Make Amazing Food Part of Your Travel Memories! 19 Popular, Classic Souvenirs from Hokkaido

Calbee, one of Japan’s leading snack makers, offers a lineup of products made with Hokkaido ingredients under its “Potato Farm” brand. “Jaga Pokkuru” is produced at its factory in Chitose, Hokkaido. The name is said to come from “Koropokkuru,” which means “people under the butterbur leaves” in the Ainu language.

In Japan, just about everyone knows Hokkaido’s famous sweet “Shiroi Koibito.”
It was born when Ishiya Seika Co., Ltd.—originally a maker of inexpensive candies—decided to produce premium Western-style sweets using high-quality Hokkaido ingredients.
More than 40 years after its launch, it remains an enduringly popular, classic Hokkaido souvenir.

A long-selling favorite from Kitakaro, a confectionery well known for its dedication to Hokkaido-sourced ingredients.
Focused on treasures from Hokkaido’s seas, these okaki (Japanese rice crackers) are made with high-quality ingredients and come in 10 varieties.
Popular flavors include Hakodate squid, Mashike sweet shrimp, Shibetsu autumn salmon, Esashi scallops, Erimo kelp, Shiranuka octopus, and Shiraoi Kojohama cod roe—plus three limited-time seasonal options.

A long-selling favorite from Rokkatei, a classic confectionery maker that has been creating “snacks you can enjoy every day with pocket money” since 1933.
Since its debut in 1977, its never-boring flavor has kept it beloved as a classic Hokkaido souvenir.
Special cream made with white chocolate, raisins, and 100% Hokkaido fresh milk butter is sandwiched between crisp, fragrant biscuits baked with their own special flour.

A Hokkaido-only version of the wildly popular “Black Thunder” chocolate bar, known for its satisfying crunchy texture.
Rich white chocolate made with Hokkaido milk coats a crunchy, two-bite base made with the cocoa cookies and plain biscuits that define Black Thunder.

A signature hit from Hanabatake Farm in Tokachi that sparked a nationwide “nama caramel” boom across Japan.
Made with carefully selected ingredients like fresh milk from nearby dairy farmers and Hokkaido fresh cream, this handmade caramel is crafted with meticulous attention to heat control and cutting. Its exceptionally smooth texture melts the moment it hits your mouth.

A Hokkaido classic first released in 1953 and loved for 70 years: roll castella coated in haskap jam.
Haskap is a small, blue-purple berry native to Hokkaido, known for its wild tartness and rich nutrients.
Slow-simmered haskap jam is sandwiched and coated over castella made with Hokkaido eggs and sugar, creating an exquisite balance of sweetness and tang.

Cheese Omelette came out of a desire to make sweets that make the most of local ingredients. This soufflé-style cheesecake is made with Hokkaido cream cheese, eggs, and fresh milk, among other locally sourced ingredients. Because each one is carefully handmade, it achieves a fine, delicate texture that seems to melt with a soft “shuwa” on your tongue.
Look closely at the cut surface and you’ll see many tiny bumps. The air trapped inside creates that happy “shuwa” sensation. Thorough, careful hand-mixing is what gives it that magical texture that melts smoothly in your mouth.

“Wakasa Imo,” as its name suggests, looks just like a sweet potato.
You might expect something like a sweet potato dessert, but surprisingly, it contains no sweet potato at all.
Created from the idea, “In a place where sweet potatoes don’t grow, we still want to make baked sweet potatoes,” this original confection is made using Hokkaido specialties like daifuku beans and tebou beans.

“Haskap Jewelry” uses jam made from Haskap, a beautiful blue-purple fruit that’s a Hokkaido specialty.
Since its creation in 1978, it has remained a beloved local snack and souvenir, and a standout among Hokkaido sweets.
Thin-baked cookies sandwich haskap jam and buttercream, then the outside is coated in couverture milk chocolate.

ROYCE’ is a chocolate maker founded in Sapporo in 1983.
Driven by a desire to create chocolate that can stand up to Europe—the home of chocolate—the company develops and produces its products in a cool, low-temperature climate that’s ideal for chocolate-making, even in summer.
In 2002, ROYCE’ released “Potatochip Chocolate.”
Its unexpected combination stood out for both novelty and taste, spreading through word of mouth and becoming one of the brand’s signature items.

Straight from the popular pastry shop Otaru Western Confectionery LeTAO in Otaru, Hokkaido, this is one of its signature sweets.
Known nationwide as the “ultimate cheesecake,” it combines LeTAO’s signature fresh cream made from Hokkaido milk, Australian cream cheese, and Italian mascarpone.
It’s made in two layers: a richly flavorful baked cheese layer and a soft, airy rare cheese layer with a mellow milky taste.

Rokkatei is one of Hokkaido’s best-known confectionery makers.
While the Marusei Butter Sandwich is the most famous, “Strawberry Chocolate” is another especially popular pick—particularly among women.
This indulgent treat coats whole freeze-dried strawberries in milk chocolate and white chocolate. Because the strawberries are full-sized, each piece is large and satisfying.

Hokkaido is so strong in dairy farming that it’s sometimes called a dairy kingdom.
Milk and butter are produced in large quantities here, and Hokkaido-made dairy is known for its quality and great flavor.
That’s exactly what goes into these “Sapporo Agricultural College” milk cookies, made with plenty of Hokkaido milk.

