Best Souvenirs from Tokachi, Hokkaido

Tokachi Cheese

Fine cheeses can be found throughout Tokachi but the miso Camembert produced by Tokachi Fromages is so distinctive, it is served in Japan Airlines’ First Class. The factory has a retail cafe where you can also find creamy delights like brie, raclette, cream cheese, fermented butter and arigo (potato mash with cheese blended into it).

Spa Moul for bath

A brand of skincare products that contain the skin-loving minerals of Tokachi’s onsen water. If your friends are squealing in envy over pictures of you enjoying a soak in an onsen, get them a pack of this bath salt so they can reap the benefits of an onsen back home in Singapore. You can find Spa Moul in hotel gift shops.

Ikeda Wine

Ikeda Wine Castle,Tokachi’s only winery began due to an earthquake that rocked the area 60 years ago. To revive the economy, the city government started this winery to create a unique product using Tokachi’s indigenous wild grapes. Today, wine is made with a hybrid of this wild grape and French grapes. The winery is also known for creating Japan’s first sparkling wine. Brandy fans, you’ll not be disappointed – the sourish grapes they have here is perfect for brewing brandy.

Toteppo Cookies

Get this from Tokachi Toteppo Factory, a cafe with a great view and an awesome drink bar. A box of its uber-cute Toteppo cookies – butter cookies shaped like a train engine – is perfect for the friend with a sweet-tooth.

Sweets from Ryugetsu

With its prosperous dairy farms, it should come as no surprise that Tokachi has a large variety of confectionery products as souvenirs. Established in 1947, this store is famous for creating the Sanporoku, a marble-patterned Baumkuchen designed in the image of the white birch firewood, to symbolise Hokkaido’s history of development. Also worth a try is the Taisetsuzan (White Mountain) a creamy cheesecake made from aged Camembert cheese and is pudding-like in texture.

Marusei Butter Sandwich at Rokkatei

A shop well known for its traditional Japanese sweets, one of the bestsellers is a butter cookie sandwich filled with cream and raisins. Immediately identifiable by its wrapping paper, your recipient will be pleased to receive such a famous gift.

Jars of Flavoured Oil at K’s Farm

A cafe that looks out to its own farm, this little eatery looks almost like a candyhouse! Known for its soft-serve ice cream with popcorn, K’s Farm Kitchen & Cafe also sells packs of flour, corn and beans it grows on its farm. What we like best, though, are its little jars of minced garlic in olive oil, which can be used to make awesome garlic fried rice or spaghetti aglio olio. Do remember to try its soft-serve ice cream!