagejuku Roadside Station

About a three-minute walk from the Yakage Visitor Center Wholesaler, we arrive at Roadside Station Sanyo Road Yakagejuku, located along National Route 486. This roadside station was overseen by Okayama-born industrial designer Mito Mitooka. A notable feature of the facility is that there are no restaurants or retail stores within the facility, with the adjacent shopping arcade being used as a retail and dining area. The first floor introduces sightseeing spots and local products through photographs, while the second floor houses a kids' room and a mini gallery.

Here you can rent bicycles, walking bicycles, and electric scooters. To enjoy a comfortable cream soda tour, I decided to rent a walking bicycle!

[Sanyodo Yakagejuku Roadside Station]

Address: 1988-10 Yakage, Yakage , Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-63-4300

Business hours: 9:00-17:00

Parking: Available

Easily cycle through the old post town on a walking bicycle

This was my first time riding a walking bicycle since I previously rode it while reporting on Ibara Dam. It has an electric motor, so you can pedal it easily, just like riding a bicycle. There's no need to worry about falling over, but you do need to be careful of cars as you ride on the road. The Cream Soda event area is almost straight, running east to west, so it was very easy to ride. It's even more enjoyable when the weather is nice.

1. Seeds Fujiwara/ Brown Sugar Lemonade Float

See's Fujiwara's cream soda is made with freshly squeezed juice from a whole lemon, rich brown sugar syrup, and maple syrup, topped with yuzu sorbet. The sorbet alone is quite filling, and you can really taste the yuzu. The refreshing sorbet blends beautifully with the rich soda. (700 yen / limited to 12 cups per day)

[Seeds Fujiwara family]

Address: 2588 Yakage, Yakage Yakage , Yakage Town gun, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-63-4383

Business hours: 9:00-16:00 (cream soda served from 14:00-16:00) *Last orders 15:30

Closed: Wednesdays

Parking: Available

Seeds Fujiwara Family | Official website

2. Taisho Roman Museum / Yumeji's Dream-Colored Cream Soda

The day I visited was during Golden Week, and all the cream sodas had sold out shortly before I arrived... The "Koisuru Otomeiro Cream Soda" featured in the event pamphlet was already out of stock, but a customer in the store kindly cooperated with my photo shoot, allowing me to take a photo of the strawberry flavor of "Yumeji's Yumeiro Cream Soda." Thank you for your cooperation.

Other flavors available include white peach and muscat. The retro cream soda looked great in the shop, which is set in a 100-year-old traditional Japanese house and exudes the atmosphere of the Taisho era. (800 yen / limited quantity)

[Taisho Romantic Hall]

Address: 3049 Yakage, Yakage Yakage , Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 090-3630-5113

Business hours: 11:00-16:00

Closed: Monday to Friday (open on public holidays)

Parking: Nearby parking available (free) 1 space

Taisho Roman Museum｜Instagram

3.t2lab./Ume Cream Soda

Cream cheese ice cream floats in Nanko plum soda, and is gorgeously topped with dark cherries, chocolate, and oiri. It's refreshing and delicious enough for adults to drink as is, but you can enjoy a change in flavor and color by adding Aka plum syrup to your liking. The glass itself is wobbly, so be careful when carrying it. (935 yen)

[t2lab.]

Address: 2584 Yakage, Yakage Yakage , Yakage Town gun, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-82-2818

Business hours: 11:00-16:00 (last order 15:45)

Closed: Irregular holidays

Parking: None (use tourist parking lot)

t2lab. ｜Instagram

Dango and cream soda?!

"t2lab." has delicious dango (rice dumplings), so I recommend it! They had cream soda dango, so I ordered one. The refreshing sweet and sour taste of the ramune went perfectly with the dango. You can choose your favorite dango one by one, so it's also recommended as a companion to cream soda.

Fresh crepes tabi

"tabi," a fresh crepe shop next to "t2lab.", is a sister store. The dough, made with a blend of rice flour, is chewy, moist, and delicious. They bake it after you order, so you can enjoy it fresh. Oiri toppings are free, so you can enjoy decorating. They also offer free coffee while you wait, so it's a great deal!

[tabi]

Address: 2585-1 Yakage, Yakage , Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-82-2818

Business hours: 13:00-17:30

Closed: Mondays and Thursdays

tabi｜Official Instagram

4. Healthy Sweets & Lunch Shop Mantenchaya / Lemon, Lemon, Honey Lemon

This lemon soda is filled with crushed jelly made from organic Setouchi lemons, including the peel, and is topped with milk ice cream, cotton candy, and cookies. The lemons are crushed with the peel, so they have a nice texture and a good balance of sweet and bitter. The cotton candy and cookies have completely different textures, but each has its own deliciousness and goes well with the milk ice cream. (950 yen)

[Healthy Sweets & Lunch Shop Mantenchaya]

Address: 2575-6 Yakage, Yakage , Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 090-6414-2575

Business hours: 12:00-16:00 (cream soda served 11:00-15:30, eat-in available from 13:00)

Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays (open on public holidays, take-out only on Thursdays)

