Going Wild! McDonald’s Japan Grows Mushrooms and Bamboo Shoots on Ice Cream

Can mushrooms and bamboo shoots really “grow” on ice cream? It sounds like a fairy tale—or the kind of vision you’d get after eating something magical—but this time, McDonald’s Japan has made it real.

On January 15, 2026, McDonald’s Japan announced that starting January 21, it would launch a limited-time McFlurry: 「マックフルーリー きのこの山とたけのこの裡」, literally “McFlurry: Mushroom Mountain & Bamboo Shoot Village.”

As the name suggests, this McFlurry features mushrooms and bamboo shoots—though not real ones. They are, in fact, two iconic chocolate snacks from Meiji: Kinoko no Yama (Mushroom Mountain) and Takenoko no Sato (Bamboo Shoot Village).

Placed atop soft-serve ice cream, the white base resembles snow, while the chocolate mushrooms and bamboo shoots create the image of a tiny forest—a chocolate-flavored forest.

The new McFlurry is carefully crafted:

• Creamy vanilla soft-serve ice cream as the base
• Two layers of chocolate snacks: Mushroom Mountain (cookie + chocolate) and Bamboo Shoot Village (biscuit + chocolate)
• Topped with two types of chocolate syrup, completing the “ice cream forest”

Every spoonful offers both the smoothness of ice cream and the crispiness and crunch of the chocolate snacks—a playful and layered texture.

This collaboration also carries a nostalgic twist. Mushroom Mountain (1975) and Bamboo Shoot Village (1979) have long been rivals in Japan, prompting generations of consumers to ask: “Which do you prefer?”

This time, McDonald’s Japan brings both old rivals into one McFlurry—no need to pick sides. To promote the launch, they released a TV ad titled 「奇跡の共演」 (“Miraculous Collaboration”), featuring HANA member MAHINA dancing with giant mascots of both treats—a playful and whimsical visual perfectly capturing the product’s core idea: something that shouldn’t exist together, but does.

Over the years, the McFlurry has evolved beyond just ice cream—it’s a “edible canvas for creativity.” This new edition keeps the chocolate snacks intact: mushrooms remain mushrooms, bamboo shoots remain bamboo shoots. The design caters to a growing consumer desire to enjoy not only taste but also visual storytelling. Ice cream is no longer just for eating; it’s for seeing, photographing, and sharing.