Christmas Shaved Ice in Winter

This was December 24th in Kichijoji.

A light rain was falling, and the ground was slightly wet. In front of a shaved ice shop, red maple leaves were scattered on the pavement. It was already Christmas Eve, so seeing maple leaves still there felt a bit surprising.

I went inside and ordered their Christmas-limited shaved ice. It had a strong matcha flavor and tasted really good.

Outside was cold, but the shop was warm with the heater on. Eating ice-cold shaved ice in the middle of winter somehow felt comforting rather than strange.

Shaved ice isn’t just for summer, after all. Moments like this—unexpected and simple—are what make winter days special.