December 22, 2025

Japan’s Ice Cream Boom, From Summer Treat to Nighttime Indulgence

Spending on ice cream in Japan has surged by roughly 50 percent over the past decade, transforming the dessert from a children’s snack into a daily reward for adults. While prolonged heat waves have driven higher consumption, another factor is the rapid growth of “night ice cream,” products and shops targeting customers in the evening and late at night.

According to the Japan Ice Cream Association, sales of ice cream and frozen desserts in fiscal 2024 are expected to rise 6 percent from the previous year to 645.1 billion yen, the highest level since statistics were first compiled in 1966. Even as Japan’s population continues to shrink, sales volume increased by 3 percent, marking the second-highest figure on record.

Two decades ago, the market was only about half its current size. Manufacturers say they have deliberately shifted product development to position ice cream as an adult dessert rather than a treat for children. In recent years, cakes and other sweets have become more expensive, making ice cream an attractive alternative. Even premium products sold by mass retailers typically cost around 300 yen, offering what many consumers see as substantial value for money.

Household data underline this shift. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ Household Survey shows that annual spending on ice cream among households with two or more people climbed 54 percent over the past 10 years, far exceeding the roughly 30 percent rise in expenditures for sweets overall. In 2024, households spent 12,295 yen on ice cream, well ahead of cakes at 7,549 yen and chocolate at 7,163 yen. Monthly expenditures in 2025 have continued to outpace the previous year, with June and July posting increases of more than 10 percent year on year.

Autumn Is Better Than Summer

Sales of adult-oriented ice cream peak not during the day, but at night. FamilyMart analyzed five years of sales data for its private brand Famimaru ice cream from January 2020 through December 2024 and found that the top-selling time slot was early evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., followed by late afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and then late night from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The convenience store chain reports that sales after 9:00 p.m. have risen by 1.7 to 2 times compared with fiscal 2020, turning late night hours into a new purchasing peak. With more specialty shops opening only in the evening, ice cream in Japan is no longer just a way to cool off in summer, it is becoming a year round ritual for adults seeking a small but satisfying indulgence at the end of the day.