Hokkaido is famous as a horse breeding region. Among its many towns, Urakawa is known as the home of thoroughbreds and a hub for horseback riding. A new bread creation from this town has become a hot topic on social media for its cuteness, garnering over 10,000 likes.

Looks delicious (Gulp)

#OkenBruceLee
#Koppepan
#WhippedCream

Source: @aeru_joba's post

It's a cream-filled koppe-pan (a long, soft bread roll) that adorably represents a horse's face! The white marking running down its face, called a "blaze," its chestnut-colored coat, and its sweet round eyes... The blaze is packed with whipped cream, the eyes and nose are made of yokan (sweet bean jelly), and the bread itself is kneaded with local strawberries. Its delicious appearance has drawn comments on social media like, "Looks 'uma-i' (delicious)!" "That's way too much cream lol," and "I'm definitely going to try it."

The horse that inspired this treat is Oken Bruce Lee, a former regular in JRA major graded races with a large fan base. The distinctive white blaze on his face is perfectly recreated with cream! That's why there's so much of it. When it was announced on social media, fans raved, with comments like, "There's a living bread!" "It's a perfect match," and "The resemblance is 200% accurate."

A Hotel with a "Horse" Concept

This cream-filled koppe-pan was developed by Urakawa Yushun Village AERU in Urakawa Town. Known as a "peaceful village where you can connect with horses and nature," it provides a home for famous retired racehorses, offering fans a chance to interact with them even after their racing careers. In addition, it's a true "mega amusement park" complete with horseback riding, accommodation, hot springs, a restaurant, a soccer field, and even a park golf course.

From left: Nakayama Festa, Meiner Kitz, Suzuka Phoenix, Oken Bruce Lee

You can relax at the horse-themed accommodation, go horse trekking through the nature of Urakawa, and of course, visit the famous retired racehorses.

How Was the Oken Bruce Lee Face Bread Born?

We spoke with Mr. Ota from the horse riding division at Urakawa Yushun Village AERU about the reaction to the new bread.

What inspired you to create this koppe-pan?

For a while, fans had been saying that the marking on Oken Bruce Lee's face looked like an "éclair" or an "eringi mushroom." Around spring 2024, a follower told me about a cream-filled koppe-pan that resembled his face marking. I then made a "spot the difference" type of post by mixing a photo of the cream koppe-pan among photos of Oken Bruce Lee's face.

That post was very well-received, and it made me think, "If I add eyes, ears, and a nose to this cream koppe-pan, it could become an Oken Bruce Lee koppe-pan!" That's what led me to visit a local confectionery shop.

I thought it would make the children happy☺️

Source: @aeru_joba's post

The name of this cream-filled koppe-pan was decided through a public poll on the official Urakawa Yushun Village AERU X account. The name that received the most votes from the final candidates was "Uma-Koppe Acho-kun"! It will be available for sale at the shop during the Summer Strawberry Fair, held from August 1st to 4th.

Finally, Mr. Ota shared a message for all the readers of Domingo.

On their official social media, you can see daily updates on the horses living there. Check out their carefree lives and be sure to try the "Uma-Koppe Acho-kun"!