Kakigoori for less than ¥500

If you are a fan of the icy, sweet treat kakigoori (shaved ice), our last two pieces (Ice out the heat with kakigoori and Keep on icing out the heat) brought you some of the best kakigoori that Tokyo has to offer. Because we focused on the best, we also ended up focusing mainly on places that – due to their overwhelming popularity – have long queues and charge a premium that’s probably a bit much for koori-zuki (ice lovers) out there who want to ‘ice out the heat’ on a daily basis.

With the summer heat sticking around it’s still warm enough to want to cool down with some shaved ice, so in our final kakigoori feature, we’ll be focusing on kakigoori that you can buy with only one coin – that is, for ¥500 or less. Furthermore, the kakigoori spots listed below are all places where you won’t have to queue (at least not on weekdays anyway) and feature laid-back, relaxed atmospheres. A few of the spots we’ve chosen here may be slightly removed from the major shopping districts; however, if you happen to live or work in one of the areas listed, or don’t mind the extra walk, then you’re in for a treat; for the money, these are some kakigoori gems.

A word of warning: some of the spots listed below usually stop selling kakigoori towards the end of September, so give them a quick call before heading out to avoid any unnecessary disappointment.

Fukudaya (Omorimachi)

Koori milk ¥250

In line with a large curtain, displaying the kanji for ‘ice’ that hangs outside the front of the shop, the interior here has a distinct Showa period feel to it: the tables and chairs look like they’ve been in use for generations and, of course, there’s no air-conditioning. Even the menu, which hangs one of the walls, has its own distinct style. The kakigoori portions served here aren’t large, but because Fukudaya cool their ice down to a particularly low temperature; a single helping provides just enough kakigoori to quell the heat without causing you to actually feel cold. In addition to kakigoori, the shop also offers various other reasonably priced sweets and light snacks such as isobemaki (bite-sized morsels wrapped in nori seaweed) for ¥180, ozouni (soup containing mochi, vegetables and other ingredients) for ¥180 and cream anmitsu (anmitsu with ice cream) for ¥250.
(Full details & map)

Hachimitsu no Senmon-ten Hanamegumi Sangenjaya Honten (Sangenjaya)

Koori natsu-mikan ¥400

A specialist in honey, Hanamegumi offer hachimitsu-yaki (baked honey sweets) during the winter and kakigoori (made using an old-school ice shaving machine) during the summer. As might be expected from a shop that specializes in honey, they offer a honey-flavoured syrup that goes perfectly with their snow-like kakigoori, as well as a honey and natsu-mikan (summer orange) flavoured syrup with a particularly moreish, slightly sour-sweet flavour. The syrup here is on the thick side so it’s worth taking the time to stir it through the ice before digging in. Note: don’t be put off by the plastic spoons – ice here is of the highest quality.
(Full details & map)

Usagi-ya (Asagaya)

Koori ichigo (with milk) ¥380

A popular Japanese confectionary shop famed for its dorayaki (bean-jam pancakes), Usagiya offer reasonably priced kakigoori during summer. However, what’s even more welcome than the low price of the kakigoori itself – which comes served as a mountain of ice in a glass that appears barely big enough to hold it all – are the particularly reasonably priced toppings they have to offer, such as matcha (green tea) and condensed milk (priced at ¥30 each), and shiratama (rice flour dumplings), priced at ¥10 per piece. If your feeling spoilt for choice, try opting for the strawberry syrup (home-made and with a sour-sweet flavour) and condensed milk. The portions of both syrup and ice are just right; since the shop isn’t air-conditioned, there’s no real danger of cooling yourself down too much by eating too much.

Note: because of the never-ending stream of customers who come here to buy confectionary, the shop can become relatively crowded at weekends. Aim for a weekday to avoid having to queue for an eat-in space.
(Full details & map)

Kanmi Arai (Ikegami)

Koori anzu milk ¥450

A Japanese confectionary spot located close to Ikegami Hongan-ji temple, Kanmi Arai can get rather busy at the weekends – although not to the point where you’ll have to queue for a long time to get in. Kakigoori here comes carefully piled up, has a delightful fluffy texture, and looks absolutely scrumptious. Furthermore, smothered in plenty of sweet apricot syrup that perfectly complements the smooth condensed milk topping, it's a melt-in-your-mouth treat that tastes as good as it looks. In fact, the only snag with the kakigoori here is that it’s rather addictive.
(Full details & map)

Milk Hall Ishikawa (Shimo-takaido)

Nigro ¥350

Located next to Matsubara High School, Milk Hall Koshigawa is a reasonably priced local eatery that receives its fair share of student customers and serves a rather idiosyncratic type of kakigoori, called ‘Niguro’ – named after a student who played on the school’s rugby team and always ordered the same kakigoori toppings: ice topped with milk-kintoki (sweet paste made from condensed milk and adzuki beans), mikan (mandarin orange) and apricot.

With its fluffy yet crunchy ice, and its sweet yet sour pieces of apricot and mandarin orange, this unique kakigoori is particularly refreshing. Furthermore, because it contains adzuki beans, it also has the added advantage of being relatively filling. During her time at Matsubara High School, Japanese pop musician Misato Watanabe is said to have been a regular customer here – a fact that, on occasion, still brings her fans to the shop – possibly for some Calpis and apricot flavoured kakigoori (priced at ¥300 and said to be particularly popular with the ladies). Kakigoori here is served until the end of September.
(Full details & map)