Best Japanese snacks and treats to stay cool this summer

In Japan right now, summer vacation is in full swing! Unlike in the United States, Japanese summer vacation begins around July 18th and lasts till the end of August – meaning the time to enjoy summer is short! However, the brutally humid summer weather actually starts sometime in June, or as early as May. The other extreme bummer is that Japanese public schools typically do not have AC – or at least don't use it – leading to some students being rushed to the hospital after fainting in the sweltering heat. Sad, but true – at least three students went down during the pre-summer vacation assembly at one of my junior highs. On the other hand, if you're a "salaryman", you get to battle monstrous crowds during morning rush hour on the trains, meaning being pressed up against other hot and sweaty bodies, the stench of other people's BO filling your nostrils, and sweating to death in a full piece suit in case someone from another company which does business with yours might see you out of uniform on your way to work.

Either way you slice it, summer is basically a totally gross three months in Japan.

So, how do the Japanese beat the heat? Some people make a trip up to northern Hokkaido (I always made sure to high tail it out of the country after my first year!), hitting up the local community pool which is bound to be crowded, or going down to the beach. But one of their favorite ways to stay cool is just like in America – eating food!

Garigari-kun

Soda flavored Garigari-kun

One of Japan's favorite ice creams and most beloved snack mascot is Garigari-kun, frozen popsicles. It's named for the crunchy (gari gari) sound you make when crushing bits of ice with your teeth. Inside the popsicle are flavored ice bits that are enjoyable to crunch down on! Garigari-kun is available at convenience stores and supermarkets and sold very cheaply (less than a dollar). Soda is the standard flavor, but the company has gotten creative with other flavors in the past – corn pottage or Neapolitan Spaghetti, anyone?!

Watermelon (suika wari)

Enjoying suika wari on the beach

A popular beach activity is bringing a watermelon and smashing it open piñata style, then enjoying fresh slices (or pummeled mushy bits) while soaking up some rays. Just make sure not to get sand in it! You've probably seen this one featured in dramas or anime that take place in the summer (an easy way to get to see characters in their skivvies!).

Nagashi-somen

Nagashi somen is a waterslide for your noodles!

The Japanese don't limit themselves to just popsicles and ice cream to cool off in the summer – they love cold noodles, too! One of the first most popular summer noodle dishes is nagashi-somen, "flowing noodles" made from wheat flour. As you can see in the picture above, this looks like a pretty silly way to eat noodles! It involves setting up a track made out of sliced bamboo, letting the noodles slide down in ice cold water, and grabbing them into your bowl of salted broth before they reach the end of the track – basically a water slide for your noodles!

I don't quite get the point of this (I'd rather not have to work so hard for my food), but perhaps some of you are saying "Yay! Why didn't I think of this?!"

Nagashi somen; fun for the whole family!

Hiyashi-chuuka

A refreshing dish of hiyashi-chuuka.

Hiyashi-chuuka is another cold noodle dish made from ramen noodles that can be found at many restaurants during the summer. It consists of noodles on the bottom in a lightly salted broth topped with strips of cucumber, ham, carrot, egg, and ginger.

Zarusoba

Chilled noodles + cold broth = refreshing relief from the heat

Another favorite summer noodle dish is zarusoba, made from buckwheat. The chilled noodles are dipped in the lightly sweet and salty broth before being slurped down.

Super Cup

Delicious ice cream in the palm of your  hand.

Another popular ice cream brand is Super Cup, a portion controlled container of ice cream available at supermarkets and convenience stores.

Kakigori (shave ice)

A festival favorite.

Kakigori, or shave ice, is a favorite at summer festivals. Popular flavors include strawberry, melon, and Blue Hawaii.

Other fun foods to cool off with

Krispy Kreme + ice cream = yum!

During summer many brand in Japan create special limited edition treats to entice you during your idle days of summer vacation. For example, you can get a scoop of ice cream on top of your donut at Krispy Kreme in Japan, because why not?

Baskin Robbins "crush ice"

At Baskin Robbins – known as 31 in Japan – you can get a scoop of ice cream on top of a refreshing shaved ice drink, or a drink with popping shower ice cream floating in blue soda.

Baskin Robbins "popping soda"

Even though Japanese summer is hot and humid, there are plenty of delicious options to stay cool and keep you energized throughout the day!