The Best Souvenirs from Hokkaido — What to Buy
Last Updated on September 21, 2024 by Kay
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Visiting Hokkaido and wondering what to buy as a souvenir?
Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture in Japan, is a popular vacation destination with locals. People in Japan love its beautiful nature and scenery, as well as its unique handicrafts and fresh and delicious food.
In this article, I’ll share some of the best things to bring back from Hokkaido that are bound to make you or a loved one happy.
What to Buy from Hokkaido
Handmade Blown Glass
Both Otaru and Furano in Hokkaido are known for their unique handmade blown glass. You can get gorgeous vases, drinking glasses, sake cups, and more. The best part is that each is unlike any other, making them truly one of a kind.
To find great handmade glass products, check out Glass Forest in Furano and Kitaichi Glass in Otaru.
Music Boxes
Otaru in Hokkaido is known for its beautifully crafted music boxes, and some even play songs from Ghibli films!
Hokkaido Butter
Hokkaido is known for its dairy products and butter is no exception. Their butter is creamy and absolutely delicious, probably the best you’ll ever try in Japan.
There are lots of brands of Hokkaido butter out there but I’ve found that any sold in Hokkaido are good. I guess I’m not enough of a butter connoisseur to know the difference between types of Hokkaido butter, but at least I can tell that the butter I enjoyed in Hokkaido tastes better than the types you find on the main island. (Yes, including the boxes of Hokkaido butter sold in grocery stores in mainland Japan.)
You can find lots of butter for sale at souvenir stores at New Chitose Airport in Sapporo. I bought a package of Yoshimi butter, pictured above in all its opened glory, and it’s so heavenly that I’m trying my best not to use it all up!
Note that if you live several hours by plane away from Hokkaido, I don’t recommend getting butter because the ice packs you’ll receive won’t last long enough and it will likely go bad.
Shiroi Koibito
This is probably one of the most famous souvenirs in Hokkaido. It consists of white chocolate sandwiched between two thin butter cookies and is absolutely delightful.
Shiroi Koibito can be found throughout the country, but if you’re visiting from outside Japan, it would be worth buying it as a souvenir for yourself or someone else. And if you live in Japan, you can get special Shiroi Koibito souvenirs that are only sold in Hokkaido at Shiroi Koibito Park in Sapporo.
Melon Pocky
One of the most famous fruits in Hokkaido is undoubtedly melon. So if you’re looking for a unique Pocky flavor to bring back home, why not get melon-flavored Pocky?
These boxes contain 13 small bags so you can share them with others (if you want — of course you can just enjoy them all yourself!).
Butter and Soy Sauce Scallop Pringles
Scallops are another famous food in Hokkaido, and the addition of butter and soy sauce creates a mouthwatering combination. This particular flavor of Pringles can only be bought in Hokkaido, so if you’re a chip fan, I recommend getting these.
Each box contains three small cans of Pringles.
White Black Thunder
Black Thunder is an incredibly popular chocolate in Japan. It consists of a crunchy chocolate cookie covered in milk chocolate and if you haven’t had it, you absolutely need to try it.
It’s already delicious in its original form, but Hokkaido sells a limited-edition version with a white chocolate coating.
You can get it in a bag or box, which contains small individually wrapped bars that are perfect for sharing.
There are also melon and strawberry versions for sale in Hokkaido as well!
You can find these for sale throughout Hokkaido, including New Chitose Airport.
Jaga Pokkuru
Among the many vegetables Hokkaido is known for, potato is perhaps the most popular. And if you like chips, then you might want to consider getting Jaga Pokkuru. These are like crispy skin-on fries and are made using 100% Hokkaido potato.
There are various flavors to choose from like onion, scallop, and even soup curry!
These are sold throughout Hokkaido as well as in the Calbee Plus store in New Chitose Airport.
Sapporo Agricultural College Milk Cookies
These cookies are made using simple ingredients from Hokkaido such as butter, milk, sugar, flour, and egg. But don’t be fooled, they taste heavenly and melt in your mouth.
