Forest spirit Totoro is now a shaved ice savior.

Japan is in the middle of its hottest summer on record, so there are a lot of people looking for something to save them from their constant state of sweltering sweatiness. And lo and behold, an unexpected, but very welcome, and also very cute, savior has arrived: Totoro shaved ice.

Tokyo cafe Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory, as its name implies, is first and foremost a cream puff specialty store, whipping up daily batches of its flagship confectionaries shaped like Studio Ghibli’s beloved forest spirit. While there’s never really a time when cream puffs don’t sound like a great idea, it’s hard to deny that when the weather is this hot, no treat can hold a candle to the refreshing chill of shaved ice, so for a limited time Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory is serving up four different frozen deserts, each starring a different edible Ghibli anime character.

Actually, the Totoro/strawberry shaved ice gets you two Ghibli characters, as perched on Totoro’s ear is a Soot Sprite. They’re fashioned from nerikiri, a traditional Japanese sweet made with gyuhi (extra-soft mochi) and white sweet bean paste. Totoro and the Soot Sprite, with a full strawberry next to them, sit atop a mound of shaved ice covered in strawberry sauce and condensed milk, with more sauce at the center of the pile plus pieces of strawberry kanten (agar gelatin) at the bottom of the dish.

Representing Spirited Away is a nerikiri Otori-sama, the yellow bird patron of the mystical bathhouse, who arrives on matcha azuki shaved ice.

This classical green tea dessert is topped with tsubuan (sweet red bean paste with whole beans), and once again Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory puts matcha sauce both on the outer surface and at the core of the mound of shaved ice, and waiting at the bottom is matcha kanten.

Moving on to Kiki’s Delivery Service, black cat Jiji comes in nerikiri form with the chocolate shaved ice.

Chocolate is a very unusual flavor for shaved ice in Japan, but Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory definitely makes theirs sound tempting with shaved chocolate, chocolate cream, and, in their words, “lots” of chocolate sauce on the outside, and some at the center too. It’s not all chocolate all the time, though, as there’s coffee gelatin at the bottom.

And last, with both visual and alliterative appeal, is the passionfruit Ponyo.

Ponyo is crafted from a shiratama (mochi ball) encased in a bubble-like sphere of citrusy “soda” gelatin. This is the only shaved ice for which Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory doesn’t mention extra sauce at the center, but between the mango sauce, passionfruit syrup, and orange and lychee kanten at the bottom, it doesn’t sound like your taste buds will be at all bored.

At 1,500 yen (US$10), these are on the gourmet side of things for shaved ice in terms of ingredients and price both, but they’re already proving popular with customers since making their debut on Wednesday. While Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory has two branches, they’re being offered only at the Daita neighborhood location, and only until August 12 between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. while supplies last.

Cafe information
Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory / 白髭のシュークリーム工房
Address: Tokyo-to, Setagaya-ku, Daita 5-3-1
東京都世田谷区代田５-３-１
Open 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays (or Wednesday if Tuesday is a holiday)
Website

Source, images: Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory
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