7-Eleven Japan Ice Cream: The 6 We'd Buy Again

Japan has ice creams you've never heard of. And you buy them at a convenience store.

Heads up: some links in this guide are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

In this guide 4 sections

We're serious. The ones in a 7-Eleven freezer are better quality than anything you've had back home, and most cost less than a coffee.

We lived in Tokyo for a month and stopped at 7-Eleven every day, so we worked our way through that freezer. These are the six we'd tell a friend to grab, in order.

The Best 7-Eleven Ice Cream in Japan: Our Quick Answer

• Our #1: Choco Monaka Jumbo. A crisp wafer, vanilla ice cream, and a chocolate bar in the middle. Let it soften a few minutes first.
• New favorite: Black Thunder Ice. Chocolate ice cream with crunchy cookie bits.
• Most fun: Coolish, soft serve in a squeeze pouch.
• The viral one: BRULEE, crème brûlée with a sugar top you crack.
• Easy to miss: the Seven Premium Gold red bean monaka.
• The classic: a Seven Premium Gold waffle cone.
• Price: about 110 to 300 yen each, so $0.75 to $2.

The 7-Eleven Ice Creams We'd Buy Again

1. Choco Monaka Jumbo // Our #1

Price: 180 yen (194 yen with tax) at our 7-Eleven.

This is the one. A crisp wafer shell, vanilla ice cream inside, and a thin bar of chocolate right through the middle. Every bite cracks.

It's also the most viral ice cream in the freezer, and our tip is simple: let it get soft for a few minutes before you bite. That's when it's best.

The wafer can take it. Morinaga sprays a thin coat of chocolate inside the wafer so the ice cream can't make it soggy.¹ So the ice cream turns creamy, and the shell still cracks.

If you buy one ice cream in Japan, make it this.

2. Black Thunder Ice // Our New Favorite

Price: 110 yen (119 yen with tax).

This was a new find for us, and it became a favorite fast. It's chocolate ice cream on a stick with crunchy cookie bits, almost like Oreos.

Black Thunder is a cheap chocolate bar that's a cult snack in Japan. The ice cream version has been around since 2009.³ It's also the cheapest thing on this list.

3. Coolish // Soft Serve in a Pouch

Price: 180 yen (194 yen with tax).

If you want something fun, get a Coolish. It's soft serve vanilla in a little squeeze pouch with a screw cap.

It gets easier to squeeze as it softens, and the cap screws back on between sips.

A lot of people like adding this to their coffee for a unique iced coffee experience.

4. BRULEE // The Viral Crème Brûlée

This is the viral one. Technically it isn't ice cream, but it sits in the ice cream freezer. BRULEE by Ohayo is milk ice cream with a real layer of caramelized sugar on top.² You crack the top with the spoon, just like a crème brûlée.

Look for a white and gold box. Ours sat in the top baskets of the freezer.

People online debate that this is the best ice cream at 7-Eleven.

5. Seven Premium Gold Red Bean Monaka // Easy to Miss

This one could easily get overlooked. It's from Seven Premium Gold, 7-Eleven's own top-shelf label, so look for the gold packaging.

Inside the wafer is ice cream with sweet red bean (azuki). If you've never had red bean, this is a good first try. We loved it.

6. Seven Premium Gold Waffle Cone // The Classic

You can't go wrong with a classic cone. The Seven Premium Gold waffle cone has a tall swirl of vanilla soft serve under a clear lid. It looks beautiful when you take the lid off.

They have a lot of flavors, too. It's one of the pricier ice creams in the freezer.

Watch the whole lineup here:

Tips for Buying Ice Cream at 7-Eleven in Japan

• Prices on the shelf are before tax. The small number under it is the price with 8% tax.
• Check the top baskets. At our 7-Eleven, the cones and BRULEE sat up there.
• Say yes to a spoon. At the register, staff may ask if you want one for a cup.
• Eat it outside the store, not walking in a crowd. Most people in Japan stand by the shop to eat.
• New flavors drop all the time. If you see a limited one, grab it. It may be gone next week.

Our Verdict on 7-Eleven Ice Cream in Japan

The freezer is half the fun of a 7-Eleven run in Japan. Start with Choco Monaka Jumbo. Then try one new thing every day.

Next Steps for Your Tokyo Trip

• 7-Eleven Japan food: what to buy: the egg sando, onigiri, and hot dog hack to grab with your ice cream.
• 7-Eleven vs Lawson vs FamilyMart: which chain wins for sweets, fried chicken, and coffee.