Shaved ice is one of the most popular desserts during summertime in Japan. It's made with ice shaved from an ice block and drizzled in different kinds of syrups.   Here's a list of 6 shaved ice desserts you should try in Japan this summer.   Strawberry Shaved Ice & Melon Shaved Ice Fruit Parlor Odawara is located in the city of Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture and sells desserts mixed with fresh fruits. Their strawberry shaved ice is made with around 25 sachinoka strawberries farmed locally, while their melon shaved ice uses carefully selected ripe melons and is served inside a melon. Only 10 of each flavour are available to purchase each day. They're being sold until the end of August, so be sure to visit quick!       Kazuri Chocolate Mint Mario Gelateria is selling a range of chocolate mint shaved ice desserts for a limited period at three of its branches. Enjoy the fluffy Kezuri Chocolate Mint at the Shibuya Hikari branch, Chocolate Mint which turns pink at the Yokohama Bayside and Minato Mirai branches, and more. The Kezuri Chocolate Mint is most recommended, made with frozen mint milk and chocolate sauce. Enjoy topped with salted chocolate mint with salt from Uyuni Salt Lake.       Peanut & Homemade Condensed Milk Shaved Ice Taiyaki Tomoean is selling a shaved ice dessert that includes a paste made in-house with crushed peanuts and a homemade syrup made with condensed milk. It's also topped with extra peanuts, giving layers of different flavours and texture with the full-bodied taste of the peanuts and sweetness of the syrup. You won't have eaten shaved ice like this before.        Wicked Snow - Watermelon & Melon Shaved Ice Wicked Snow is a desserts cafe who are bringing back their three popular summer-only shaved ice flavours - pick from watermelon, melon, or a combination of both. The shaved ice is Wicked Snow’s own unique blend, made to look like powdered snow that melts in your mouth. Topped with plenty of watermelon and melon, this is the kind of dessert you’d expect to see on Instagram.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/113471       Yondaime Tokujiro Natural Ice In the Karuizawa Lakeside Shop of Hotel Green Plaza Karuizawa they are selling shaved ice made with natural ice from Nikko Yondaime Tokujiro, a brewery of which there are only a few located in Japan. Located in Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture, this natural ice warehouse has passed down traditional methods and techniques for 4 generations since the Meiji Period. The shaved ice is topped with tochiotome strawberry sauce, original plum sauce, matcha adzuki and more.       Tamba Spring Water Shaved Ice Nakajima Taishodo are selling shaved ice made with large-grained adzuki beans and spring water both from the city of Tamba. The high quality beans give the dessert a sweetness, while the shaved ice, made with famous spring water from the company's breweries, give a fluffy texture. People from Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe come all the way to see this shaved ice which stands 18cm tall!       Looking to cool yourself off while in Japan this summer? Then how about some refreshing shaved ice?

The place I am showcasing today is ‘Urara,’ a garden café and bar located in Daikanyama. Their shaved ice is super popular in summer. It’s somewhere I love and often go to in my private time. It’s an old Japanese-style house so it has a much different atmosphere to that of stylish Daikanyama. The outside of it has a warm and welcoming feel to it that will have you wanting to see what kind of place it is. Upon entering through the shop sign curtain, you arrive in the courtyard which is surrounded by trees. You can hear the sounds of birds from somewhere, and when the wind blows you also hear the rustling of tree leaves. You completely forget you’re in Tokyo as you feel like you’ve come to a grandma’s house in the countryside. It’s very relaxing. Hm? What’s this odd looking thing? These unique ornaments were scattered all around the courtyard ready to greet us! This sign makes for a great photo spot. It says ‘Urara’ just like the name of the café. Its nostalgic design is so cute! When you really look, it says tissue paper on it! There’s lots to be discovered on the posters and signs that make up the interior, it’s a lot of fun! I ordered the Uji adzuki bean shaved ice topped with condensed milk! It cost ¥600 for the shaved ice and ¥100 for the topping. The matcha used is from Uji in Kyoto. Such a big portion of shaved ice is enough to cool you down by just looking at it. Let’s eat! Where have I tasted this before…   The matcha seeped all the way to the middle of the shaved ice. The refreshing sweetness was so tasty. The adzuki beans are from Tokachi in Hokkaido. They were a perfect combination with the condensed milk. The ice used is natural ice from Nikko. It’s fluffy, tastes great, and doesn’t give you brain freeze!   Natural ice is different from regular ice. It’s frozen slowly so the crystals have high density, and it takes longer for it to melt. The cool part was how it didn’t crumple instantly when I poured the syrup on it! This is blueberry syrup (¥600). The blueberries used are from Nagano. They make it from jam in the café. Isn’t the colour just beautiful? It has that sour flavour that blueberries have and a refreshing, lip-smacking sweetness. I normally don’t drink alcohol, but since Urara is a café and a bar I will show you a mojito (¥600). The mint is so refreshing! On a hot summer’s day it seems like there are people who order both shaved ice and beer together. They’re seasonal items so will satisfy and cool you down. I also got to meet Tama-chan, the cat who comes to play at Urara. One time when I came before Tama was out walking so I didn’t get to meet him. Lastly, I snapped a photo with Arai who’s in charge of promoting Urara! We’re roughly the same height and have a similar interest in clothes so I grew an affinity with her. Coffee shops and cafés in old style Japanese houses tell you something about the people associated with them. Urara feels natural thanks to SELIN & Co., an apparel maker who make things that feel one with nature. The staff at Urara all love living things, so the big hearted atmosphere there was really wonderful. If I was to set up a shop I wonder what it would be like… I think I’d want to put out something warm like Urara.     Photographer：Haruka Yamamoto Editor：Ai Watanabe Design：Yuko Abe（ASOBISYSTEM) Translater：Joshua Kitosi-Isanga

The PEANUTS Cafe in Nakameguro is themed on the popular American comic strip Peanuts featuring Charlie Brown and Snoopy. The cafe is now selling a limited edition shaved ice inspired by the character Woodstock, a yellow bird and Snoopy's best friend.

EAT-IN Woodstock Shaved Ice - ¥850 (Pre-Tax)

  The cool and refreshing eat-in Woodstock Shaved Ice is made with frozen mango, pineapple and orange and drizzled in a lemon syrup. The whipped cream is topped with lemon flavoured cotton candy made in the image of Woodstock's iconic tuft. Enjoy a unique texture by pouring the passion fruit sauce over the fluffy cotton candy♡  

TAKEOUT Woodstock Shaved Iced - ¥650 (Pre-Tax)

  The takeout version includes passion fruit sauce, lemon flavoured espuma cream and lemon syrup. Underneath the shaved ice are delicious pieces of frozen mango, pineapple and orange.   Cool down from the sunshine with Woodstock's refreshing sweet and sour yellow coloured shaved ice.