Sakanoue Cafe (サカノウエカフェ), a popular shaved ice shop in Yushima, Tokyo, will serve a collaboration shaved ice made with kamairi matcha (釜炒り抹茶) from Saga Prefecture and Saga Bijin (さが美人), a brand of mandarin oranges.
The collaboration came about on the occasion of the 80th National Tea Festival (第80回全国お茶まつり佐賀大会), which is being held in Saga Prefecture for the first time in 27 years, as a way to share the appeal of Saga tea with a wider audience.
The toasty aroma of Saga kamairi matcha and the refreshing taste of Saga Bijin mandarins have been turned into a shaved ice using Sakanoue Cafe's own ideas and techniques. It is a special bowl available only through this collaboration.
Product Name: "Saga, Gyutto." (佐賀、ぎゅっと。)
The shop describes the shaved ice as a bowl where two of Saga's signature ingredients come together.
The first bite is a rich matcha experience. Matcha sauce slides down over a smooth matcha espuma that melts in the mouth, and the toasty aroma, sweetness and umami of the kamairi matcha spread across the palate.
Layered on top is a refreshing mandarin sauce made with Saga Bijin. The acidity of the mandarin gives a bright flavor, and the moment it blends with the rich matcha is, according to the shop, the best part of this shaved ice. The makers themselves were surprised by how well matcha and mandarin go together.
The top is finished with a salt crumble coated in white chocolate, adding texture and a hint of saltiness. Further down are a coconut ginger sauce, and beneath that, sake lees cream and ginger sauce. Each ingredient is meant to set off the stars of the dish, matcha and mandarin.
It is rich, yet leaves you wanting the next bite, a bowl that is fun to finish as two Saga ingredients meet.
Price and Serving Period
- Price: ¥2,300 (tax included)
- Serving period: from November 19, 2026 (Thursday) for about two weeks, ending when the ingredients run out
About Sakanoue Cafe
Sakanoue Cafe is a shaved ice shop located right between Yushima Tenjin and Kanda Myojin.
The cafe runs on the motto "Smiles at the table" (テーブルに笑顔を). For those moments when everyone feels a little down, it prepares small touches so that guests can smile and feel a bit brighter.
- Address: 2-22-14 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
- Regular holidays and business hours: These vary by month. Check the calendar on the cafe's website or its Instagram.
About Kamairi Matcha (釜炒り抹茶)
The production technique for kamairi matcha was developed in 2004 by the Saga Prefectural Tea Research Station (佐賀県茶業試験場).
Because the tea is roasted in a kama (pot) during processing, it has a toasty aroma that sets it apart from ordinary matcha.
About Saga Bijin (さが美人)
Saga Bijin is a brand of mandarin oranges from JA Saga.
Among the delicious Satsuma mandarins (温州みかん) grown in Saga Prefecture, only those that clear the prefecture's uniform, strict standards for sugar content, acidity and appearance are sold as Saga Bijin.
The mandarins are grown with sheet mulching, which keeps quality consistent. Every one is sweet and richly colored, true "beauties" (bijin).
About Saga Tea
Tea in Saga Prefecture is produced mainly in Ureshino, along with Karatsu, Takeo, Imari and other cities. Ureshino, the main production area, sits in a basin among gently sloping mountains, with morning mist, large day-night temperature differences and ample sunshine, all of which suit tea cultivation.
At the National Tea Competition (全国茶品評会), tea entered from Saga Prefecture has won the top prize, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, in both the steamed tamaryokucha (蒸し製玉緑茶) and kamairicha (釜炒り茶) categories for four consecutive years since 2023. Saga is known as one of Japan's leading producers of high-quality tea.
About the 80th National Tea Festival in Saga (第80回全国お茶まつり佐賀大会)
This is the first time in 27 years that the National Tea Festival has been held in Saga Prefecture.
An event that people who do not usually drink tea can also enjoy, SAGA Chasai 2026 (SAGA茶祭2026), will be held over two days, Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, 2026, at SAGA ART PATH in front of the Saga Prefectural Museum and Art Museum (佐賀県立博物館・美術館).
Teas from each production area, starting with Ureshino tea, will be gathered together. Visitors can compare sencha, kamairicha and Japanese black tea, try their hand at brewing tea and tea tasting, and buy sweets and food made with tea.
The event is designed to let not only tea lovers but also younger people and children enjoy the appeal of tea.
