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The owner of Tree-shaved Ice & Mochi Specialty Shop is a member of Generation 7; he says back then there was no Korean wave, only Japanophiles. After reaching adulthood he visited Japan thirteen times in ten years, unable to forget the Japanese mochi he tasted in the old streets of Kyoto and Nara. Back in Taiwan he sampled mochi from every restaurant he could find, but the texture was always like Taiwanese “white-yuán” tang-yuan. He decided to make it himself! Consulting Japanese friends and experimenting nonstop, he found the perfect ratio of japonica to glutinous rice, paired with a sauce he blended himself, and finally recreated the mouthfeel of the Japanese mochi in his memory. Beyond the classic soy-sauce flavor, he also developed a seasonal fruit series—who knew peach and Japanese mochi could be partners. Tree-shaved Ice flaunts its Japanese DNA, evoking travel memories: the deep-blue sky of Mt. Fuji, Uji-kintoki of Kyoto, roasted hōjicha with rich milk in Nara, Tokyo’s cocoa-milk, Hiroshima’s fragrant lemon, even the spooky dark-grass of Onomeshima… Paired with a storefront that “changes seasons,” it recreates the Japan of memory. 1F, No. 159, Guanghua Rd., East Dist., Chiayi City 0928 333 546 12:00 – 18:00, irregular days off (check Facebook page) https://www.facebook.com/kinatsuchiayi