A rare natural ice from Nagano is taking center stage at four restaurants and cafes in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka this summer. Nakamachi Hyogaten, a natural ice specialty brand based in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, is collaborating for the first time with Salt Consortium Co., Ltd. (Minato, Tokyo), a core operating company of Salt Group. Four of Salt Consortium's venues — THE SUN & THE MOON (Restaurant), AZABUDAI HILLS GALLERY CAFE, Sukiyaki Juniten Kyoto, and MuuMuu Diner NU Chayamachi Plus — have each created their own limited-edition kakigori (shaved ice) using the same natural ice, expressing it through their own brand concept.
The ice is harvested over roughly two weeks each winter in the Southern Alps and Yatsugatake mountains, relying solely on the season's natural cold rather than mechanical freezing. Its delicate texture and clarity have made it a favorite among shaved ice specialists. Rather than developing one shared product, as is typical in most collaborations, this project brings the same natural ice to four different culinary settings, each shaped by its own worldview and approach to food.
AZABUDAI HILLS GALLERY CAFE — Ripe Mango and Citrus Chamomile Kakigori
AZABUDAI HILLS GALLERY CAFE, attached to the Azabudai Hills Gallery, has built its menu around dishes that echo the artwork on display in each exhibition, blending art and food. For this collaboration, the cafe treats the clarity of the natural ice as a canvas, layering the rich sweetness of ripe mango with the bright acidity of passion fruit and the fragrant aroma of citrus chamomile. A black tea jelly adds depth, so the flavor keeps shifting until the last spoonful.
- Menu: Ripe Mango and Citrus Chamomile Kakigori
- Available: June 20, 2026 (Sat) through late August 2026 (tentative)
- Price: ¥2,300 (tax included)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azabudaihills_gallerycafe/
THE SUN & THE MOON (Restaurant) — Summer Strawberry, Amazake Milk, and Fermented Lemon Kakigori
Located on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, THE SUN & THE MOON (Restaurant) offers sweeping views of Tokyo alongside seasonal dishes and afternoon tea. As part of its summer-limited afternoon tea, the restaurant is serving a kakigori made with ripe summer strawberries, a house-made amazake milk, and house-fermented lemon. The strawberries' juicy sweetness and gentle acidity meet the mellow richness of amazake and the aroma of fermented lemon, with the flavor evolving as the ice melts — a seasonal finale to the summer afternoon tea.
- Menu: Ripe Summer Strawberry, Amazake Milk, and Fermented Lemon Kakigori (served as part of the summer-limited afternoon tea)
- Available: June 22, 2026 (Mon) through around late August 2026 (tentative)
- Price: Afternoon tea from ¥7,300 on weekdays / from ¥8,400 on weekends and holidays
- Official website: https://thesun-themoon.com/moon/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themoon_roppongi/
Sukiyaki Juniten Kyoto — Five Seasonal Kakigori
Sukiyaki Juniten Kyoto, located near Maruyama Park in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, is a sukiyaki restaurant that reflects Japan's four seasons and seasonal ingredients in every dish. For this collaboration, the restaurant has created five limited-edition kakigori built around seasonal fruit and Japanese ingredients, each drawing out the character of its main ingredient. All five are available from July 1, 2026 (Wed) through around late October 2026 (tentative).
Seasonal Ripe Fruit (Ripe Summer Strawberry Milk) — ¥2,420 (tax included). Generous amounts of sweet-tart, richly flavored ripe summer strawberries paired with Nakamachi Hyogaten's signature rich milk base, the milk gently wrapping the strawberries' fresh acidity into a nostalgic, indulgent flavor.
Uji Matcha and Tamanohikari Sake Lees — ¥2,420 (tax included). Fragrant Uji matcha from Kyoto paired with a sake lees cream made from the renowned Kyoto sake brand Tamanohikari, with the matcha's gentle bitterness, the sake lees' mellow richness, and a refreshing yuzu peel aroma layered together.
Apricot, Vanilla, and Fig — ¥2,200 (tax included). The elegant sweetness and distinctive texture of fig, layered with a ripe apricot syrup infused with the gentle sweetness of wasanbon sugar and the aroma of vanilla — a delicate, indulgent combination of complementary flavors.
Jade Plum and Yuzu Green Tea — ¥1,870 (tax included). Green plums prepared to a jade-like beauty, with a crisp sweet-tartness, paired with a green tea syrup carrying the refreshing aroma of yuzu — a crisp, elegant flavor that brings a moment of cool relief to the summer heat.
Seasonal Ripe Fruit (Ripe White Peach and Passion Fruit) — ¥2,420 (tax included). A rich syrup made from generous amounts of seasonal ripe white peach, paired with the refreshing acidity and tropical aroma of passion fruit, balancing the natural ice's fresh melt with the fruit's juiciness for a summery flavor.
- Official website: https://sukiyaki-jyuniten.com/kyoto/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sukiyaki.jyuniten_kyoto/
MuuMuu Diner NU Chayamachi Plus — Acai Kakigori
MuuMuu Diner, in Osaka's Chayamachi district, is a Hawaiian diner serving Kona coffee flown in from Hawaii alongside loco moco and pancakes, aiming to recreate the open, aloha-spirit atmosphere of a Hawaiian resort. For this summer-only collaboration, the diner centers its kakigori on acai, a Hawaiian favorite, paired with tropical ingredients like dragon fruit and passion fruit for a vividly colored, refreshing dessert that channels a Hawaiian summer.
- Menu: Acai Kakigori
- Available: July 3, 2026 (Fri) through around late September 2026 (tentative)
- Price: ¥1,880 (tax included)
- Official website: https://salt-group.jp/shop/muumuu-chayamachi/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muumuudiner_chayamac
