On a hot day in Takasaki, how about a refreshing shaved ice to quickly cool down body and soul? Established in 1929, Nihon Ichi is a revered kakigori – shaved ice – shop found in the motomachi district. It is famous for its fluffy and natural ice, served generously. The ice used to make the cold dessert is naturally made from spring water during winter, in the lake of a mountainous area of Nikko. Compared with the more extreme cold found in the north of Japan, the relatively modest cold temperatures of the montains of Nikko offer a more steady and gradual solidification, which brings in turn a clearer and harder ice that can be more thinly shaved. The result is a large and delicious bowl of shaved ice with the texture of cotton candy.