Japan's ancient capital Nara emerges as shaved ice hotspot

Japan's ancient capital, Nara, has emerged as a popular destination for shaved ice enthusiasts, according to recent reports. This city, where ice production has flourished for 1,600 years to serve the imperial court, has seen a surge in shaved ice businesses over the past decade. The number of shops in Nara and neighboring Nara Prefecture has increased more than ninefold, attracting tourists from far and wide.

Housekibaco, a renowned shaved ice shop in the city, offers specially crafted ice that allows consumers to enjoy the dessert for a longer period. Keiko Okada, a co-owner of Housekibaco, expressed optimism that shaved ice will become an integral part of Nara's food culture. Maiko Taki, a visitor from Tsu in Mie Prefecture, visited the city to enjoy peach-flavored shaved ice during a particularly hot summer.

The Nihon Shoki, or Chronicles of Japan, states that about 1,600 years ago, Nara had storage facilities known as himuro, used to preserve ice made during winter for the imperial court. Himuro Shrine, located in Nara, still holds a ritual of extracting ice from a reconstructed himuro and hosts an annual festival where manufacturers and retailers from across Japan gather to pray for business success.

Inspired by Nara's history of ice-making, Okada and others organized a festival in 2014 featuring shaved ice, leading to the opening of Housekibaco in 2015 and the publication of the Nara Shaved Ice Guide the following year. This initiative spurred the growth of shaved ice shops, with the 2026 edition of the guide listing 42 establishments in the prefecture, 19 of which are clustered within a 1-kilometer radius of Kintetsu Nara Station.

However, concerns such as soaring electricity prices remain, with ice-maker Hinode Seihyo president Takahito Naka expressing disappointment that the city is not generating the profits they had hoped for.