Cafe Symphony is a shaved ice speciality store in the Oyama area of Tochigi prefecture that opened in June 2021. It’s within easy reach of Oyama Station, a bullet train stop along the Tohoku Shinkansen Line.
While Japan’s shaved ice (kakigori) is predominantly a summer staple, Cafe Symphony opens year-round and aims to be one of the leading kakigori purveyors outside of Tokyo.
Symphony’s creators have tried to raise the bar with shaved ice concoctions that go beyond what you might expect at your average Japanese summer festival or beach getaway, bringing a new elegance to the genre.
Choose from a seasonal line-up comprising bold flavours such as Tiramisu (mascarpone base with flavours of caramel and nuts, finished with a velvety milk foam topped with cocoa powder) and Chai & Roast Almond (Roast almond milk base infused with flavours of chai, apricot and rum raisin, finished with cinnamon-topped milk foam), among many others—including seasonal specials.
Or keep it simple with the kid-friendly Chocolate (Milk base topped with hazelnut chocolate and milk foam).
The interior is spacious, bright and breezy, inspired by Nordic design elements and perfectly suited for grabbing Insta-friendly kakigori photos against the tiled wall space.