The shaved ice festival "Shaved Ice Collection" is being held at the Hills Cafe/Space on the second floor of Roppongi Hills' Hillside complex until August 24th. As this event brings together popular shaved ice shops, the venue is packed with a wide range of customers, including families, couples, and friends, even after the Obon holiday. Some shops reported wait times approaching an hour. One standout spot is Momijiya, a shop that uses ice from Shogetsu Himuro, a natural ice brewery in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. Shaved ice made with brand-name strawberries, yellow yuzu, and white peaches (¥700 each) is available. Also participating are Kawakyu, a popular local Nagoya shaved ice shop with two-hour waits; Azukiya Ando, which offers a lineup featuring Japanese ingredients like red beans and kinako; and Taiyaki Namihei, which offers daily rotating shaved ice made with Odawara-grown blueberries and kiwis. At "Koori-ya Shinchan," you can enjoy original shaved ice (500 yen) in the same red and yellow color scheme as the popular anime character "Crayon Shin-chan." Ryusuke Koike, author of the shaved ice eating guide "Kakigori-suto" and member of the Kakigori Collection Executive Committee, says, "The key to this event is that it's accessible not only to shaved ice fans but also to the general public. Shaved ice has gradually increased in popularity since around 2011, influenced by power saving measures after the earthquake and the publication of Yu Aoi's "Kyou mo Kakigori." It's not a sudden fad, but a rediscovery of its value. While the majority of shaved ice fans are women, men can also become enthralled with shaved ice, as it evokes a sense of Japanese culture and nostalgia. Shaved ice made using "espuma," a cooking tool used to turn ingredients into a mousse, is also available, but Koike focuses on shaved ice whose flavor changes as you eat it. Representative examples include "Mitarashi Milk" at "Kitchen Kanna" in Setagaya, Tokyo, which adds soy sauce syrup to milk ice, and "Sebastian" in Shibuya, which offers shaved ice with different flavors for each layer. Shaved ice is typically thought of as a summer treat, but Koike says, "From autumn onwards, we will be introducing seasonal menu items so you can enjoy it all year round." We'll have to keep an eye on future shaved ice trends!