Simple Shaved Ice Shop Will Cool You Down in Summer; Setagaya Ward Shop in Business for 45 Years

By Kataru Miyaji / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:13 JST, August 12, 2025

Stifling heat engulfed me on a sunny day during the rainy season the moment I stepped out of the underground Sangenjaya Station. After I walked for a while, wiping sweat from my forehead, a flag with the word kori, meaning ice, written in red ink caught my eye.

That was the sign for Kori Ishibashi, a shop that serves over 30 kinds of kakigori shaved ice, ranging from classic flavors to its own originals.

A huge shaved ice machine stood on the counter.

“If that machine breaks, we won’t be able to repair it because the parts are no longer available,” Kumiko Ishibashi, the owner of the shop, told me.

Founded as an ice wholesaler about 60 years ago, the shop has been selling shaved ice for over 45 years. Nothing appears to have changed since it first opened. Well-worn tables and paper notices on the wall are a testament to its long history. Without using an air conditioner, I stayed cool thanks to the breeze flowing through the shop.

Ishibashi, 81, efficiently shaved a big square ice block. She repeated the process of piling shaved ice on an antique dish and pouring plenty of syrup over it again and again. Unlike shaved ice with syrup drizzled only on the top, hers does not require stirring to spread the flavor. The icy treat has flavor in every bite and melts slowly.

She serves syrup-covered shaved ice only, without fruit or other toppings. “Essentially, shaved ice is a food that quickly cools your body,” Ishibashi said, explaining why she sticks to simple shaved ice. “You don’t need to chew it, and your body quickly absorbs it.”

I first ate shaved ice with sugar syrup (¥700, tax included). The ice quickly melted as a somewhat nostalgic flavor spread in my mouth. The most popular syrup is milk tea (¥1,300, tax included), generously covered with a homemade syrup and rennyu sweet condensed milk. Savoring the rich aroma and flavor, I finished it in the blink of an eye.

Some patrons never forget the taste they experienced as children and keep coming back even as adults.

“I want to run my shop at my own pace,” said Ishibashi.

I felt immersed in a time long gone. As I stepped out of the shop, it was as if the heat had vanished.

Kori Ishibashi

Address: 1-29-8 Sangenjaya, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo

Access: A five-minute walk from Sangenjaya Station on the Denentoshi Line

Memo: Open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with irregular closed days. Shaved ice is available only during summer. During winter, baked sweet potatoes from Kagoshima Prefecture are served.