Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) Coloring Pages

A Big Summer Favorite! Cold and Yummy Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)!

When the hot summer comes, you just have to eat Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)! It is super popular at festivals, beach huts, and shops. Shaving the ice until it is crunchy and pouring lots of your favorite syrup on top is so cold and delicious!

Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) Has a Very Long History!

Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) has a really long history. People say it was already in Japan over 1,000 years ago during the Heian period! In an old book called "The Pillow Book" written by Sei Shonagon, Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) appears under the name "kezurigori." Back then, people ate it out of new metal bowls with sweet syrup made from plants!

Long Ago, It Was a Luxury Only Nobles Could Eat!

In the past, there were no fridges or freezers like we have today, so ice was very special. People cut ice during the winter and kept it carefully in cool rooms called "himuro" in the mountains. So, eating cold Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) in the hot summer was a huge treat that only important nobles could enjoy!

When Could Everyone Start Eating It?

Everyone could start enjoying Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) easily in the Meiji period, when ice-making machines were made and used everywhere. Around that time, an ice-shaving machine was invented, many ice shops opened, and everyone could enjoy yummy Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)!

How Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) Got Its Name

Do you know why it is called Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)? People say there are a few reasons. One story says it was called "kakigori" because people used chipped pieces of ice long ago. Another story says people called it "bukkakigori" in Tokyo speech because they crushed big ice, and that name became shorter over time.

How Do You Say It in English?

In English, Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) is called shaved ice. "Shaved" means shaved, and "ice" means ice, so it simply means ice that has been shaved! Also, when ice is piled round in a paper cup, it looks like a snow ball, so it is sometimes called a snow cone.

The Difference Between Natural Ice and Pure Ice

There are two main types of ice used for Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) in shops. One is natural ice, which freezes slowly in nature using the winter cold. The other is pure ice, which is frozen slowly in a factory. Both freeze slowly to make clear, clean ice, so when you shave it, you get fluffy Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)!

Why Does Your Head Hurt?

When you eat cold Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) too fast, your head might hurt. That actually has a real name called ice cream headache! When cold things enter your mouth, the nerves in your throat send a "Cold!" signal to your brain, and your brain gets confused and thinks "Pain!" Just eat slowly and you will be fine!

Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) Around the World

Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) is enjoyed not only in Japan, but in many countries around the world! In Taiwan, "xuehua bing" has milk-flavored ice that is super fluffy. In Korea, "patbingsu" is eaten with lots of fruit and red beans mixed in. In Hawaii, they have colorful rainbow shaved ice with bright syrups!

Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) Keeps Changing!

Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) keeps getting cooler these days! Some have whipped cream on top like a cake, and others have lots of seasonal fruits. The syrups are handmade too, with so many flavors like green tea, coffee, and yogurt. It is just like a fancy parfait!

How to Color Cold and Yummy Ice

The main part of Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) is definitely the cold ice! To show how crunchy and fluffy the ice feels, do not color it all with one solid color. The best trick is to leave a few white spots while you color. If you lightly add light blue or blue where the ice shadows are, your ice will look super cold and 3D!

Add Syrup in Your Favorite Flavors!

What syrup flavor do you love on your Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)? Try coloring while thinking of your favorite flavors! Use red or pink for strawberry, green for melon, yellow for lemon, and blue for Blue Hawaii. Make the color dark where there is lots of syrup. Use light color where it mixes with the ice. That will make it look tasty like real life! Coloring each syrup bottle in a different flavor color makes it colorful and fun, too.

Make Fruits and Toppings Colorful!

Some pictures have fancy Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) with lots of fruits and toppings! Use bright colors like red, green, and purple for strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, and square jellies. This makes your picture look super bright and fun! Color the round mochi balls white with a bit of yellow or gray. Color the red bean paste next to them dark brown. Now you have yummy Japanese-style Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)! Color the glass bowl light blue or emerald green to make it look nice and cool.

Make the Old-Fashioned Shaved Ice Machine Look Cool!

You can also see an old-fashioned shaved ice machine with a handle you turn by hand! To show heavy iron metal and a cool retro style, try coloring it with dark colors like blue, green, or red. Use silver or gray for the metal parts. Add shadows to the handle and the part that holds the ice to make it look 3D just like a real machine!

Color a Summery Background!

If your picture has the sea, a sandy beach, a beach hut, or clouds in the sky, color them while thinking of fun summer memories! Blending the sky and sea with fresh light blue and blue looks super pretty. Color the beach light brown or yellow. Color the beach hut roof in any color you like! Coloring the background well makes the Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) in front stand out and look even yummier! Have fun coloring with your very own special colors!

Sei Shonagon Ate It Too?! A Treat Since the "Heian Period"

The history of Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) is super old! People ate it over 1,000 years ago in the Heian period. It even appears in the famous book "The Pillow Book." Back then, people shaved ice with knives and poured sweet tree sap called "amazura" over it. Cold ice was very rare, so it was a super fancy treat that only nobles could eat.

Classic Syrup Flavors Are "Actually All the Same"?!

There are many colors like strawberry, melon, and Blue Hawaii. But actually, store-bought syrups without fruit juice often have the exact same basic taste (sweet and sour)! By changing the smell and the color, our brain gets tricked into thinking, "This is strawberry!" or "This is melon!"

The Brain Freeze "Ice Cream Headache"

When you eat Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) too fast, your head hurts, right? This officially has a name called "Ice Cream Headache." When cold things pass through your throat all at once, your brain mixes up "cold" with "pain." Or, the blood vessels in your head suddenly grow wider to warm you up. It is a mysterious body reaction.

Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) Given to the Emperor in the "Meiji Period"

In the Meiji period, a machine called the "ice shaver" was invented. The very first Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) shop opened in Yokohama. They made fancy Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) topped with condensed milk and syrups like strawberry and mandarin orange. They even gave it to Emperor Meiji! After that, it quickly spread to everyone.

Does "Natural Ice" from Ice Shops Prevent Headaches?

Soft, fluffy Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) made from "natural ice" frozen slowly in the mountains does not give you a headache easily, even if you eat it fast! Natural ice has big, hard crystals. So, it can be shaved super thin at a slightly warmer temperature than regular ice. That is why it melts softly in your mouth and does not cool your tummy or throat too much.