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Viral 3D ice creams land in Japan… but are they worth the hype?

Oona McGee Dec 7, 2025
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Trendy desserts arrive at supermarkets and convenience stores, so we find out if they’re worth your yen.

Have you heard of 3D Fruit Ice Creams? If you’re on social media then chances are you’ll know all about it, as the craze for these ice creams has already spread around China, Southeast Asia, the U.S. and Australia, with people sharing images and videos of the ice creams that are moulded to look like pieces of whole fruit.

Japan has been waiting patiently for the trendy desserts to reach its shores, and now they’ve finally arrived, becoming available at major convenience stores and supermarkets from 1 December.

Our sweet-toothed reporter Mr Sato came across the new ice creams at his local 7-Eleven, and as soon as he laid eyes on them he immediately picked up one of each of the three varieties in the freezer.

As one of the flagship products of Chinese ice cream manufacturer Qihang Food Co., the ice creams are being made available in Japan exclusively through Gold Star Co. There are a total of five varieties to choose from – strawberry, lemon, peach, grape, and mango – although the 7-Eleven that Mr Sato visited was only selling the latter three.

▼ Left to right: もも (peach), ブドウ (grape), マンゴ (mango)

▼ After removing the ice creams from their plastic casings, Mr Sato was amazed at how well made they were.

While gazing at their beautifully ripe, ultra-realistic appearance, Mr Sato found himself wondering how he should eat such works of art. Thankfully, they come with an ice cream stick inserted into them, so he was able to hold them easily while admiring their beauty.

▼ This also made it easy for him to pose with the ice cream, like some sort of social media influencer.

After giving them five-out-of-five stars for appearance, it was now time to really put them to the test by taking a bite.

▼ So how was it, Mr Sato?

“Wow!” was the first word that came out of our reporter’s mouth. The flavour was rich and the aroma was surprisingly strong, proving that the ice cream faithfully replicated not only the shape, but the taste and aroma of a fresh peach. Although it’s called an “ice cream“, it’s more like a frozen dessert as it has a light texture similar to that of a sherbet, making it ideal for a hot summer’s day.

It’s a shame the ice creams arrived in Japan a few months after summer, but Mr Sato was thankful that they were able to make their debut here at all. Two other people who were grateful for the ice creams were fellow reporters Takamichi Furusawa and Masanuki Sunakoma, whom Mr Sato deemed worthy of sharing a taste.

▼ Both writers commented on the richness of the ice creams, praising them for their looks and flavour.

The only negative aspect of the ice creams is their price, because at 537 yen (US$3.46), they’re significantly higher than all the other single ice creams in the freezer.

Still, price is often no barrier when it comes to viral trends, so we have a hunch these ice creams will be around for some time to come. As for Mr Sato, though, he says it was an experience he’s glad to have tried once, but in future he’d prefer to spend his money on mini tubs of Häagen-Dazs, which are considerably cheaper at around the 320-390 yen mark, and often have convenience-store exclusive flavours.

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[ Read in Japanese ]