| Festivals & Events | January 2 - Hatsutanukisai hot sake served (all blocks) First Saturday of August - Tanukihachi Toku Festival (block 5) Last Saturday of July - Night bargain (all blocks) |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours Shop opening times vary depending on individual business |
| Closed | – |
| Contact | Ph: 011-241-5125 https://tanukikoji.or.jp/ |
| Getting There | Located between Odori subway station & Susukino subway station. 5 minute walk from both. Japan, 〒060-0062 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, South 2, West 1 - West 7 Chome |
Opened in 1873, the Tanuki Koji shopping arcade is one of the oldest shopping streets in Hokkaido. The covered arcade extends for 200 metres and is broken up into seven blocks. It runs directly between Odori and Susukino subway. With around 200 stores including restaurants, bars and hotels, it is one of the most popular shopping areas for tourists. The ‘Tanuki’ or ‘Raccoon Dog’ has long been steeped in Japanese folklore and is the symbol of the shopping arcade. There are also a couple of festivals that are held here during the year.
Tanuki 1
Tanuki Koji 1
Entrance onto Soseikawa Park
Curry Restaurant
‘Log Kit’ hamburger restaurant
Mens clothing store ‘The Man’
Coffee shop & second hand stores
‘Lock Stock’ designer fashion store
Souvenir goods (with Hokkaido bears out front for photos)
Ramen restaurant, curry store
Tax free drug store, Music store (selling instruments, amps & speakers)
Tanuki 2
Tanuki Koji 2
Ramen restaurants
‘Geo’ movie rental store, shoe stores ‘Billy’
Ginza Lion Restaurant
Sound Lab Mole
Japanese knife store
Mini supermarket (for cheap & popular Asian foods)
Meer Lounge Restaurant
‘Honoka’ massage, ‘Taito’ game centre
Leather goods (tax free),’Real Monkey’ clothing store
Tanuki 3
Tanuki Koji 3
7-11 (with ATM for local and overseas cards)
‘Malaika’ new age store
Pet store selling kittens & puppies
2nd hand store ‘2nd Street’
A couple of tax free drug stores
‘Aoyama’ suit store
‘Joy Land’ game centre
‘Doutour’ coffee shop
‘ABC Mart’ shoe store
Entrance to Pole Town
Tanuki 4
Tanuki Koji 4
Octopus & whiskey restaurant
‘Don Quijote’ shopping & ‘Mega Don Quijote’
‘Jyoti’ Indian dining
Richmond Hotel & Modish Cafe
‘Vegagio’ game centre, glasses store
Japanese goods store
Tax free drug stores
Japanese restaurants, Karaoke
ATM for local and overseas cards
Beef Impact Restaurant
7-11 with ATM
Tanuki 5
Tanuki Koji 5
Horse racing gambling
Donabe Hamburg Restaurant
Tanuki Shrine
Money exchange, movie theatre
‘Hug’ natural market & restaurants
Teppen yaki restaurant
Souvenir shops, drug stores
Sapporo Bone Restaurant
Hokkaido tourist information centre
Hostels & hotels, ‘Karaksa Hotel’
Tanuki 6
Tanuki Koji 6
Bear Foot Bar
Family Mart convenience store (ATM)
Hotel Sunroute, Hotel Dormy Inn
‘Bar España Carne’ dining
Duty free shops
Kimono Store
Japanese restaurants
Liquor store
Drug store & tax free souvenir stores
‘Manda’ dining
Sapporo beer dining
Tanuki 7
Tanuki Koji 7
Used records store
‘Yah Man’ bar, ‘Suezou Aba Aba’ bar and dining
Kalahana Beer Bar
‘Lohas’ restaurant
Half a dozen small bars & restaurants
Kopi Tiam Singaporean restaurant
Used guitars store
‘Suntory Jigger Bar’
‘Shiyamachi’ bar & food
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥500 (for meal) |
| Opening Hours | |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | |
| Notes | Local vegetable market Restaurant Souvenir shop Toilets |
| Location / Getting There | Located in the small town of Kimobetsu which is halfway between Sapporo and Niseko. 10 minute drive from Rusutsu. 306-3 Kimobetsu, Kimobetsu-chō, Abuta-gun, Hokkaidō 044-0201 |
Plenty of produce to see
Aspeila is a rest stop, a local market, souvenir shop, and restaurant all rolled into one. It can be easily found on route 230, which is the main road from Sapporo to Rusutsu. Just look for the large sign and two asparagus characters on the main building. It is a great spot to do some shopping for souvenirs or food, where you can buy a whole range of vegetables produced by local farmers. These delicious (and large) vegetables can be bought in bulk and for a great bargain! The greengrocers here makes up one part of Aspeila.
