VISIT KANAZAWA, JAPAN - Official Travel Guide

“Himuro-biraki” is a fascinating and unique traditional event held annually around the end of June in Kanazawa's Yuwaku Onsen. The event commemorates the opening of the region's historic icehouses, traditionally used to store natural ice harvested during the winter months. In the past, before the advent of modern refrigeration, ice was a precious commodity, especially during the hot summer months. Ice stored in icehouses was carefully preserved using natural insulation techniques. The “icehouse opening” marked the time when this ice was finally put to use. Even today, Yuwaku Onsen still holds an annual event in which the icehouse is filled with snow in December and the snow is removed in June. The opening of the icehouse is especially popular among Kanazawa citizens, as it heralds the arrival of summer in Kanazawa.