Founded in 1983 in Higashi Ward, Sapporo, ROYCE’ set out to make chocolate that can rival Europe, the home of chocolate.
Today, one of the company’s most iconic offerings—now a firmly established favorite among Hokkaido chocolate makers—is “Nama Chocolate.”
Unlike typical chocolate that’s firm when served and then melts in your mouth, ROYCE’ Nama Chocolate is soft and exceptionally smooth as it melts.

Among Rokkatei’s popular lineup, the most charming is “Rokka no Tsuyu.”
Open the palm-sized tin decorated with cute floral patterns, and you’ll find six colors of jewel-like pieces lined up inside—like a little treasure box.
They may look like candy at first glance, but they’re actually bonbons: fragrant liqueur wrapped in a thin sugar shell.

Takahashi Confectionery, a long-established Asahikawa sweets maker founded in 1917, was opened by Mr. Takahashi, the first owner, after he trained in castella-making in Nagasaki and in wagashi and mochi on Honshu, before eventually making his way to Asahikawa.
The company’s signature “Vitamin Castella” is so well-known that it’s said just about any Hokkaido local has tried it at least once.

From a renowned shop that keeps a deep focus on Sunagawa, Hokkaido—an area blessed with rich nature—this baumkuchen is baked layer by layer under the close attention of skilled pastry chefs, resulting in an astonishingly moist, luxurious texture.
With refined sweetness and a rich melt-in-your-mouth feel, it’s perfect as a treat for yourself, a gift for someone special, or for milestone celebrations like school admissions or weddings.

A long-selling favorite from Sato Suisan, known for a wide range of handcrafted seafood products made with ingredients centered on wild-caught Hokkaido salmon. This delicacy features salmon and salmon roe marinated in a soy sauce-based sauce.
Inspired by “ruibe,” a traditional Ainu food made by thinly slicing and freezing salmon, the product was developed through trial and error and took three years to bring to market.

New Chitose Airport is one of Hokkaido’s largest airports and the fifth-busiest in Japan.
With a wide range of both domestic and international flights, it’s often called “Hokkaido’s gateway in the sky.”
Inside the airport you’ll find countless souvenir shops where you can buy items unique to Hokkaido.
From Hokkaido favorites like Sapporo ramen and jingisukan to plenty of airport-exclusive limited editions, there’s a lot worth checking out.
Of course, most of the souvenirs introduced here can generally be purchased at New Chitose Airport.
Buying souvenirs at New Chitose Airport at the end of your trip is also recommended, since you can travel lighter during your journey.

Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza Sapporo is the “food” section of the Hokkaido Sapporo [Food & Tourism] Information Center, and it’s a favorite with locals as well as tourists.
Beyond food, it also carries cosmetics made with ingredients like salmon and crab.
Expect around 2,000 items, from specialties and processed products across Hokkaido to new releases that can be tricky to find elsewhere.

A souvenir shop located inside the arcade on Tanukikoji 4-chome in central Sapporo, close to Odori Park and the Sapporo Clock Tower. With one of the largest selections in the city, it’s possible to finish all your souvenir shopping here alone.
Along with classic Hokkaido sweets like Shiroi Koibito, Rokkatei, Jaga Pokkuru, and ROYCE’, it also offers a wide range of ramen, alcohol, souvenir goods, and more. The shop also has locations in Otaru and Hakodate.

Inside JR Hakodate Station, Hokkaido Shikisai-kan carries over 1,000 items, including popular sweets from Hakodate and across Hokkaido.
It opens early in the morning, so many people stop by before catching their train, and it stays lively from the start of the day.
The store is divided into a general souvenir area and a specialty shop area. In the general area, you’ll find shelves lined with Hokkaido favorites like Hakodate’s classic Trapist Cookies and Hakodate Shio Castella, along with other signature sweets. It also carries Hokkaido Shinkansen-related goods.
With locations not only in Hakodate but also in Sapporo, Obihiro, Muroran, and Asahikawa—some of Hokkaido’s most popular tourist destinations—if you’re not sure where to shop, try looking for a Hokkaido Shikisai-kan.

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse is a Bay Area landmark in Hakodate made up of seven warehouses.
With a romantic atmosphere and rows of red brick buildings, it’s easy to see why it’s popular not only with locals and tourists, but also with couples.
Four of the warehouses are called BAY Hakodate, Kanemori Youmokan, Hakodate History Plaza, and Kanemori Hall—each offering its own unique character.

Wing Bay Otaru is located in Otaru’s bay area, in Chikko.
This large mixed-use complex was built on the former freight yard site of JR Otaru-Chikko Station, and it’s directly connected to the station—another major plus for convenience.
In addition to a supermarket spanning three floors, it also features a robust shopping area with a large home improvement store, furniture stores, fashion shops, and more. Dining options range widely as well, including Japanese, Western, and Chinese food, plus cafés and sweets.

Rokkatei is a confectionery maker known for a variety of popular Hokkaido souvenirs, including the Marusei Butter Sandwich, Yuki ya Konko, and Strawberry Chocolate. At the Otaru Canal Store—said to use around 100,000 Tokachi bricks—the retro exterior blends beautifully with the streetscape of Sakaimachi Hondori.
On the first floor, the shop is lined with Rokkatei sweets, led by the Butter Sandwich. Along with boxed sets perfect for souvenirs, many items are also sold individually—making it easy to choose exactly what you want.