Yanagawa Icehouse

Q&A

Yanagawa Sumako tells us about her ice business and how she came to make Kagoshima's most delicious (and largest) shaved ice.

Shaved ice

We started selling shaved ice simply because we had some extra room when we moved the icehouse to the present location. Over time word of mouth spread, and now we serve over 30 different kinds of shaved ice and sell over 500 servings a day.

"

"

Our customers range from little kids to pensioners, and its great to see how people of any age can enjoy the simple pleasure of shaved ice on a hot day. 

KAKIGORI

The ice we make here uses fresh water from the Oshigedani spring here in Kagoshima City. We freeze the water very slowly over about six days, making it harder to melt and crystal clear.

"

"

When you eat the shaved ice the light and fluffy texture is proof of the hard work that went into the freezing process.