Tabelog ratingKanmiya Sawada Shoten has sold ice in Nagoya since the early Shōwa era, around 1926, and its dessert room serves kakigori all year from the company's own pure block ice. A glass partition gives a view of the saws and cutting bench, and staff cut the ice out front. The room is a renovated pre-war wooden building with school chairs, tiled tables and a garden terrace. It was selected for the Tabelog Sweets EAST "Tabelog 100" in 2023 and 2026.
Almost every review praises the ice itself. Reviewers describe it as fluffy and snow-like, melting cleanly without the usual brain-freeze. The signature Sawada is the most talked-about bowl: shikuwasa citrus syrup coloured blue with butterfly pea, which turns pink when you add the lemon juice served alongside. The seasonal hiyashi mitarashi is ice topped with chilled, bean-filled sweet-soy dango, and only about 20 are made a day. Reviewers also single out the grilled dango, especially the black sesame that staff recommend, and the roast sweet-potato soft cream. Staff are described as friendly.
The main criticism is that the syrups can be faint. They sit mostly on the surface and leave plain ice at the bottom, so reviewers suggest adding condensed milk or extra syrup. Popular and limited items are often gone by early afternoon. Smaller complaints:
- hōjicha costs extra
- the matcha dango is too sweet
- one batch of dango arrived lukewarm
- one reviewer disliked seeing ice handled bare-handed
Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid:
- around ¥650–700 for the Sawada
- ¥450 for kuromitsu ice, with toppings at ¥130 each
- ¥900 for the special Nishio matcha
- ¥1,400 for the limited Miyakojima mango
- ¥830–1,170 for a dango-and-drink set
- ¥550 for the sweet-potato soft cream
- ¥110 for hōjicha
A typical daytime visit costs ¥500–1,500 per person. There is no separate dinner service: the shop closes at 19:00, and an early-evening visit costs the same. Reviewers consider it good value for premium-ice kakigori at a time when shaved ice has become expensive, and portions suit one person.
- Getting there: about a 10-minute walk south from Fushimi Station (Exit 6) on the Higashiyama and Tsurumai subway lines, roughly 300 m south of the Nagoya Hilton Hotel.
- Booking: walk-in only. Reservations are not taken, except for the second-floor private rooms (one Japanese-style, one Western-style, for 2 to 20 people), which must be booked at least one day ahead.
- Queues: expect waits of around 20 minutes outdoors on summer weekends. Arrive early for limited items.
- Ordering: one order per person. Order by QR code on your phone, then pay at the register.
- Payment: VISA, Mastercard, JCB and AMEX; Suica and other transport IC cards; PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay and au PAY.
- Seating: 28 seats at tables, at the counter and in the courtyard. Non-smoking. Wheelchair accessible.
- Families: children and strollers are welcome.
- Parking: none on site; coin parking nearby.
- Extras: pure ice is sold to take away from ¥130, and shaved-ice machines are available for rent.
