Nope, this isn’t your typical “Sari-Sari Store” in the heart of Osaka. They’re not selling tingi-tingi or sachets of shampoo or cooking oil or “toyo” by the cup.
Instead, they’re dishing out some of the best ice creams in the city, and they’re made purely of coconut milk all sourced from hardworking coconut farmers in Mindanao.
Run by the Osaka-based company Cocowell, this shop has been churning out assorted coconut-based products since 2004, all with the mission of supporting small coconut farmers in the Philippines.
Inspired by the beloved “suking tindahan” or neighborhood convenience stores in the Philippines, Cocowell’s owner, Yu Mizui, decided to open this shop to provide Filipino coconut farmers with more avenues to showcase their products to a diverse market.
While the main draw is their delightful coconut milk ice cream in various flavors, they also offer an extensive array of coconut-based products—from cheesecake to curry, coconut wine (lambanog) to milk powder, more sweet treats to lip balms. This place aims to be the go-to shop for all things coconut, catering to people of all ages.
His passion grew when he witnessed people making a living by scavenging in the Smokey Mountain landfill in Tondo, Manila. The sight greatly troubled him.
“I felt that the coconut could be one of the solutions to help these poor people alleviate from poverty without going to urban areas,” the Manila Bulletin quoted him as saying.
Two years later, he founded Cocowell, focusing on coconut products. “By increasing the value of coconuts, I could create an industry in rural areas and contribute to the stable lives of farmers,” added Mizui.
Early this month, he attend the three-day World Coconut Congress in Manila and explored various various areas in Mindanao to find bulk suppliers of aseptic coconut cream for his “Sari-Sari Store’s” ice cream products, which he plans to sell wholesale.
He’s already working with at least 12 coconut farmer groups, three of which are in Mindanao, with one supplier hailing from Tupi, South Cotabato, according to MindaNews.
