It's not totally uncommon for the uninitiated to ask for or order mochi and be a bit taken aback when instead of ice cream, they are shown a traditional sticky rice cake, which is exactly what mochi is. Fortunately even for those that make that mistake, it's hard to miss Japan's favorite brand of mochi ice cream, Yukimi Daifuku, at any convenience store or supermarket. It's a frozen take on daifuku, mochi cakes with a sweet filling such as red bean, but instead stuffs a layer of mochi with vanilla ice cream.

Starting December 9th, a special winter edition of Yukimi Daifuku (which translates to "snow-viewing daifuku") will be released throughout Japan. The new winter version takes a pink heart shaped mochi layer and fills it with a sweet and sour strawberry ice cream.

The "Yukimi Daifuku Heart Strawberry" is available nationwide throughout Japan at a retail price of 140 yen, and comes in three different packages, each featuring a different "Yukifumi Bunny". The concept behind the design, as described by maker Lotte, is that Yukifumi Daifuku "brings happiness to the heart of those who eat it", which we won't argue with. After all, it's ice cream!