Kuramoto Ice Exports Double as Bars Seek Premium Cubes

Sales at Japan's Kuramoto Ice have more than doubled since the century-old company began exporting its luxury ice cubes in 2019. Bars from the United States to Australia are paying as much as 200 yen per cube for the ultra-clear product.

Kazuhiko Kuramoto, the 41-year-old fifth-generation head of the firm, said the key is a slow, careful freezing process. "We take our time and freeze water slowly, keeping it in motion... That's how we end up with good ice," he told the news agency at the company's factory in Kanazawa.

The Craft of Clear Ice

The technique, which originated in the United States but is now a specialty in Japan, involves freezing water over 48 to 72 hours. This is far longer than the few hours for homemade ice or the 30 minutes for standard industrial ice machines. As the ice forms from the outside in, impurities are pushed toward the centre. Makers remove this tainted water and replace it with fresh water, while constant stirring eliminates air bubbles. The result is completely transparent ice, known as "junpyo."

Industry professionals believe this method creates a denser, colder product that chills a drink without diluting it as quickly as regular ice, though the report notes there is little scientific evidence for this claim.

A Global Bar Staple

The premium ice has become a staple in Japan's cocktail culture and is gaining traction internationally. Native, a bar in Singapore featured on the Asia's 50 Best Bars list, imports about 900kg of ice from Kuramoto each year. Co-owner Yong Wei explained the choice, stating, "Local ice is more economical, but Kuramoto Ice is clearer, denser and melts more slowly."

At the Kanazawa factory, workers in protective suits haul large ice blocks before carving them into precise spheres, cubes, and rectangular blocks with cut corners. The finished products are stored at minus 10 degrees Celsius before shipment.

The Environmental and Cultural Balance

Kazuhiko Kuramoto acknowledges the environmental cost of shipping ice globally but insists that small goods like his have a relatively low impact. His drive to export was sparked over a decade ago during a visit to Las Vegas, where he observed low-quality ice watering down expensive cocktails. The time-intensive, high-quality ice-making technique common in Japan had largely disappeared in the US.

In Japan, ice handling is considered a fundamental skill for bartenders. Shingo Miyachi, a bartender at a Hilton Hotel bar near Tokyo, prepares a negroni with a large, clear Kuramoto cube. He said the ice's fit and clarity are important. "Ice really has a huge impact on the taste of a cocktail," Miyachi explained. If it melts poorly, "it especially affects the lingering aftertaste once you've taken a sip."

He views the ice as a reflection of the bartender's craft. "When you look at the ice and see the level of attention to detail, you can pretty much tell how seriously the bartender takes the flavour of the cocktail and how much care they've put into it," he said. For Miyachi, a perfect cocktail is achieved only "when the glass, the ice, and the liquid become one as a single unified whole."