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Restaurant space to dine
The souvenir shop also sells local foods famous in the area. There is also a restaurant and bathrooms here. It is here, at this restaurant, you can order some great udon or soba noodles. Alternatively, there is a delicious vegetable curry and rice, or a katsu curry (deep-fried cutlet of chicken or pork) that is on the menu. These meals are all under ¥1000 making them good value for money! To get here you will need your own transport, the drive taking about one and a half hours. There is a bus stop out the front, and the buses run from Sapporo station to Kimobetsu five times a day.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0166-94-3355 |
| Notes | Wifi available Parking - 165 vehicles Coffee shop & restaurant Restrooms (wheelchair access) Park golf Shopping area |
| Location / Getting There | It takes about 20 minutes by car from JR Biei Station. A 2 and a half hour drive from Sapporo. Shirogane, Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido 071-0235 |
Huge park area next to facilities
Whilst on the road and taking in the sightseeing spots in Biei, the Biei Shirokanebiruke Roadside Station is a nice spot to have a rest, do some shopping, grab a bite to eat, or to enjoy the park and its facilities. The rest area is just down the road from the Blue Pond, and also the Kaiku Kiln Museum, which are some good spots to visit while in Biei. There are about half a dozen new buildings at the site, which is surrounded by a large park that incorporates a park golf course.
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Souvenir shop
Besides the park golf course, you can find restrooms here for some relief. For those looking for a quick bite to eat, there is a nice little hamburger shop called Between the Bread. Here you can eat inside their restaurant, or have lunch in the park. The park is full of sculptures and there is a table tennis table plus some instruments(interestingly), and seating. The other buildings include a souvenir shop that has information about Biei and the surrounding areas, plus an ice-cream shop, and a North Face outdoor equipment store.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Closed | Tuesdays *Open every day in July & August |
| Contact | 0166-94-3354 http://www.kaikukiln.com/ |
| Notes | Free parking No photos allowed inside Ceramics for sale |
| Location / Getting There | 20 minutes by car from JR Biei Station. 20 minutes by Dohoku Bus from in front of Biei Station. Shirogane, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido |
One of the many sculptures
Kaiku Kiln Museum is a large, quiet homestead that is home to a gallery, kiln room, workshop, and house. The Kaiku Kiln property is located between the Blue Pond, which is a five minute drive away, and the ‘Biei Shirokanebiruke’ road station. The Blue Pond and road station can get quite crowded during the summer, so the gallery is a nice place to take a pleasant stroll and look at the sculptures, and get away from the crowds. The grounds are covered in various sculptures created from wood, clay, and metal, and there is a small rock path that crosses through the trees.
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One of the buildings
The gallery itself is located on the left of the entrance. The sculptures displayed at the gallery, are by local prominent artists. The gallery also serves as a shop where you can buy some fantastic ceramic dishes and serveware. These works are not cheap but they are high quality. Photos of the works in the gallery are not allowed, though photos outside are permitted. There is free parking available for those with transport. To getting to the gallery is a twenty minute drive from Biei station. There is also the Dohoku bus that stops in front of the station.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥500 to ¥1000 for lunch |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 Yoichi 9:00 - 18:00 Date |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0135-31-2222 Yoichi 0142-68-6270 Date |
| Notes | Fresh supermarket Small restaurants on site |
| Location / Getting There | Located along route 5. A 40 minute drive past Otaru. 1 Chome-930 Oe, Niki, Yoichi District, Hokkaido 048-2402 On route 276, past Lake Shikotsu. 1 hour 30 minute drive from Sapporo. 637-1 Otakiku Sangaitakicho, Date, Hokkaido 052-0303 |
Take your pick
There are two Mushroom Kingdoms located in Hokkaido. They can be both found along highways and serve as a souvenir stop, supermarket, restaurant and a rest stop while driving around the island. As this is a popular place for those on the road, there is a huge amount of produce that can found here. You can choose from over a thousand kinds of products! As the name suggests, mushrooms are in abundance here, and most of the dishes at the large eatery use mushrooms in their ingredients.
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Farmland Niki
If you don’t like mushrooms, then not to worry! The souvenir shop sells local wines, jams using fruit from Hokkaido, dairy products including cheeses, and also snacks, sweets, and desserts. The spacious restaurant has seating for 120 people, plus external seating that is open from April to October. The menu includes soba noodles, udon noodles, and ramen. Next to the main building is the ‘Farmland Niki’ supermarket. It is here that fresh vegetables are brought directly from neighboring farmers and stocked. So, for some shopping, a bite to eat, or just as a pit stop, Mushroom Kingdom is a good spot to mark on your map.
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:30 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0158-29-2730 |
| Notes | Souvenir shop Toilets open 24 hours Tea house & road stop Takeout food stall |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute drive from Takinoue city center. Located on route 273. Asahimachi, Takinoue, Monbetsu District, Hokkaido 099-5602 |
First floor
Located on highway 273, the Aroma Village serves as not only a rest area, but it’s a top spot in Takinoue to buy some souvenirs or something for the home. The first floor of this large building has plenty of things to buy, jams, cutting boards from local wood, agricultural products, serving wear and cutlery, plus a large variety of herbs. All the items are locally produced. If you are stopping in for a snack, then the Aroma Village has a small eatery and coffee on the first floor, which has some herbal teas on the menu.
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Ice cream & noodle shops
The small eatery also has some delicious sandwiches, with homemade sausage and cassis or rhubarb jam. They also have fresh cream cheese, fromage blanc, mitarishi dumplings, and zenzai (a sweet bean soup). On the second floor of Aroma Village they have local information on all the sightseeing spots and things to do in Takinoue. Next to the Aroma Village you will find two small huts. One serves up ice cream, the other has a variety of soba and udon noodles. They also have a steak sandwich, with cheese!