A portion of sales go to Hokkaido University, which was formerly called Sapporo Agricultural College.
Many stores sell this in Hokkaido, including at New Chitose Airport.
Sapporo Agricultural College Cheese Tarts
These cheese tarts are absolutely heavenly. They’re creamy with just the right amount of cheese flavor. I really wish I had bought some of these for my neighbors!
Each box contains three small tarts, so they are a bit pricey but I think it’s worth the splurge. Note that these must be refrigerated, so I don’t recommend buying these if you have a long international flight.
The easiest place to find these is New Chitose Airport.
Smoked Chips by Calbee
I’m a huge fan of kettle-cooked chips, so when I saw these smoked chips for sale, I knew I had to get them. They have a subtle smoked flavor that reminds me of camping and I find them quite addicting. (Although I will admit my husband wanted the flavor to be stronger.)
Each box contains three small bags and are sold at the Calbee Plus store in New Chitose Airport.
Rokkatei Chocolate
These are white chocolates made from Hokkaido milk and cocoa butter. They’re particularly famous because they were the first white chocolates produced in Japan!
I tend to find white chocolate a little chalky but these are anything but. They’re incredibly smooth, creamy, and downright delicious.
These can be found at New Chitose Airport but there are Rokkatei stores in Sapporo and Otaru.
An Bata San
An Bata San (あんバタサン) stands for Anko Butter Sandwich. These cookies were invented in 1945 during a time when Western-style sweets weren’t that common or popular in Japan.
Hence, the Hokkaido company Ryugetsu decided to create a sweet that was a marriage between the West and Japan — An Bata San.
An Bata San consists of a red bean paste and buttercream filling inside of two cookies. People enjoy the contrast of the smooth, sweet and salty filling between the crispy cookies.
Stores throughout Hokkaido sell this, including at New Chitose Airport.
Siretoco Donuts
How cute are these?!
I have to admit that I bought these with my eyes rather than my stomach, but I was pleasantly surprised by the taste! They’re quite soft and delicious, and I wanted more.
These expire within about 3-4 days so make sure you check the expiration date before purchasing to ensure you eat them in time.
Siretoko Donuts has stores in Tokyo but these donuts originated in Hokkaido near the Shiretoko Peninsula. These particular donuts, pictured above, can only be found in Hokkaido and feature Hokkaido’s most famous bird, Shima Enaga (also known as a “snow fairy” bird).
I got this Hokkaido-limited box from their store in New Chitose Airport. They only sell a limited number of boxes of these a day so you better hurry!
Oh! Yaki Toukibi
Corn is one of the most famous vegetables in Hokkaido, and understandably so because it’s absolutely delicious. I think the best corn I’ve had in my life is fresh from Hokkaido! And in Hokkaido, corn is called Toukibi, hence the name of this snack.
Oh! Yaki Toukibi consists of six packages of savory corn and rice snacks that are flavored with soy sauce. It’s meant to capture the essence of grilled corn, and based on their popularity, I think they’ve done a great job.
An Potato
These Japanese sweets consist of Hokkaido-grown sweet potato with a smooth red bean paste, Hokkaido butter, and fresh cream filling.
If you want something delicious and uniquely Japanese from Hokkaido, I recommend this.
Soup Curry
If you’ve had soup curry in Hokkaido (which you should, it’s amazing), you may be wondering how to bring that taste back with you when you go home. Well, you can purchase various Hokkaido-made soup curry bases to take home with you. Simply add meat and veggies and you’re done!
There are a lot to choose from but I recommend GARAKU Soup Curry. (You can also find this for sale on Amazon Japan but purchasing it in Hokkaido is much cheaper.)
Wrap-up: Best Souvenirs from Hokkaido
As you can see, there are a number of amazing souvenirs you can buy from Hokkaido. It’s really hard for me to stop myself from buying an entire suitcase full of things, especially food!
If you live in Japan, for an additional charge you can send the souvenirs back to your residence via mail straight from souvenir stores in New Chitose Airport. Some other stores throughout Hokkaido offer this service as well, which is very convenient.