A note on the words: kakigori is Japanese shaved ice flavored with sweet syrups and toppings; here at PEONY CAFE, the oversized collaboration bowls were inspired by characters from the Japanese picture-book series Kobito Zukan, each flavored to match its character, either piled with strawberry syrup, diced strawberries and vanilla ice cream, or split between momo (peach) and sumomo (a tart Japanese plum) with jelly and ice cream. Ramune is a classic Japanese lemon-lime soda, and cream soda in Japan refers to flavored fruit or melon soda topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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PEONY CAFE on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
People of Higashimatsuyama, thank you for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi (meshi = meal)!
By an odd turn of events I found myself at Higashimatsuyama Botanen (a peony garden) in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama. It sits near a large park called Shinrin Koen. The peonies were not really in bloom at the time, but they were holding an event for the Japanese picture-book character series Kobito Zukan, so I stopped in for a look.
It had a lively crowd and a real buzz about it. Since it was rather hot, I decided to take a break and dropped by PEONY CAFE inside Higashimatsuyama Botanen. They say it is a park cafe that usually opens only on weekends and holidays, but apparently it was open every day during the Kobito Zukan event! Wait — did I just get lucky?
There were four collaboration items for the event (three kakigori, or shaved ice, and one soda), alongside regular menu items such as fluffy shaved ice and cream soda.
Since I was there, I figured I might as well try the kobito (the little creatures from the series) collaboration menu! The cafe itself is a kitchen car (food truck), and the system is that you place and pay for your order first at the management office and goods shop a short distance away, so it might be a little confusing at first. Still, being able to eat out on the benches or the lawn inside the garden like a picnic is great!
As I mentioned, to buy one you just tell the person at the register in the tiny shop. The catch is that this tiny shop really is tiny, so you wait quite a while, ha. The kobito goods were popular, after all. You could not just walk up and buy one the moment you wanted to eat, so I had the feeling it was better to buy your ticket early!
Once you get your receipt, you head over to the PEONY CAFE kitchen car and get in line — and there was a huge line there too. You show the receipt with a ticket number on it to the staff, and they make your order for you. I bought mine first and waited for a quieter moment before going to trade it in, though whether I was actually supposed to get in line right away, I have no idea, ha. Under a blazing sun you could come down with heatstroke, so take care!
And here is the shaved ice I practically half-killed myself to get!
Look, it is huge, ha.
This was the shaved ice for the kobito called Ichigo Kurenai. Just as the sign called it “No. 1 in popularity,” they say it was the top seller among the four collaboration items. It is a bowl of strawberry through and through: strawberry syrup and diced strawberries layered with vanilla ice cream and milk. Seriously, it is way too massive, ha. Put your spoon in and the first thing you get is the gentle sweet-and-tart flavor of the strawberry syrup. Every time the ice gives way with a crisp crunch, your spoon hits chunky pieces of strawberry flesh, and their juiciness spreads through your mouth. As you keep eating, the ice cream on top starts to melt, and the ice underneath gradually turns into a milky strawberry-milk flavor — irresistible! The “melting” in the name must refer to this change. In a summer park the ice cream melts fast, so once it starts to soften, that is your cue to mix it in. The sweetness holds up all the way to the last bite and it is delicious, though finishing it solo might be a bit rough, ha.
Look, this one is way too huge too, ha.
They say Momojiri and Sumomonouchi are the No. 1 and No. 2 most popular kobito. It really is a mega shaved ice! Way beyond what I pictured, ha. It is a wonderfully greedy bowl that lets you go back and forth between two characters’ flavors — peach (momo) and Japanese plum (sumomo) — in a single dish. The peach side has a soft, gentle sweetness, with diced peach that is silky-soft and tender, melting smoothly in your mouth. Move your spoon over to the sumomo plum side, and now the sweet-and-tart edge comes through sharply, resetting a palate that has gotten used to the sweetness. Wiggly bits of jelly are tucked in here and there too, so the texture keeps you from getting bored. Break up the vanilla ice cream halfway through and mix it in, and the flavor shifts again. What the sign said — “the flavor changes as you keep eating” — was spot on.
There is a serious amount of it, so doing it alone is impossible, ha — I am pretty sure, ha.
Sharing one between two people might be just right!
Man, I went in thinking it would just be tourist-spot pricing, and instead it turned out to be a mega shaved ice well worth the price. Finishing one of these by yourself is a tall order, ha. I suppose it was meant as a cool reward after walking all around the garden hunting for kobito, though it would be better if they made it about half the size and streamlined the process so they could serve it more briskly. Still, setting that aside, each of the collaboration shaved ices turned its kobito character straight into a flavor, so not only kids but adults who grew up with Kobito Zukan could really enjoy it — maybe the right way to look at it is just to treat it like a festival event? ha.
Here is hoping I run into something delicious again today!
PEONY CAFE Menu
Kobito Zukan Collaboration Limited Menu
Limited to the event period (July 18 – September 23, 2026; now ended)
During the event period, there were days when orders for the kitchen car were taken at the management office and goods shop.
Fluffy Shaved Ice
Strawberry / Lemon / Ramune soda / Melon / Blue Hawaii / Peach / Matcha / Mango
Cream Soda & Floats
Melon / Strawberry / Lemon / Ramune soda
Coffee & Drinks
Sweets
*From the menu board at the shop at the time of the September 2026 visit. Prices include tax. Open 10:00–16:00 (except in rainy weather); they say it is usually open only on weekends and holidays, and was open daily during the Kobito Zukan event period (which ran July 18 to September 23, 2026 and has now ended). Menu items and operating days vary by season. Please check the official Higashimatsuyama Botanen website for the latest information.
PEONY CAFE (Cafe / Shinrin-koen Station, Higashi-matsuyama Station, Tsukinowa Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.0
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
