US premium ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs is to close its last store in Japan in Chiba Prefecture, marking a complete exit from the market.

Häagen-Dazs entered the Japanese market in 1984 and operated 95 stores during its peak in 1994.

Some Häagen-Dazs products will still be available at supermarkets and convenience stores.

The brand says it will focus on sales at supermarkets and convenience stores, which account for the bulk of its earnings.

The General Mills-owned ice cream brand also pulled out from the Philippines last year citing the challenging competitive environment as the reason.

While it is closing in some markets, the parent company says it will expand Häagen-Dazs in China by adding 50 new stores, increasing the count to 250 by the end of the year.