I Tried Tokyo's World-Famous 7-Level Matcha Ice Cream (And Here's How to Recreate It at Home)

A hidden gem in Aoyama serves the world’s strongest matcha ice cream—and yes, your tongue will turn green

Written from Aoyama, Tokyo

The Matcha Ice Cream That Made My Tongue Turn Green

There’s a small shop in Aoyama called Nanaya. From the outside, it looks unremarkable—just another dessert spot in a neighborhood full of them.

But inside, there’s something you won’t find anywhere else in the world: matcha ice cream so intense it literally turns your tongue green.

I’m not exaggerating. Look at their mascot—it’s Einstein with a bright green tongue. That’s not marketing. That’s a warning.

The 7-Level System: From Gentle to “Are You Serious?”

Nanaya doesn’t just sell matcha ice cream. They sell seven different levels of intensity, numbered 1 through 7.

Here’s what each level feels like:

No. 1 - Subtle matcha flavor. Like a gentle whisper of green tea.
No. 2 - Authentic matcha taste. You know you’re eating matcha.
No. 3 - Nanaya’s “standard” level. Already stronger than most matcha ice creams.
No. 4 - Adult flavor. You start tasting bitterness.
No. 5 - Strong bitterness hits hard. This is serious matcha.
No. 6 - “How much matcha did they put in this?!” territory.
No. 7 - The world’s strongest matcha ice cream. Literally.

Most customers order No. 7. Because if you’re going to Nanaya, you’re going all in.

No. 7: When Food Becomes an Experience

I tried No. 7.

The first bite is shocking. It’s not sweet. It’s not creamy in the way you expect ice cream to be. It’s pure, concentrated matcha hitting your brain like a freight train.

The flavor is overwhelming—deep, earthy, almost smoky. But not bitter. That’s the crazy part. Despite being insanely strong, it’s smooth. Balanced. Almost meditative.

And yes, your tongue turns green. Bright green. Like you licked a freshly mowed lawn.

The staff told me why No. 7 costs more than the others (560 yen vs 370 yen):

The matcha powder in No. 7 costs three times more than the matcha in No. 6.

They use award-winning tea leaves from Fujieda, Shizuoka. The kind of matcha that wins national competitions. Because anything less would make No. 7 undrinkably bitter.

You can’t fake intensity. You need the best ingredients to pull it off.

Why Nanaya Can Do What Nobody Else Can

Most matcha ice cream uses “okay” matcha. Nanaya uses ceremonial-grade matcha from Shizuoka, ground fresh daily in their on-site stone mill.

They’ve been researching matcha since 1988. They analyzed soil composition, mineral balance, everything. They contract with specific tea farms in the mountains of Fujieda that meet their exact standards.

Then they grind the tea leaves fresh, rush them to the ice cream factory next door, and freeze the flavor into those tiny air bubbles before the matcha loses its edge.

That’s why No. 7 tastes like you’re eating a tea field.

It’s not ice cream with matcha flavor. It’s matcha that happens to be frozen.

The Smart Way to Try It: Contrast Is Key

Nanaya’s staff recommend ordering two levels with a gap between them—like No. 1 and No. 7, or No. 3 and No. 5.

Why? Contrast makes you appreciate both more.

Eating No. 7 alone is intense but one-dimensional. Eating it after No. 1 makes you realize how complex matcha can be. The No. 1 suddenly tastes sweet and gentle. The No. 7 tastes like a completely different plant.

It’s the same tea. Just different concentrations. But your brain experiences them as totally separate things.

The Practical Details

Location: Aoyama, Tokyo (1-minute walk from Shibuya Station area)
Price: 370 yen for single (470 yen double, 500 yen triple)
No. 7 costs more: 560 yen single (650 double, 700 triple)
Wait time on weekends: Up to 90 minutes
Closed: Tuesdays

The shop also sells other flavors—hojicha (roasted tea), genmaicha (rice tea). All good. But let’s be honest: you’re going for the matcha.

Can You Buy It Online? (Spoiler: No)

Here’s the bad news: You can’t buy Nanaya’s ice cream on Amazon.

They don’t ship internationally. They barely ship domestically. The whole point is that it’s made fresh, ground fresh, frozen fresh. Shipping would ruin it.

So if you want the real thing, you have to go to Tokyo.

But—you can recreate a similar experience at home.

How to Recreate the 7-Level Experience (Amazon Edition)

You won’t get No. 7 intensity at home. But you can recreate the contrast experience that makes Nanaya special.

Method 1: Buy Two Different Matcha Ice Creams

The Strategy: Pair a strong matcha ice cream with a mild one. Eat them side-by-side.

Strong Option:
Alec’s Matcha Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

  • Uses “ceremonial grade matcha” (the good stuff)
  • Organic, high-quality
  • Closest thing to Nanaya No. 5-6 you’ll find on Amazon

Mild Option:
Häagen-Dazs Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

  • Classic, widely available
  • More balanced, sweet
  • Similar to Nanaya No. 3-4

How to eat them:

  1. Take a spoonful of Häagen-Dazs. Notice the flavor.
  2. Take a spoonful of Alec’s. Your brain explodes.
  3. Go back to Häagen-Dazs. Suddenly it tastes like vanilla with a hint of green.
  4. Repeat.

The contrast is the point. That’s the Nanaya experience.

Method 2: DIY Intensity Boost

Buy:

How to do it:

  1. Let the ice cream soften slightly.
  2. Scoop some into a bowl.
  3. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of matcha powder on top.
  4. Mix it in.
  5. Boom. Instant upgrade.

More powder = more intensity. You’re basically making your own No. 5 or No. 6.

Method 3: Full DIY (Advanced)

Buy:

  • Vanilla ice cream (high quality)
  • 3 different grades of matcha powder:
    • Culinary grade (mild)
    • Premium grade (medium)
    • Ceremonial grade (strong)

Make three batches:

  1. Vanilla + 1 tsp culinary matcha = “No. 2”
  2. Vanilla + 2 tsp premium matcha = “No. 4”
  3. Vanilla + 3 tsp ceremonial matcha = “No. 6”

Freeze, taste, compare. Now you’ve got your own 3-level tasting at home.

What You’ll Learn From This Experiment

Whether you go to Nanaya in Tokyo or try the Amazon version at home, you’ll discover something surprising:

Matcha isn’t one flavor. It’s a spectrum.

Most people only know “matcha flavor” as one thing—that vaguely green, slightly sweet taste in a Starbucks latte.

But real matcha has:

  • Bitterness (the tannins)
  • Umami (the amino acids)
  • Sweetness (the natural sugars)
  • Earthiness (the terroir)

At low concentrations, you taste sweetness. At high concentrations, you taste everything else. And that’s when it gets interesting.

Nanaya’s No. 7 doesn’t taste like “strong matcha.” It tastes like a completely different substance. Like discovering that salt and MSG are related but totally different.

That’s the revelation.

Final Thoughts: Is It Worth the Hype?

If you’re in Tokyo: Yes. Go to Nanaya.

It’s one of those experiences that reminds you food can be surprising. Even something as simple as ice cream can make you rethink what you thought you knew.

If you’re not in Tokyo: Try the Amazon method.

It’s not the same. But it’ll teach you the same lesson: matcha is a spectrum, and most people only know the shallow end.

And hey—even if you don’t love ultra-strong matcha, you’ll walk away with a better understanding of what real matcha tastes like.

Plus, your tongue might turn green. And that’s always fun.

About the Author:
I’m a Tokyo local living in Aoyama. I walk past Nanaya almost daily, and I’ve watched the weekend lines grow longer every year. If you visit, go on a weekday morning. You’ll thank me.