The factory is called Glicopia Chiba and offers the “ice cream tour,” an experience that, for the first time in Glico’s history, can be enjoyed entirely for free! Only a prior reservation is required, nothing more.
A lot of Japan’s favorite ice cream snacks are made here, such as Papico. Papico is a small bottle of thin plastic filled with delicious sherbert-style ice cream. You pop off the lid and squeeze the ice cream directly in your mouth. The free tour is held five times per day: at 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. It takes about 70 minutes. Of course, we had to try it!

After checking in at the reception, we explored the lobby a little bit before out tour started. When you hear “factory tour,” you might think of industrial-looking carts making you jump out of the way, but Glicopia Chiba is fancy enough to look like a modern art museum.

The first thing that’ll catch your eye is the brand’s mascot – the Glico Man! He seems to jump from the wall in his signature pose from Osaka’s Dotonbori sign and makes for an excellent photo spot for quirky snapshots!

There are tons of items and décor that match the many famous Glico products. The toilet sign lady, for example, tried her hand at being the Glico Man as well, and we got to sit down on a comfy sofa shaped like Papico ice cream! You’ll feel yourself getting excited as you keep discovering more and more details.

Time passed almost too quickly, and the tour started. The first part was learning more about the history of the company, called Ezaki Glico Co. Ldt., as well as the history of ice cream itself. The 20-minute video is interesting and you’ll learn plenty of things you didn’t know before.

The video is easy to understand for both adults and children, giving a hint about how fun and light-hearted the rest of the tour is going to be. We were eager to see what came next!

The real tour starts after the video! It is always held in two groups. First of all, we follow our guide in the sky-blue uniform up to the 5th floor. From there, you’re usually not allowed to take any pictures, but they made an exception for us!

Suddenly, we were standing in front of a large tunnel! This is a replication of the “clean room” which gets rid of dust, fluff, and loose hair off of the workers before entering the factory. As you pass through, a powerful air shower will engulf you and clean you right off! It’s fun to not only get to experience the production but also part of a worker’s routine.

The tour leads you along a glass corridor that directly looks down on the factory below. Glicopia Chiba was built from the start with a factory tour in mind, so your tour guide will explain every step of the manufacturing process with the help of monitors and panels – and with perfect timings.
At the “ingredients and raw material” stage, you’ll get to see the “three-temperature-zone warehouse” where the ingredients for Glico’s ice cream varieties are stored, depending on what temperature is best for them. We discovered things such as sugar, juice, milk, and butter!

Next up: the Mixing Corner!
Here is where sugar, milk, butter, and more are mixed into an ice cream mix. This happens in massive tanks that you can see in the picture below.

Next up is the “Aging Tank,” where the liquid mix is allowed to rest for a while to become Papico ice cream. Apparently, this is what gives it such a smooth texture.

It’s a fascinating experience to see the secrets behind the ice cream classic – but for this reason, we weren’t allowed to take photos here. Trade secrets! There’s a device that lets you understand the inner mechanisms of the tank, allowing you to witness several different things that you usually wouldn’t be able to see with cutting-edge technology. Make sure to take a thorough look!

At the “Filling,” the Papico ice cream mix is filled into the characteristic bottles at incredibly high speed and precision. It's almost mesmerizing watching the machines do their work so perfectly, over and over again.

Special monitors allow you to move the cameras installed in the factory – you even can zoom in on whatever you like! It’s a fun and modern way to witness the process from up close.

After that, we took the elevator to the 3rd floor. But it’s not a regular elevator at all! We don’t want to spoil the surprise, so we’re not telling you what awaits – but you should look forward to it!

On the 3rd floor is an experience corner that recreates the freezer where the ice cream boxes are stored until they’re shipped. It’s icy -10ºC (14 ºF) in there!

The last step is the “Shipping.”
According to Glico, the size of the truck exactly matches the size of the entrance so that insects from outside cannot find their way into the truck while it is loaded. That’s quality control on a whole new level!

Glico’s factory tour isn’t just watching and learning, it is a fun experience that involves every sense! You’re rewarded with a “freshly made” Papico ice cream at the end, so that’s a highlight as well!

This is the super-fresh Papico! As we tried, we had to agree that the ice cream really does taste different! Yummy!

Why not make some ice cream yourself after the tour is over?

For an extra 1,500 yen (from two people), you’ll get to make a simple ice cream from the very ingredients that Glico uses itself!

This little workshop happens in the lobby where a little shop also sells rare Glico products that you won’t find anywhere else anymore, such as the super-long Cream Collon or the Giant DreamPocky. Surprise yourself and friends with these rare, colorful treats!

The factory tour of Glicopia Chiba really satisfies all five senses. Looking behind the curtain of one of Japan’s most famous manufacturers is a surprisingly exciting experience that we recommend to both children and adults! Look forward to a freshly made Papico and a whole lot of fun!

The reservation for the tour can be made here (Japanese only):

Written by Osoroshiko