Parking: None (use tourist parking lot)

Healthy sweets and lunch shop Mantenchaya | Instagram

5. Yakage Machiya Community Center Yakage Chaya / Passion Fruit Cream Soda from Yakage Town

This cream soda is made with homemade jam and syrup from passion fruit grown in Yakage and topped with vanilla ice cream. The refreshing sweet and sour taste is reminiscent of the Nankoku, and the vanilla ice cream adds a mild touch. Mixing it with vanilla ice cream creates a different flavor. You can also enjoy the Nankoku feel with the passion fruit pieces. (700 yen)

[Yakage Machiya Community Center Yakage Chaya]

Address: 2639 Yakage, Yakage Yakage , Yakage Town gun, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-63-4446

Business hours: 10:00-18:00 (last order 17:30)

Closed: None

Parking: Available

Yakage Machiya Community Center | Instagram

6. Yakage Inn & Suites / Old-fashioned Cream Soda

This classic cream soda has a nostalgic feel to it. There are seven variations (melon, peach, green apple, strawberry, blue Hawaii, lemon, Sakura, and pineapple). You can enjoy the atmosphere while drinking it at the bar counter or in the courtyard. The person who makes it was also dressed in a retro hakama. The large cream soda motif at the entrance of the shop is a landmark and is perfect for Instagram!! (600 yen)

[Yakage Inn & Suites]

Address: 3050-1 Yakage , Yakage-cho , Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-82-0111

Opening hours: Cream soda served from 11:00 to 14:00 (last orders 13:30) for eat-in, 11:00 to 16:00 (last orders 15:30) for take-out. Closed: Irregular holidays.

Parking: Available

Yakage| Official website

7. YKNOT COFFEE WORKS / Espresso & Dark Cherry Cream Soda

This cream soda is perfect for adults, with a bittersweet blend of home-roasted, authentic espresso coffee and American dark cherry syrup for a sweet taste. The rich, moderately sweet vanilla ice cream is generously portioned and delicious, whether eaten on its own or mixed with other drinks. (800 yen)

[YKNOT COFFEE WORKS]

Address: 1988-8 Yakage, Yakage Yakage , Yakage Town gun, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

Business hours: 10:00-16:00

Closed: Wednesdays and Saturdays

Parking: None (use tourist parking lot)

YKNOT COFFEE WORKS | Official Instagram

Lunch at "Samurai Italian in Yakage, a post town"

This is one of the places that serves cream soda, but the cream soda contains alcohol (non-alcoholic options are also available), so I had lunch here. This Italian restaurant has a long line every day, and I had a fresh pasta lunch, which was filling and delicious. The homemade bread was also hot and delicious. You can also buy some at the "Samurai Love Bakery" next door.

[Samurai Italian]

Address: 2636 Yakage, Yakage Yakage , Yakage Town gun, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-84-1212

Business hours: 11:00-15:00 (last entry 14:15, last order 14:30), 17:30-21:30 (last entry 20:30, last order 21:00)

*Cream soda can only be ordered by customers who have had a meal

Closed: Thursdays Parking: None (use tourist parking)

Samurai Italian in the Yakage town of Yakage | Instagram

8. Shokukobo Tsuo / Mixed Mango Cream Soda

"Shoku Kobo Tsuo" is a shop located about a 6-minute drive from the roadside station. You can enjoy a hearty cream soda filled with plenty of frozen mango. The sweet mango is delicious and gives off a Nankoku vibe. Mixing the strawberry syrup in the soda with Calpis soda gives it a different flavor. It's takeout only and is limited to 20 cups per day. (800 yen)

[Food Workshop Tsuo]

Address: 2448-1 Yakage Town cho , Yakage gun, Oda County Okayama Prefecture

TEL: 0866-82-3232

Business hours: 11:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00 (last orders 21:30)

Closed: Mondays *Sometimes closed

Parking: Available

Food Workshop Tsuo | Instagram

9. Suisha no Sato Fruittopia / Fresh Strawberry Cream Soda

Located about an eight-minute drive from the roadside station is Suisha no Sato Fruittopia, a facility where you can pick fruit and have barbecues all year round. This cream soda is made with freshly picked strawberries from the farm and contains ice cream, jelly, and syrup. There are five strawberries in the glass, but three are on skewers, which was a real surprise. Only 15 cups are available per day (650 yen).

[Waterwheel Village Fruittopia]

Address: 3974-20 Yakage Town -cho , Yakage Higashi, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-83-3423

Business hours: 10:00-16:00 (last orders 15:30), until 16:30 on weekends and holidays (last orders 16:00)

Closed: Wednesdays

Parking: Available

Surprise strawberries!!

Wow!! They looked like the three strawberry brothers!! lol

Conclusion

There are still many shops I want to visit, but I haven't been able to see them all yet. Some places have limited quantities of cream soda or have set serving times, so I think it would be more efficient to pick up a pamphlet at the Yakage Visitor Center Wholesaler first and then go around. Be sure to visit Yakage Town, where fun events are held.

Saturday, April 27th to Sunday, June 2nd, 2024

Cream Soda in Yakage| Official website