A gallery with shaved ice that's perfect for this season!

A Stroll Through the Kanagawa Gallery
File.3 gallery a
( Shino Yamamoto / Galerie Watts)

I say this every year, but it's been so hot this year that I honestly felt like my life was in danger. I'm relieved that it's cooled down a bit, but we can't let our guard down yet.
Shaved ice is the perfect comfort food during this season.
So, let's head to the gallery, where shaved ice is also a specialty!

"Gallery a" is located very close to Aobadai Station on the Den-en-toshi Line. Below its stylish iron logo, a flag waving as if beckoning you in. Am I the only one whose spirits lift just by seeing the symbolic bright red ice lettering?
Since I was drenched in sweat, I decided to have some draft beer first, or rather, Uji Kintoki beer first.

Gallery A 's shaved ice is made with a focus on being "super fluffy," using a very thin blade to shave the ice. The way the ice piles up in the glass container is beautiful!
And of course, the syrup is homemade. The recipe for the shaved ice syrup is a closely guarded secret. The Uji Kintoki I ordered was made with carefully dissolved matcha and homemade red beans that had been simmered slowly. The balance of bitterness and sweetness was exquisite, resulting in a gentle flavor.
This might sound like a food review, but here you'll find shaved ice that's unique to a gallery that's so committed to the spirit of craftsmanship.

Now that things have calmed down, I took my time to look around the gallery. There were linen clothes that felt nice against the skin, cotton cut-and-sew tops, and baskets woven from wild grapevines. At this time of year, they apparently display their usual summer items to help people enjoy the summer comfortably.

And, for some reason, there was a corner that was entirely black on the opposite side of the store.

"Actually, it seems that there are a lot of memorial services in the summer, so we've had customers requesting 'a nice formal summer outfit' for a while now," says the owner.
I see, so that's the reason why it was all black.
A summer formal style that is light yet exudes adult sophistication. The sharkskin bag, a piece you can cherish for a lifetime, was also lovely.

Then, shifting my gaze, I saw the energetic paintings of Mirokomachiko beyond the beautiful translucent porcelain lighting fixtures of Tobimatsu Pottery.

Gallery A aims to be a space that isn't confined to a single style, sometimes a select shop, sometimes a gallery, and sometimes a film screening.
The flexible yet unwavering concept is to be "a place that carefully conveys the aspirations of craftspeople and artists."

This autumn, an exhibition of pottery by Nobuyuki Ishioka, a ceramic artist with many fans, is being planned.
Oh yes, apparently you can eat shaved ice until after mid-September, unless it gets really cold very early.

Gallery Information
gallery a

227-0055
23-8 Tsutsujigaoka, Aoba-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
TEL: 045-984-3318

*Gallery hours: 11:00 - 18:00
*Open Tuesdays

"access"
▶︎Get off at Aobadai Station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line. 6-minute walk.
https://www.galleryajike.com/gallery-a