Blue Seal

Blue Seal Ice Cream in Ibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture

Blue Seal Ice Cream is a Japanese ice cream chain operated by Foremost Blue Seal. It is particularly prevalent in Okinawa, and its slogan is "Born in America, Raised in Okinawa."[1]

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 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 Naha also opened that year.

Later on, the company transferred to local ownership and Okinawan flavors such as beni-imo (purple sweet potato) and Goya bitter melon were introduced. The flagship store has a retro American diner theme.[2]

In 2009, Blue Seal opened a location in Shibuya, Tokyo, marking its first expansion onto Kanto.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Blue Seal: Born in the U.S., raised in Okinawa". travel.cnn.com. 2009-09-27.
  2. ↑ Narang, Sonia. "Blue Seal: The GI Ice Cream That Okinawans Made Their Own". NPR.com. National Public Radio. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
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