Japanese sweets shop "Gion Tokuya Harajuku" in Harajuku, Tokyo. As you can guess from the name of "Gion", the main store is located in Kyoto prefecture, and it is a popular store where you can line up every day.

Here, I got the information that the summer-only shaved ice was released. It is said that it is not matcha or black honey, but the shaved ice of "bancha". Bancha shaved ice at a Japanese sweets shop ...?


The Gion Tokuya Harajuku store is located on the first floor of the UNITED ARROWS Women's Building, just past Harajuku Street. The entrance where the lanterns hang is a landmark. When we arrived at around 3:30 pm on weekday snacks, three groups were already waiting. I also write my name and wait for it to be called.


I was guided about 20 minutes after arrival. The inside of the store has a calm atmosphere of "Japanese modern", with counter seats, table seats, and seats like a semi-private room totaling about 30 seats, which is not so large, but each seat is spacious. There is also a seat for Hori Kotatsu in the back.

Open the menu at once. The aim is "Obancha Kakigori," which is offered only in the summer. It is said that you will be asked to sprinkle syrup made from bancha and rock candy. I'm looking forward to it!

About 10 minutes later, the shaved ice of bancha was brought in. A bowl with plenty of ice and a syrup attached are on the tray.


Sprinkle a generous amount of syrup in your mouth ... To express it in one word, it is "fragrant". Anyway, it's fragrant. At the beginning, the scent of roasted green tea spreads softly in the mouth, and later the smooth sweetness of rock candy comes, and the aftertaste that combines the two is a nostalgic taste like freshly made bekko candy.


The ice is not a fluffy type, but a crispy type with ice grains remaining. However, the grains are fine, so when you put them in your mouth, they melt quickly.

If you eat about halfway, you will reach the lemon. When you eat this lemon together, it transforms into a rich lemon tea. The sourness is added to give a refreshing taste. Lemon is not raw, it seems to be pickled in syrup, so it is easy to eat and goes well with bancha syrup. Although the syrup was sweet, it was not too chilly and was a refreshing dish to eat.


Many shaved ice shops use milk syrup for flavors other than milk, but this shaved ice has no "milky feeling". It may be a little unusual.


Speaking of Gion Tokuya, you can't miss "Honwarabimochi". The lightly colored warabi mochi is chilled on ice until just before eating, so it is cold and passes through the smooth throat. It's slightly sweet and delicious to eat as it is, but it's also exceptional to have it sprinkled with a generous amount of special black soybean flour. Now that you can take it home (reservation required), it seems good to bring back the taste of a popular Japanese sweets shop as a memory of shaved ice.


I would like to go to the main store in Kyoto someday.