How To Stay Cool In Tokyo In The Summer: 7 Best Shaved Ices In Tokyo!

1. The fruit Kakigori of Hachiku

Hachiku is located conveniently just 9 minutes from Ikebukuro station and is a popular store amongst students and locals. This store originally started off as a fruit store, so they specialize in unique Kakigoris that use fruits in unique fashions! Fresh seasonal fruits can be enjoyed there, and they have daily menus that will be showcased on their Twitter and Instagram feed daily. Hachiku is also located nearby other destinations such as Sunshine Aquarium as well, so do check them out!

Hachiku

Address: 3-32-6, Nishiikebukuro, Toshima Ward

Opening Hours: 1:00pm - 8:00pm

Access: 9 minute walk from Ikebukuro Station West exit

2. Open till 5 am!? Enjoy Kakigori and a bar at Yelo

Yelo is located just 4 minutes from Roppongi station and is a Kakigori store and a bar at the same time. It is open from 11am to 5am except on Sundays. The store has a quiet and calm atmosphere, allowing customers to enjoy Kakigori as if in a high-class environment. Unique Kakigori such as carrot and avocado Kakigori can be savored at Yelo.

Yelo

Address: 5-2-11, Roppongi, Minato Ward

Opening Hours: 11:00am – 5:00am (closes at 11:00pm on Sundays)

Access: 4 minute walk from Roppongi Station

Near by landmark: Roppongi crossroad

3. The home-made syrup of Himitsudo

1/2 Himitsudo

2/2 Exterior of the shop and a long queue

Himitsudo is an extremely popular Kakigori store located 5 minutes from Nippori station. It was originally a small stall operating through a Yatai (movable Japanese stall) but it became so popular that this shop was opened in 2011. Himitsudo is best known for the “Himitsu no Ichigo Milk,” Kakigori where their home-made strawberry milk is poured over soft shaved ice. Another recommendation is the Yoghurt Kakigori which has a marvelous sour-sweet taste. The queues can be as long as 1 to 3 hours during peak summer seasons, so it is highly recommended that you plan your schedule accordingly when visiting Himitsudo. That being said, the queueing will definitely be worth it!

Himitsudo

Address: 3-11-18, Yanaka, Taito Ward

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 6:00pm (closed on Monday)

Access: 5 minute walk from Nippori Station

Website: Himitsudo

Near by landmark: Yanaka Ginza

4. The daily menus of Momijiya

Momijiya is a Kakigori store that can be enjoyed at a very reasonable price, a visit here won’t break the bank! The home-made milk blended with the cocoa powder is extremely delicious. Momijiya has daily menus as well, which will be announced on their official Twitter page every day. The store may be closed on Tuesdays, but the schedule might change so do check out their Twitter page before visiting. They may be closed if the weather is not good too.

Momijiya

Address: 3-19-1, Umeda, Adachi Ward

Opening Hours: 1:00pm - 5:30pm (opens from 12:00pm on weekends)

Access: 11 minute walk from Tobu Skytree Line Umejima Station

Website: Momijiya

Near by landmark: Arakawa River (where you can view Tokyo Skytree over the waterfront. It’s a picturesque hidden spot!)

5. Flavored ice from Ice Monster

Ice Monster is a Kakigori store, and its main branch is in Taipei, Taiwan. The extremely popular store opened in Japan in 2015. What makes Ice Monster stand out from other Kakigori stores is that they create their shaved ice from flavored ice, instead of pouring syrup or other toppings on top of pure shaved ice. This gives the Kakigori an extremely unique texture and rich flavor. One of their popular menu items is the Tapioca Milktea Kakigori, where soft and chewy hot tapioca bubbles can be savored together with delectable cold shaved ice.

Ice Monster

Address: 6-3-7, Jingumae, Shibuya Ward

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm

Access: 1 minute walk from Meijijingu-Mae Station

Website: Ice Monster

Near by landmark: Harajuku

6. The Japanese style Kakigori of Naniwaya

Naniwaya is a store famous for their delicious Taiyaki - Japanese fish shaped pancakes filled with red bean jams – but in summer, they are also well-known for their Kakigori. Being a Japanese sweets store, the popular menu items at Naniwaya include the Red Bean Kakigori as well as the Kinako Kakigori. Both Kakigoris blend traditional Japanese tastes together with shaved ice, which creates a fantastic harmony.

Naniwaya

Address: 2-12-4, Asakusa, Taito Ward

Opening Hours: 10:00am – 7:00pm (closed on Tuesday)

Website: Naniwaya

Access: 3 minute walk from Tsukuba Express Line Asakusa Station

7. The unique Kakigoris from Sebastian

1/2 Sebastian

2/2 Strawberry mile-feuille flavor

Sebastian is located just 12 minutes from Shibuya station and is known for having many unique Kakigoris. One of them is the “Strawberry Shortcake” - a Kakigori that looks exactly like a strawberry cake! The staffs will make the Kakigoris at the counter and many customers order this mainly to watch the process of making them. Another popular menu item is the Daifuku Kakigori, where Daifuku, a Japanese sweet made from red bean paste wrapped in sticky rice cake, is served on top of shaved ice. The chewy Daifuku creates a unique harmony with the soft shaved ice, and this is something that you cannot experience elsewhere!

Sebastian

Address: 7-15, Kamiyamacho, Shibuya Ward

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 5:00pm

Access: 12 minute walk from Shibuya Station

Review and info Near by landmark: Yoyogi park

Convenient and delicious

These stores introduced are all located in convenient locations within Tokyo, and are also easily accessible from various popular tourist destinations. Do consider checking them out during your visit to Tokyo!