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How Did Samurai Enjoy Ice Before Electricity?

While the end of the rainy season is still a little ways off here, it seems Okinawa has already welcomed summer. It might be hard for expats to initially grasp this specific "end of the rainy season" feeling, but after living in Japan for a few years, you start to understand it. It's the sensation of that heavy, hot, and humid weather finally clearing up, making way for a crisp, hot summer.

In such intense heat, how did people in the past enjoy ice desserts? Today, I’d like to share the history of Japan's historical shaved ice culture.

During the freezing winters, snow and ice were stored in natural underground caves called Himuro (ice rooms). Naturally, there were no refrigerators during the Edo period or earlier. So, how did the shoguns and nobles in cities like Edo enjoy ice?

There is an astonishing secret to their transportation method. Professional runners (Hikyaku) placed the ice in special wooden boxes wrapped in bamboo leaves and ran day and night, relay-style, across hundreds of kilometers. They delivered it in just a few days before it completely melted—you could call it an extreme version of Amazon Prime in the Samurai era!

While the Shogun enjoyed this precious shaved ice, ordinary citizens cooled down with Hiyasu—sweetened cold spring water with rice flour dumplings. This has become one of the roots of modern Japanese summer sweets.

The culture of shaved ice desserts can be seen widely across Asia, not just in Japan. However, what makes Japan's take unique is undoubtedly the matcha-flavored Kakigori. I hear that matcha flavor is booming overseas right now. I hope you all get to experience authentic Japanese matcha Kakigori to cool down and enjoy the summer heat!