One of the summer traditions in Japan is “shaved ice” (kakigori). It is a delicious dessert made out of ground-up, powdery ice with a topping. Japanese shaved ice has a long tradition. You can even find descriptions of the summerly treat in books like “The Pillow Book” written by Sei Shōnagon in the Heian period around 1002.
Cafes offering kakigori often have a flag outside the store blowing in the wind with the Chinese character for “ice” (氷) on it. When you spot the flag somewhere in the city, you feel as if it is waving at you. “Come here! Get a cold treat!” … and then you HAVE to go inside.
