Frozen Imagawa-yaki You Can Eat as Is – The Sweet of the Future
Developed in response to the extreme summer heat expected at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, the "Frozen Imagawa-yaki You Can Eat as Is" offers a cool and refreshing take on traditional Japanese sweets. While frozen, the product retains a soft and moist texture, with Kyoto Uji matcha-infused batter and a delicately sweet red bean paste center. It redefines the category by eliminating the need for heating, breaking the conventional image of Imagawa-yaki.
Through precise adjustments in moisture and sugar levels, the development team achieved a texture that remains tender even straight from the freezer. The formulation balances increased sweetness for textural stability while maintaining a refined, not overly sweet flavor. The use of Kyoto Uji matcha ensures the aroma and flavor hold up even at cold temperatures, offering a premium, authentic Japanese experience.
Adding emotional value to the product, each Imagawa-yaki is randomly stamped with one of five positive messages, such as “You’re doing great” or “Hope today is a good day.” This emotional connection aligns with Terrace Nichirei’s brand philosophy and encourages social sharing in a digital-first era.
This innovation challenges the norm that frozen foods must be heated, presenting a new genre of ready-to-eat frozen confections. With strong potential for placement in summer events, tourist destinations, convenience store freezers, and vending machines, this product stands as a symbol of Nichirei’s forward-thinking approach to the future of frozen food.
Martner Japan insight comment
Traditional Japanese sweets such as taiyaki and imagawa-yaki have long been enjoyed as warm confections. However, in recent years, with summer-like heat in Japan now lasting from June through early October, a new wave of frozen sweets is gaining popularity. Globally, there is rising interest in sweets that offer unique textural experiences, and frozen adaptations of traditional Japanese confections are expected to attract increasing attention in the near future.
Source：Nichirei website
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