Introducing Minamiaso Garage Soft

Hello travelers! I’m Aikero, a writer for [Sarukuma].

Today I’m taking you to Minamiaso Village in Aso District,
[Minamiaso Garage Soft].The shop opened in November 2024 and is still in its pre-opening phase!
I’m someone who eats ice cream even in winter, but Minamiaso’s chill was a bit too much even for me, so I waited until things warmed up.
Finally, I made the trip!

This is likely the ONLY blender ice cream specialty shop in all of Kumamoto!
What exactly is blender ice? What makes it special? The more you learn, the more you’ll want to try it.
After reading this article, I can already picture our Sarukuma readers thinking, “Let’s drive to Minamiaso this weekend for some blender ice!” (#^.^#)The shop sits one street off Minamiaso’s main road (Prefectural Route 28, Kumamoto-Takamori Line), tucked along Prefectural Route 149 (Kain-Aso Line).
If you’re coming from the Ozu direction, head down National Route 325 and look for the log house “Mori no Naka no Sekkei Jimusho” (Forest Design Office) at the intersection — turn there and head down ♫

Look for the soft serve flag — that’s your sign you’ve arrived.
The shop is only open on Sundays and national holidays.
They occasionally open on a Saturday once a month, so check their Instagram beforehand ♫

Heads up: they close on rainy days, even on regular operating days.
Parking has 4 spaces in front of the shop (2 cars deep, 2 rows). If full, just ask the staff.True to its “Garage” name, the interior is wide and spacious!
There are plenty of tables, but no high chairs for kids. Strollers fit through easily though (^^)/The raised tatami seating area in the back offers gorgeous Minamiaso countryside views.There’s a little toy car kids can ride, but since it’s on the raised platform, adults must supervise at all times.So what exactly is blender ice cream?
It’s ice cream blended together with frozen fruit using a special blender machine.
You get the natural sweetness, tartness, and aroma of real fruit, customized with your choice of base ice cream — basically, a one-of-a-kind original ice cream just for you ♪
Here’s the menu.
★Prices reflect the time of our visit. Due to rising ingredient costs, prices will increase this spring.

・Garage Soft Double — ¥450
(blender ice topped with soft serve)

・Blender Ice — ¥300

・Garage Soft Cream — ¥330
・Hokuriku Support Soft Cream — ¥330

・Mini Soft Cream — ¥180
・Mini Milk Ice — ¥180

Mini sizes are perfect for small kids or anyone who can’t finish a regular portion ♪Payment is through a ticket vending machine — cash only!
Only ¥1,000 bills are accepted, so come prepared.
How to order blender ice:
①Choose 1 base ice cream (matcha and chocolate will be discontinued soon)
②Choose 1 fruit.
When you hand over your ticket, just tell the staff your combo!

Mix and match your favorite ice cream and fruit to your heart’s content ♪They proudly display where each fruit comes from — peace of mind for travelers!
The bananas are premium “Kanjuku-Oh” — what a treat!The base ice cream goes into the special blender machine.Then in goes the fruit.
More base ice cream is layered on top, sandwiching the fruit.The machine blends it all together — and voilà! ♫
Watching the blender ice being made is genuinely fun, even for adults — kids will love being held up to watch the process (^^)/
The Garage Soft Double is for those who want to enjoy both blender ice AND soft serve!
It’s seriously generous in volume, so if you’re planning to eat it after a meal, leave some stomach room (^_^;) lol
And the fruit packed into a single blender ice? Plenty generous!

So why blender ice? And why open shop here? I sat down with the owner to find out ♪
When I asked the husband for a photo, he said, “My wife (not present today) is the main one — I’m just helping out (^_^;)” and politely declined, so please enjoy this soft serve photo instead (>_<)

Aikero

This was my first time hearing about blender ice cream!
It seems like a lot of work — switching the cup for each order, the prep time. What made you start a blender ice cream shop?

You’re right, it does take effort (^_^;)
But making blender ice helps reduce food waste, you see.

Minamiaso Garage Soft

Aikero

Sorry, I don’t quite see how ice cream connects to fighting food waste — could you explain?

Of course!
It starts with the fruit. By using “imperfect” fruit that doesn’t meet retail size standards, we cut down on waste AND keep prices low.

Minamiaso Garage Soft

Aikero

That makes so much sense! I was actually wondering how the prices could be this affordable. lol

Ingredient costs have gone up though, so prices will rise this spring…
We also make our soft serve mix from scratch, using Aso milk and beet sugar — wholesome and safe ingredients we feel good about.
Because of that, the mix can’t be stored at room temperature, so we keep everything frozen and only thaw what we’ll use that day.

Minamiaso Garage Soft

Aikero

Such incredible attention to detail! Parents bringing kids will appreciate the wholesome ingredients ♪
By the way, why did you choose Minamiaso to open the shop?

We’ve always loved Minamiaso and Takamori.
We were looking for a place we could buy outright (not rent), one that didn’t need much renovation — and we found this spot.
We wanted to keep prices affordable enough that local kids could come buy ice cream with just ¥200 (^^)

Minamiaso Garage Soft

A mini soft cream for under ¥200 — that’s pocket money territory for local kids!
Your care for the community really shines through.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us! ♫

In keeping with their “give back to society” mission, the spoons are purchased from a local children’s cafeteria.
Food waste reduction, community giving, wholesome ingredients at affordable prices for kids — the more you learn, the more you want to support this place!

During the interview, a young girl came in saying, “I’m back!”
On her way out, she told the owner, “This was the most delicious ice cream I’ve ever had!” — I got to witness this beautiful moment firsthand (*’ω’*)

Minamiaso Garage Soft Recommended Menu

Drumroll please!
From left: Garage Soft Double, Mini Soft Cream, and Blender Ice (^^)/

The Garage Soft Double — blender ice topped with soft serve — is an absolute powerhouse!
Lined up side by side, you can really see how generous the portions are!

For soft serve, you can choose between cup or cone ♫Smooth and refreshing yet rich with milky depth — this soft serve is incredible on its own!
As you eat down, the blender ice reveals itself ♫
I went with chocolate × banana!

The chocolate flavor came through stronger, but the banana aroma was unmistakable — absolutely delicious (●＾o＾●)

My husband chose milk × strawberry.
That soft pink color was almost too pretty to eat ♡
I completely forgot to taste it (oops!), but he said it was “light and delicious” (*’ω’*)This one’s milk × blueberry.
Blueberry produces the most photogenic color — super Instagram-worthy ♫
The natural sweetness and tartness of blueberry create a wonderfully refreshing flavor!
According to the staff, you actually get THREE layers: smooth fruit gelato on top, chunky fruit pieces in the middle, and pure base ice cream at the bottom — three textures in one cup!
And here’s milk × banana.
After doing a side-by-side comparison, this one is by far the richest and creamiest!
Milk base lets the fruit shine the most, but unlike the lighter strawberry or blueberry combos, this one is pure decadent sweetness!

It tasted exactly like a banana milkshake ♪
Kanjuku-Oh bananas are no joke!There are currently 3 fruit options.
For the base, chocolate and matcha will be discontinued, but new flavors like rum raisin may be coming soon!

Half the fun of blender ice is hunting for your perfect combo.
My personal pick? Milk × banana, hands down!

As ice cream season heats up, make the trip out to Minamiaso and experience this one-of-a-kind treat for yourself (●＾o＾●)

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information accurate at the time of visit. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before visiting.