Noto Milk, a gelato store in Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa.

  • Ishikawa
  • Eating
Noto Milk's main store exterior © Ishikawa Prefectural Tourism Federation

The store we wanted to visit was "Noto Milk" main store!

Noto Milk's main store is located near the Wakuraonsen bus stop on the Hokuriku Railway bus. At first glance, you may think it is a milk shop. That's right, it used to be a milk shop. That is why you can find old-fashioned bottles of milk in the store.
Noto Milk's "Noto Milk" © Ishikawa Tourism Federation

What are the roots of Noto Milk?

Let's explore the roots of Noto Milk. We interviewed Mr. Shogo Horikawa, president of the company. Mr. Horikawa says that his parents were in the milk business. However, when he saw milk being produced under unfavorable conditions for cows in order to keep prices down, he decided that he had to change this situation.

The first thing he did was to create a cow-friendly rearing environment. Together with a dairy farm that understood Mr. Horikawa's wish, he set the cows free-range to avoid stress, and used pesticide-free grass as feed. The cows are also fed on pesticide-free grass, and the tanks used to transport the milk are separated from the rest of the milk.
Mr. Shogo Horikawa, Representative Director of Noto Milk

What inspired you to open a gelato store?

He opened the gelato store because of his daughter Sora's influence. Sora, who grew up with her family's passion for milk, decided that she wanted to make gelato with this milk, so she went to Tokyo and then to Italy to train as a gelato maker. He became the youngest Japanese gelato meister and opened a gelato store in Nanao City, where he was born and raised, together with Mr. Horikawa.
Recommended flavor "Sora" (photo right) is a colorful gelato!　© Ishikawa Tourism Federation

What gelato do you recommend?

Each gelato is filled with the passion of Mr. and Mrs. Horikawa, but the most recommended flavor is "Sora"! The name of the flavor is the daughter's name, which is also on the menu. Sora" is an original flavor that combines apricot, mango, and blood orange all at once, and was created by Sora. The name of the menu was originally a long Italian word, but the name was taken from the name of the creator, Sora-san. There are also about 10 other flavors in the lineup, including "Noto Milk," which is synonymous with the store, "Natural Salt," which is made with salt from the Agehama salt fields in Suzu, and "Noto Blueberry," which is a local product. There are also limited-time-only flavors, so you can enjoy choosing one every time you visit the store!
Gelato showcase - a visual feast for the eyes!

Revive" from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake

The Wakura district of Nanao City was severely damaged by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, including a long period of water outage, but Noto Milk "revived" on April 26 and has become a place of rest and relaxation filled with smiles from tourists and local residents. If you are in Noto, why don't you drop by? It will surely cheer you up!

To learn more about Noto Milk, click here!

Noto Milk Home Page

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