A young college student in Tokyo said as summer holiday was approaching, "I want to go back to my home town in Kagoshima as soon as possible so I can eat 'Shirokuma'". His friends marveled at this and said, "People eat polar bears in Kagoshima?" This is an often told humorous story. Everyone in Kagoshima knows what Shirokuma is, but is it known to people in other prefectures?
You may ask what Kori Shirokuma really is.

Kori Shirokuma is a familiar treat in Kagoshima. The dessert debuted in 1932 or 1933 in a cotton shop in Nishida-hondori, Kagoshima city. In the summer, the shop sold kakigōri (shaved ice) and Shirokuma was introduced as a new flavor. The name Shirokuma (polar bear) came from the label on the condensed milk can, on which a polar bear was depicted. The special flavor of shaved ice, condensed milk and fruit toppings made the dessert very popular and, before long, many shops in Kagoshima City began serving it. Seika Foods developed a factory-made Shirokuma ice cream in cups and has been selling them in southern Kyushu since around 1970. It has been a smash hit. We improved on the products many times before settling on the flavors we offer today.