OSAKA - Nara, Japan's ancient capital, where ice production is said to have flourished for 1,600 years to serve the imperial court, has become a battleground for shaved ice businesses.
The number of shops in the western city and elsewhere in Nara Prefecture has increased more than ninefold over the last 10 years. Tourists have flocked to the city, where Housekibaco, a popular shaved ice shop, offers specially made ice that enables consumers to enjoy the dessert longer.
Keiko Okada, 54, a co-owner of the shop, has expressed hope that shaved ice "becomes part of Nara's food culture."
Maiko Taki was among the shop's eager visitors, having come all the way from Tsu in Mie Prefecture to enjoy peach-flavored shaved ice one day in July. "It's been unbearably hot every day, so I used my annual leave to drive here," the 22-year-old said, adding there are "so many fruits in it and it's delicious."
According to Himuro Shrine, the "Nihon Shoki," or Chronicles of Japan, say that about 1,600 years ago, Nara had storage facilities known as "himuro," which were used to preserve ice made during the winter to be offered to the imperial court.
The shrine holds a ritual of extracting ice from a himuro that was reconstructed some 30 years ago. It is also known for its annual festival in May when manufacturers and retailers from across Japan gather to pray for success in their businesses.
Inspired by Nara's history of ice-making, Okada and others organized a festival in the city in 2014 featuring shaved ice in cooperation with neighboring shrines.
Determined to ensure the festival would continue for 100 years, Okada opened Housekibaco in 2015 and published a Nara Shaved Ice Guide the following year. The initiative led some establishments to introduce unique shaved ice desserts, including a French restaurant serving it with caviar.
The number of shaved ice shops gradually increased, with the 2026 edition of the guide listing 42 places in the prefecture, 19 of which are concentrated within a 1-kilometer radius of Kintetsu Nara Station in the city center.
But concerns such as the soaring electricity prices remain.
"While the city is buzzing with excitement over the boom, we are not generating the profits we expected," Takahito Naka, president of Nara-based ice-maker Hinode Seihyo, said, adding that the company hopes to increase its business with clients outside the prefecture.
