Japan's summer is an unforgiving, relentless season of constant sunshine, when going outside often feels like you've entered a furnace. Instead of walking around sweating like no tomorrow, do as the locals and seek out a refreshing bowl of shaved ice called kakigori. You'll find restaurants and cafes all over the country serving this dish as soon as the temperature hikes up, with all kinds of flavors. It's the perfect antidote to the hot summer weather.
Asakusa Naniwaya
Originally famous for their traditional taiyaki desserts, Naniwaya also make a mean kakigori that has quickly risen to fame. Their shaved iced bowls feature a number of different traditional flavors such as their most famous one made with a matcha sauce, filled with adzuki beans and covered with a sweet white bean paste. It's a great example of how traditional Japanese sweets pair with each other.
Address: 2-12-4 Asakusa, Taito-ku
Darumaya Mochigashiten
Serving delicious bowls of shaved ice all year round (if for some reason Tokyo's chilly winter isn't quite cold enough for you) Darumaya is a traditional sweets shop that's been in business for over 70 years. You'll often find seasonal fruits featured on the menu but their 'premium' strawberry shaved ice is available all throughout the year and well worth a try.
Address: 1-3-6 Jujo-Nakahara, Kita-ku
Sebastian
Following the trend of creating culinary inventions by Frankenstein-ing desserts together, those at Sebastian in Shibuya have created the ingenious 'kakigori cake'. The summer dessert we never knew we needed, it's perfect for those who need some cake in their lives but are looking for a refreshing remedy from the summer heat. The dessert is layered with shaved ice, mango syrup, pieces of mango and covered with whipped cream to give it that cake-like appearance.
Address: 7-15 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya-ku
Kooriya Peace
Popular among the younger generation of Tokyo, Kichijoji is full of some of the city's best cafes, one of them being famous for its delicious shaved ice. Their different offerings tend to change constantly throughout the year depending on what fruits are in season, although they usually tend to swing towards creative and unique pairings rather than more traditional flavorings. The presentation game here is usually on point too, so if you're looking for the perfect bowl to put up on Instagram, this is it. Although it was already quite popular, the store achieved fame after being featured on 'Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman' a popular Japanese show.
Address: 1 Chome−9−9, Kichijoji Minamicho, Musashino
Kori Kobo Ishibashi
With a name translated as 'ice factory' it's no wonder this shop has become a haven for those wanting to escape the summer heat. Although it's a little way out of the center of Tokyo, for the hardcore kakigori enthusiasts, you'll want to head out here and sample as much of their different flavors as you can. Their extensive menu covers most fruits and sweet cravings you could possibly have.
Address: 1 Chome-29-8 Sangenjaya, Setagaya City
Conclusion
As you might expect, kakigori is extremely popular among both locals and tourists at the height of summer. For the popular stores you might need to queue till you get a seat, although you can often take it out to go without much of a wait if you're in the need for a quick remedy from the heat. It can be a little intimidating when the huge bowl of ice is placed before you, but as big as they can get, it's not particularly filling with it being mostly just ice and sugar.