Milk Kobo, Higashiyama

Every good entrepreneur recognises that a problem is an opportunity in disguise, and Higashiyama’s Milk Kobo is a great example. Dairy farming is one of Niseko’s biggest agricultural industries so it hit the town hard 15 years ago when there was a milk glut across the country. The price of milk plummeted and farms had excess milk they couldn’t get rid of. Working 15-hour days – from 5am until 8pm – the owners couldn’t bring themselves to throw any away, so they started an ice cream shop. The quality of their milk is as good as it gets – cows are hand milked, bred on all-natural feed and the purest water in Japan from Mt Yotei, and exercised daily even in winter – so it was no surprise their ice cream was a hit. After four years they decided to expand their range and started selling drinking yoghurt, which soon gained a reputation as well. These days they’re also known across Japan for the quality of their chou cream puffs, roll cakes, and puddings and are a major domestic summer Niseko tourist attraction. On the road to Higashiyama Prince Hotel, open 10am – 6pm daily.