Obama's Favorite Ice Cream Brand Opens First Hakuba Shop

TL;DR: Maine's MDI Ice Cream opened its first Hakuba scoop shop in Iwatake on April 18th.

MDI Ice Cream, the craft ice cream brand from Maine that caught Barack Obama's attention, opened its first scoop-style shop in Hakuba on April 18th. The seasonal shop sits in the Iwatake-Nitta area and runs through the green season — marking another step in the ongoing effort to make Hakuba's summer months more appealing to visitors.

The shop is a joint venture between Zukutochie (the parent company behind several Hakuba redevelopment projects) and its subsidiary focused on revitalizing the Iwatake streetscape. They're betting that visitors hiking, cycling, or just wandering around Iwatake need somewhere cool to stop during the warmer months.

Key Facts

• MDI Ice Cream was founded in 2005 by Linda Parker on Mount Desert Island, Maine
• The brand made it into America's "Top 25 Ice Cream Parlors" list
• This is the first scoop-style MDI shop in the Hakuba area
• The shop opened April 18, 2026, as a seasonal operation
• Location: Iwatake-Nitta area, operated by a subsidiary of Zukutochie
• The parent company has been working on Hakuba redevelopment projects since 2018

What This Means for International Buyers and Visitors

This ice cream shop tells a bigger story about Hakuba's green season development. I've watched Iwatake struggle with the classic ski resort problem: what do you do when the snow melts? The area gets plenty of hikers and mountain bikers, but they've lacked simple amenities like places to grab something cold and sit for a few minutes.

For property investors, this kind of infrastructure development matters. Zukutochie has been systematically working on Iwatake's streetscape since 2018 — renovating old buildings, adding dining options, trying to make the area work year-round. Small moves like this ice cream shop suggest they're serious about making green season tourism viable, which could boost property values in the Iwatake area over time. The recent visitor numbers for Iwatake show there's demand — now they're building the infrastructure to capture it.

Background

MDI Ice Cream started when Linda Parker decided to make "the ice cream she actually wanted to eat" back in 2005. The brand built its reputation in Maine's tourist areas and eventually caught the attention of high-profile customers — including former President Obama during his Maine vacations.

The Hakuba location represents the brand's expansion beyond its Maine base, though it's been operating in the Matsumoto-Azumino area before making this move into the mountains. For Hakuba, it's another piece of the puzzle in making the resort area work financially beyond the winter ski season.

Editorial note: This article synthesizes Japanese-language sources for English-speaking readers interested in Hakuba. While I translate and contextualize the information, I cannot verify all claims independently. Property and business decisions should involve professional consultation.