KONBUKAN （北海道昆布館） | Kelp Shop & Museum | Nanae

Konbu or kelp seaweed is a healthy and popular cooking ingredient in Japan. If you want to soak up the atmosphere of kelp, I recommend "KONBUKAN （北海道昆布館）" located near Onuma Quasi-national Park near Hakodate.

The facility has a huge planetarium-like movie theater, and visitors can learn why kelp produced in this town is very delicious. The admission is free!! Wow! Wow! Wow!

Next to the theater, there is a kelp museum, which is also free!!

Actually we intended to stay here for a short time to get fresh air on the way back to Sapporo, but we were so excited about the whole facility and stayed here for about one hour! Hahaha!

Let's go to a huge kelp shop section, selling almost all kelp products such as kelp powder, kelp candies, kelp snacks, kelp soup, and kelp condiments! Please enjoy free kelp tea service when you come here!!

We can also observe how to make shaved kelp at the same facility.

Voila!
Do you have any idea what I bought here? The answer is................

kelp soft ice cream!!!!!
It is a little bit salty and (surprisingly) delicious!!!

■Where is "KONBUKAN （北海道昆布館）"?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Akkeshi One Day Tour （厚岸1日ツアー）

This is a one day tour of Akkeshi, through which I believe you can fully enjoy the town. How do you like it? Please leave your comment!

①Akkeshi Station
When you arrive at JR Akkeshi Station,

please take a picture with this panel! Yes! Akkeshi is an oyster town!!

②Yabu Soba （藪蕎麦）

Then you should drop by this soba shop in front of the station, and

enjoy oyster soba↓, or an oyster bowl! Yummy x 2!! See the details→☆

③Cape Aikappu （愛冠岬）

Then let's get started with Cape Aikappu!

If you ring the bells with your boyfriend or girl friend, you will be happy forever!

On the way to the cape, you may encounter wildlife such as shika deer↓

④Benten Shrine （弁天神社）

On the way back to the station area, we can see Benten Shrine from Akkeshi Ohashi Bridge （厚岸大橋）. Looks like it is floated on the ocean, but actually it is on Kakijima Island （牡蠣島）, and enshrined with Benzaitenza statue （弁財天座像）, an important cultural asset of Japan.

⑤Fish Market （漁業組合市場）

Well, well, well, let's enjoy seafood at the fish market, located near the station, too!

Akkeshi is a paradise of seafood such as oysters, scallop, prawns, and so on!

⑥Marine Museum （海事記念館）

Within a walking distance from the fish market, there is Marine Museum.

We can learn the history of Akkeshi and its fisheries.

⑦Conchiglie （コンキリエ）

This roadside station is on the hill, and 

we can enjoy the ocean and the townscape!

Let's enter the building. On the first floor, there is a souvenir corner with a wide variety of oyster items.

Personally, I recommend delicious ice cream there↓ See the details→☆

 On the second floor, we can enjoy seafood BBQ↓

Scallops, oysters, abalone, sea urchin, Pacific saury, and you name it! See the details→☆

⑧Ujiie Machiaijyo （氏家待合所）

Last but not least, please get an oyster rice box lunch at the dining.

They make this box lunch depending on your train time! I recommend you to make a reservation in advance! See the details→☆

How do you like the tour?

Please fully enjoy the town if you have chance to visit there!!

■Where is Akkeshi （厚岸）?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Chocolate Factory （白い恋人パーク）| Amusement Facility | Sapporo

Chocolate Factory (白い恋人パーク） is not a normal factory, but a fantastic space with a toy exhibition room, the Rose Garden, a coke buffet to allow visitors to savor Ishiya's original sweets, and the Cookiecraft Studio where budding confectioners can make their own Shiroi Koibito cookies. The things visitors see, taste, and experience here will make for truly "sweet" memories of their trip!

Let's go!

In front of the facility, there is the Rose Garden where we can enjoy beautiful seasonable flowers such as tulips in the spring time, and right now....................

Voila!
Roses are in full bloom!!!

How beautiful the garden is!

Can you believe that you do NOT have to pay any admission fee to see the beautiful flowers??

I love this space!!

Shall we go to the museum section?
In the Hot Chocolate Cup Room, the collection showcases treasured chocolate cups that are no longer produced!

"All-floral motif" made by Meissen is the most expensive cup in this room, which is as expensive as a gorgeous car!

I love the chocolate boxes and packages, too!

When you come here, please learn how to make chocolate with fun attractions like this↓

How lovely the wall of the assembly line is!

Would you like to make original cookies? In the Cookiecraft Studio, visitors can make confections including their own design of heart-shaped Shiroi Koibito cookies!!!

When you feel hungry, how about taking a rest at the cafe?

Everything here look delicious! What should we order??? Hahaha!

We ordered.........

this delicious hot chocolate! Yummy x 2!!!

On the first floor, of course we can buy their original sweets such as Shiroi Koibito cookies.
*Shiroi Koibito （白い恋人） means white lovers in Japanese.

Recently the Candy Labo was opened and

we can enjoy freshly-made candies here!

Last, but not least, I really recommend their soft ice cream!!

They serve vanilla, chocolate, mix, and...............

Shiroi Koibito soft ice cream, which includes white chocolate, the same ingredient of Shiroi Koibito cookies! This is super-delicious!

In the compound, there are several kids houses,

a locomotive running around the facility,

a gingerbread house, a candy cottage,

tree house, and

some other attractions like this. This facility is like a fairyland!

Just for reference, the facility in the winter time is also very attractive↓

Especially during the Christmas season,

we can enjoy the beautiful illumination like this↓

■Where is "Chocolate Factory （白い恋人パーク）"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?I'll guide you! Plz click here!