Blue Seal ice cream
ブルーシールSweetYear-round
Blue Seal is Okinawa's own ice cream, born in 1948 as a Foremost dairy plant on a US base to supply American troops, and its Okinawan flavours include beni-imo, salt chinsuko, shikuwasa sherbet and kokuto. The main store has stood in Makiminato, Urasoe, since 1963.
Photo pelican · Flickr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Foremost, an American dairy company, set up a milk plant inside the US base at Tenma in Gushikawa (now Uruma) in 1948 to supply dairy to US personnel. The company moved off base to Makiminato in Urasoe in 1963, where the main store still stands, and adopted the Blue Seal name in 1976, after the Blue Ribbon dairy award in the United States. Blue Seal says it still works from the Orange Book, a closed collection of more than 100 recipes devised in the US, and it lightens them with vegetable fats so they melt well in the Okinawan humidity.
The Okinawan flavours came after the 2000 Okinawa Summit, starting with beni-imo. The regular list now includes salt chinsuko made with salt from Chatan, shikuwasa sherbet, kokuto, ube, Ryukyu-tea warabi mochi and island pineapple with coconut. Polar Bear, vanilla sandwiched in cocoa biscuits, has sold since the early days.
Blue Seal runs parlours across the main island and the islands. The company map lists Makiminato, American Village and Depot Island in Chatan, Kokusai-dori, the Bise fukugi-tree avenue in Motobu, Nago, Ishigaki and two shops on Miyako. Makiminato also parks an ICE DREAM kitchen truck in its lot.
Worth knowing
- Order salt chinsuko and beni-imo together for two Okinawan flavours in one cup.
- The Bise branch sits by the fukugi-tree avenue near Churaumi Aquarium, which makes a cold stop on a Motobu loop.
3 places
Where to eat Blue Seal ice cream店
- Blue Seal Kokusai-doriKokusai-dori
Makishi 1-2-32 on Kokusai-dori, open 10:00–23:00 daily; Tabelog reviews from October 2026.
- Blue Seal NagoNago
At Agarie 5-22-20 in Nago, on the way to the Motobu Peninsula; listed on the 2026 store map.
- Blue Seal Fukugi-namikiBise
Bise 385 by the fukugi-tree avenue in Motobu; listed on the 2026 store map.
- Blue Seal Starchild IshigakiIshigaki town centre
Inside Makeman Ishigaki at Maesato 262-1; listed on the 2026 store map.
FAQ
Quick answers about Blue Seal ice creamよくある質問
Where did Blue Seal ice cream come from?
Blue Seal began in 1948 as a Foremost milk plant inside a US military base at Tenma in today's Uruma, set up to supply dairy to American troops. It moved to Makiminato in Urasoe in 1963 and took the Blue Seal name in 1976.
What Okinawan flavours does Blue Seal make?
Blue Seal's Okinawan flavours are beni-imo, salt chinsuko, shikuwasa sherbet, kokuto, ube, Ryukyu-tea warabi mochi and island pineapple with coconut. Beni-imo came first, after the 2000 Okinawa Summit, and the salt chinsuko uses salt from Chatan.
How do you order Blue Seal ice cream?
Order by the scoop in a cup or cone, as soft-serve, or in a parfait or float. Ask for 'shio chinsuko' (塩ちんすこう) or 'beni-imo' (紅いも) for the Okinawan flavours, and buy tubs or Polar Bear bars in supermarkets and konbini.
Is there a vegetarian Blue Seal ice cream?
Yes. Blue Seal ice cream is a dairy product, and Blue Seal says it uses vegetable fats in its recipes. Check individual flavours for gelatine or other additives if that matters to you.
Book it
Line up the trip around Blue Seal ice cream
Some of these links pay us a commission. It costs you nothing and keeps the guide independent.