Shime parfait: a sweet way to end the night in Hokkaido!

Hokkaido locals have started a trend of finishing a meal or a night of drinking with a parfait. This is called shime (closing) parfait.

Those familiar with the Japanese drinking scene will know that the traditional way to finish up is with a bowl of ramen, but Hokkaidoites are branching out!

When you visit Hokkaido, you’ll soon find that locals swear by a particular ingredient to cool the body down after the warming effects of liquor.

That ingredient is cold, sweet soft-serve ice cream made from fresh-from-the-farm Hokkaido milk.
Even in winter, Hokkaidoites gobble it down—we’re used to the cold, after all!
Men and women alike flock to ice cream parlors to enjoy flavorful soft serve or a sorbet complemented with an elegant arrangement of Hokkaido-grown fruit.

Open late to catch the shime parfait crowd, many ice cream parlors here pride themselves on making parfaits that not only taste amazing but have a sophisticated look. When you enjoy your first shime parfait, you’ll understand why this trend has become so popular.

So many delicious things in Hokkaido! It’s hard to keep track of them all!