Kakigōri shaved ice is one way to make Tokyo summers bearable. Matcha and azuki is a classic combination. Some sweetened condensed milk to make it richer. Umezono is a famous traditional sweets shop in Asakusa. This branch is in the Nihonbashi Takashimaya department store, on the 7th floor, in the kimono department.
I was surprised to discover that this shop was here. I used to work in the store and had walked through the kimono section a few times and somehow never noticed there was a cafe.
Nearby is a branch of Sukiyabashi Jiro. The famous sushiya from the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
Another thing I discovered was that men have started working as elevator operators at Takashimaya. I was in an elevator filled with kimono-clad customers, me, and the male operator. I said in Japanese, “How unusual, a man running the elevator.” and the ladies had a nice laugh. The young man had a deep voice that echoed on each floor as he called out letting shoppers know the elevator was available. He said he had recently started. Another male operator said that he’s been at the job for almost two years. I wished them both well.
Dining at department stores is a great tip when traveling in Japan. I wrote about it here for @foodandwine:
Food Sake Tokyo 