Introducing “Kirihara“, a shaved ice shop in Hayama 🙌
Despite its location a bit far from the ocean and train station, this shaved ice specialty shop is very popular.
It has been selected as one of the 100 best 2023 restaurants on the famous food SNS in Japan called “TABELOG”.
The ice is made from natural ice from Nikko, and the syrup is made from fruits that the owner of the shop thinks are truly delicious. The owner is particular about having shaved ice that will make your summer a memorable one, so he searches for fruit farmers himself and takes time to prepare the fruits to carefully create his shaved ice.
On hot summer days, Kirihara is the best place to eat fluffy shaved ice in Hayama!
Shop Information
Location
Kirihara” is located in the center of Hayama. It will be open for a limited time during the summer in an alley next to the famous Hayama bakery “Ble Dore Hayama” The shop usually starts around Golden Week which is in May.
In summer, a beautiful purple “curtain” hangs at the entrance, and I can feel the season passing by.
There is no train station in Hayama, so the nearest station is JR Zushi station. From Zushi, it is around 20 minutes by bus.
Establishment
Kirihara” opened in 2011. It has been in operation for 13 years this year and has been open for summer for a long time.
It has been loved by everyone as a summer tradition every year.
About the Shop
The shop is semi-outdoor. It is roofed to block out the sun, but there is no air conditioning. Use ice to cool off!
The day I visited was a hot day (over 30 degrees Celsius), but I did not mind the heat that much.
The entrance through the brick wall is a narrow aisle about 2 meters long, with benches lined up along the aisle, and customers sit side by side.
There is an order counter at the back of the aisle, and a large seating area further in the aisle. This space is also semi-outdoor.
It is a pleasant space with lots of greenery!
If there is a line, you may have to wait in the hot sun, so be prepared for sunburn and heat stroke.
A row of benches on the side. There happened to be no customers when I was there. It filled up later.
There is a spacious area in the back that seats about 15..
The greenery is pleasant in this space. There is also a small waterway in the middle that provides relief from the heat.
Once you have placed your order, you will be shown to your table and the waiter will bring you ice.
There is also space for families to sit together.
Children will love the large space.
Specialized Ice
The ice used at “Kirihara” comes from “Kuragen Matsugetsu” in Nikko, which has been making natural ice using the same production method for 130 years. Natural ice is cut from ice that has frozen naturally under natural conditions, as well as using natural water.
Spring water is collected in a storage facility and allowed to freeze slowly throughout the winter.
The ice becomes hard, hard to melt, and can be shaved into small pieces.
This makes it possible to make shaved ice that is fluffy and doesn’t give you a headache.
Menue
Of the fruit syrups, the classic “Amao Milk” (1,500 yen including tax), fresh melon, and Sumomo and milk are the owner’s specialties. (Amao is famous Japanese strawberry brand)
The Japanese syrups fluffy shaved ice are also available. “Uji Maccha Milk” and “Uji Maccha azuki beans milk” are the popular. Uji Maccha is Japanese strong green tea!
The “ice of the day” changes depending on the day.
I ordered the ice of the day, “Adult Salted Caramel Milk” (1,500 yen including tax).
A large bowl of fluffy natural ice shaved ice with plenty of milk came with the ice.
Along with the ice came two syrups, one with milk syrup and one with caramel syrup.
The ice was so fluffy that it disappeared instantly in my mouth.
It tastes different when served with milk and caramel. It was an adult shaved ice with a sweet and slightly bitter caramel taste.
It is a large but fluffy shaved ice that you can finish in no time.
The other varieties look delicious as well. I want to try the standard fruit syrup for my next visit.
Baby and child Note
Babies and children are welcome here. When I visited there, there were small children struggling with large shaved ice. There is a large space in the back, so children can play without getting bored.
There is a large parking lot, so it is even more accessible for children by car.
Fact sheet
| Date of visit | 2024/7/13（Sat）12:00 Noon |
| # of people | One. Single person is welcome. |
| How crowded? | At first there was only one person, but then more and more guests arrived. |
| How much I paid? | 1,500 JPY |
| Waiting time till food arrive | About 7 minutes |
| How long can I stay? | You can take your time. The shop is outdoors, so it depends on the weather. |
| store interior noise | The noise from the street was not loud. Since it is outside, the sound of the guests around us does not bother us much. |
| Selling point | The owner personally searches for fruit farmers and takes time to prepare the fruit to carefully create shaved ice. The ice is also natural ice from Nikko. |
| Areas for improvement | The price is a little high for Japanese local. I guess it can’t be helped because they are particular about using natural ice, but 1,500 yen is a pretty good price 💦. |
『楚々〜soso〜HAYAMA』のアクセス
| Name | KIRIHARA |
| Address | 657-1 Isshiki, Hayama, Miura District, Kanagawa 240-0111 |
| Tel | 090-6305-8980 |
| Open | Mon・Fri・Sat・Sun 11:00 – 17:00 Open in the summer Closed on rainy days (check installations) |
| Close | Tue・Wed・Thu |
| Access | Keikyu Bus from JR Zushi or Keikyu Shin-zushi Station Keikyu Bus bound for Kinugasa Station, etc. 1 minute walk from Isshiki Residence bus stop. Next to the famous bread shop “Ble dore” Total time required is about 20 minutes from Zushi. |
| Parking | Yes! |
| インスタ |
Summary
This was an introduction to “Kirihara,” which is dedicated to natural ice and syrups in Hayama.
When I thought that I was receiving natural ice frozen slowly in Nikko, I once again felt the love for fluffy shaved ice.
Eating cold shaved ice while feeling summer in a pleasant semi-outdoor space with lots of greenery.
I highly recommend this place!
Thanks for reading it!
Hello there! This is Hayama-Navi, introducing wonderful stores and places in Hayama-town, Kanagawa prefecture. Please refer the website and come visit Hayama! Hayama is rural small town with beautiful beaches and a lot of great shops/places!