Technically, most of Japan is still in the rainy season, but with temperatures already passing 30 C (86 F) in much of the country, there's no denying that the season for kakigori shaved ice has truly arrived.

The trend in recent years has seen kakigori elevated from a simple, uncomplicated treat mostly enjoyed by children to a more sophisticated dessert with all kinds of ingredients and presentations geared to a more adult audience. For example, we've seen from kakigori topped with gold leaf to kakigori with fruits and cheese cream.

Akomeya Tokyo's cake-like kakigori desserts

Now, in a further evolution into full dessert-dom, Akomeya Tokyo had created four delicious-looking kakigori desserts which they claim to be "like cakes." One could even call them "cakeygori," for brevity's sake. Each one features premium ingredients, their special dessert cream made with condensed milk and fresh cream, individually customized homemade syrups and Akomeya Tokyo's house specialty rice bran cookies crumbled on top.

So let's take a closer look at this cakeygori quartet making its debut on June 26th, 2020, beginning with the first one, a matcha-lovers delight:

Kakigori: Yame Matcha Kintoki Cream

Matcha Kintoki is a classic kakigori flavor with matcha syrup and azuki bean paste. However, Akomeya Tokyo improves on it. Featuring syrup made with luxurious Yame matcha from Kyoto and Sanuki Wasanbō さぬき和三宝, sugar maker Baikodō's trademarked brand of wasanbon sugar, a rich bittersweet Yame Matcha cream, and sweet azuki bean paste, this shaved ice dessert is certainly a shave above the simple kintoki kakigori.

Price: 1,200 JPY

Kakigori: Lemon Cream

Lemon and ice, what two ingredients could possibly say "refreshment" more than this classic pair. Akomeya Tokyo's lemon cream kakigori begins with a lemon curd syrup blending aromatic Setouchi lemons, butter and egg yolks, adds a refreshing lemon cream, along with lemon peel for a lovely lemony blend you'll be sure to enjoy.

Price: 1,200 JPY

Kakigori: Strawberry Cream

Pulp from fresh strawberries, condensed milk and cream come together in this luxurious take on a classic kakigori flavor.

Price: 1,200 JPY

Kakigori: Waguri Cream Kuromitsu Kinako

A sophisticated kakigori dessert combining Japanese waguri chestnuts, kuromitsu syrup and kinako roasted soybean flour.

Price: 1,500 JPY (only at AKOMEYA Chubo Ginza Honten)

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For more information on the kakigori lineup, visit Akomeya Tokyo's special page here.