Tokyo’s Japanese-style Ice Parlor: Seasonal Limited-Edition Ice Cream with “Kelp Strips”!

Text & Photos /Miss Canelé

Miss Canelé observes that in the scorching summer heat, everyone loves enjoying ice treats to cool down. In Japan, besides the classic dairy soft serve loved by both kids and adults, matcha ice cream is probably the most popular among tourists, right? But aside from soft serve and matcha ice, this ice shop in Ebisu, Tokyo, offers freshly made, seasonal Japanese-style ice cream or sorbet every day!

Japanese cuisine places great emphasis on “shun,” which means seasonal or peak-of-the-season ingredients. JAPANESE ICE OUCA (ジャパニーズアイスオウカ) in Ebisu upholds this philosophy by highlighting the best of seasonal produce in a variety of flavors. Among the many unique offerings are flavors like yuzu (citron), kabosu (a citrus fruit), sakuranbo (cherry), kumquat, and even shiso (perilla). Occasionally, you’ll also find rare ones like beni imo (purple sweet potato) and kuromitsu (brown sugar) with kinako (roasted soybean flour). There’s even a refreshing myoga (Japanese ginger) flavor!

Besides showcasing the essence of each season, Japanese people are also adept at expressing the “Japanese spirit” through food. At JAPANESE ICE OUCA, you can enjoy uniquely Japanese flavors every day—from crowd favorites like matcha and hojicha (roasted green tea) to less common options such as ringo ame (candy apple flavor), kuromitsu with kinako, sometimes even shiso azuki (perilla-flavored red beans), salted cherry blossom azuki, and even YOMOGI flavor (Chinese: kuí hāo, or Japanese mugwort)!

The most fun part of enjoying ice here is that the staff places a small bundle of salted kelp strips on the paper napkin under your ice cup. The sweet ice paired with the salty-savory kelp strips, along with freely poured hojicha tea on the side, makes for a truly delightful experience!

In addition to ice cream and sorbet, the store also offers various flavors of milkshakes and floats. The bear-shaped kakigori (shaved ice) is another long-time favorite. In winter, if you’re not in the mood for ice, they also serve hot azuki bean soup, grilled dango (sweet rice dumplings), roasted sweet potatoes, and dorayaki (red bean pancakes). With such a wide variety of items, you could visit every day and never get bored!

Next time you’re in Japan, besides trying matcha ice and soft serve, be sure to visit JAPANESE ICE OUCA in Ebisu to experience their seasonal Japanese-style ice treats!
A tip for tourists: If the shop is crowded and there’s no seating inside, you can move one of the small stools outside and enjoy your ice treat under the cherry blossom tree by the entrance. It’s quite an experience—just remember to take your trash with you and put the stool back when you’re done.

JAPANESE ICE OUCA ジャパニーズアイスオウカ
Website:http://www.ice-ouca.com/
Address: 1-6-6 Tsutaya Building 1F, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0013
Business Hours:
Regular Hours (March–October): 11:00–23:30 (Last order at 23:00)
Winter Hours (November–February): 12:00–23:00 (Last order at 22:45)
Reviews
Location: ★★★☆☆
Taste: ★★★★☆
Ambience: ★★★☆☆
Service: ★★★★☆
Value for Money: ★★★★☆
Willingness to Return: ★★★★☆

Author: Miss Canelé
Now in her fifth year living in Tokyo.

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