Since its launch in 1986, Imuraya’s “Taiyaki Ice” series has been a long-selling product loved by many for nearly 40 years. The long-awaited new addition, “Taiyaki Ice Pudding,” will be released for a limited time starting Monday, December 29, 2025, at mass retailers, supermarkets, and Japanese convenience stores (Konbini) nationwide in Japan. This is a noteworthy new product that masterfully blends Japan’s retro boom with a classic dessert.
“Taiyaki” is a traditional Japanese fish-shaped cake, usually filled with anko (sweet red bean paste). However, “Taiyaki Ice” is a popular variation that keeps the unique shape but is filled with cold ice cream. This new flavor was developed with the theme of “katame purin,” an old-fashioned, firm-textured pudding that has become particularly popular amid the recent retro boom in Japan.
Faithfully Recreating Retro “Firm Pudding” in Ice Cream Form
The core of “Taiyaki Ice Pudding” is its custard ice cream, made luxuriously with sweetened egg yolk and fresh cream from Hokkaido. This recreates the rich and full-bodied taste of “old-fashioned firm pudding,” where the egg flavor is distinctly present. Furthermore, the inside of the taiyaki-shaped monaka (wafer) is coated with a milky white chocolate, which enhances the richness of the ice cream while adding a mellow texture.
A Bittersweet Caramel Sauce Adds the Perfect Accent
An essential part of any pudding is the bittersweet caramel sauce. In this product, a specially formulated caramel sauce is placed in the center to add depth to the rich custard ice cream. The characteristic bittersweetness of the caramel spreads within the sweetness, allowing you to enjoy a slightly more mature flavor without getting tired of it until the very end.
Fun to Look At! A Two-Tone Wafer Inspired by Pudding
The fun of this ice cream isn’t just in its taste. It also features a playful appearance that is sure to bring a smile to your face the moment you take it out of the package. The monaka wafer is composed of two colors, top and bottom, to resemble a pudding. The upper part is brown to represent the caramel, while the lower part is yellow to represent the custard, allowing you to experience the joy of pudding visually as well. The monaka itself has a faint sweetness, completing the entire ice cream as one perfect sweet.
The Developer Speaks: A Fusion of Nostalgia and Novelty
Product developer Takao Nakayama had this to say about the new product: “In recent years, taiyaki has evolved into a sweet enjoyed by younger generations, with not only traditional anko but also Western-style fillings and various dough textures. That’s why we focused on ‘pudding,’ a dessert loved by a wide range of generations.”
The biggest challenge in development was to establish the image of “old-fashioned pudding” by recreating the exquisite balance of rich egg flavor and bittersweet caramel, all while preserving the beloved qualities of the long-standing “Taiyaki Ice.” After numerous trials, they pursued the perfect balance of ice cream flavor, sauce bitterness, and overall harmony. As a result, they succeeded in creating a product that offers both the satisfying feeling characteristic of Taiyaki Ice and a flavor that you won’t tire of.
“Initially, we were using a standard monaka, but the idea came up: ‘Wouldn’t it be more exciting if we colored it to look like a pudding?’ This led to the adoption of the two-tone monaka. We aimed for a finish that would make you exclaim, ‘Wow!’ the moment you take it out of the bag,” says Mr. Nakayama. Thus, a product was born that feels nostalgic to the older generation and “retro-cute” to the younger generation, to be enjoyed across all ages.
Feeling Lucky? The “Medetai” Winking Taiyaki
The “Taiyaki Ice” series has a hidden feature to delight customers: a winking taiyaki design is sometimes hidden inside the package. In Japan, the “tai” (sea bream) is considered a lucky fish because it’s part of the word “medetai” (auspicious/celebratory). This “winking taiyaki” was created with the hope that customers will feel a sense of “fun, joy, and good fortune.” You might find it in the new “Taiyaki Ice Pudding,” as well as in the existing “BOX Taiyaki Ice” and “Taiyaki Ice.” If you find one, you might just have a little bit of good luck.
Product Information
The suggested retail price for “Taiyaki Ice Pudding” is 170 JPY (excluding tax) / 183 JPY (including tax), with a content volume of 130ml. The release date is Monday, December 29, 2025, and it will be launched sequentially at mass retailers, supermarkets, and major Konbini such as Japanese Seven-Eleven, Japanese FamilyMart, and Japanese Lawson nationwide in Japan.
The Classic Series is Also on Sale!
The appeal of “Taiyaki Ice” is not limited to the new product. You can, of course, also enjoy the classic flavor that has been loved since 1986.
The “BOX Taiyaki Ice,” perfect for sharing with family and friends, comes in a pack of five and is available at mass retailers and supermarkets nationwide in Japan for a suggested retail price of 420 JPY (excluding tax) / 453 JPY (including tax). For those who want to savor it alone, the single “Taiyaki Ice” is also widely available for a suggested retail price of 170 JPY (excluding tax) / 183 JPY (including tax).
In the Japanese winter, eating cold ice cream in a warm room is a moment of pure bliss. If you have the chance to visit Japan this winter, be sure to check the ice cream section of a Konbini. “Taiyaki Ice Pudding,” a fusion of 40 years of history and modern trends, is sure to make your experience in Japan all the sweeter and more enjoyable.
Source (Japanese): 1986年の発売以来、愛され続けて40年目を迎えるロングセラー商品から新フレーバー登場『たい焼アイス プリン』12月29日(月)新発売
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