Rokkatei is a famous confectionary company based in Hokkaido which produces a wide range of Japanese and Western style sweets. As a brand, Rokkatei is closely associated with Hokkaido, sourcing the best ingredients from the prefecture’s farms and dairy industry, and fittingly, the name Rokkatei (literally “six flower pavilion”) was inspired by a poetic word for snowflakes.
For many visitors to Hokkaido, Rokkatei’s sweets are an essential souvenir when visiting this snowy northern island, and their fancy packaging helps to make them a popular gift too.
Inside the Rokkatei Sapporo Main Store
A short walk from Sapporo Station is Rokkatei’s flagship main store which sells a great range of the company’s most popular confectionary, including their famous sandwich cookies, as well as some limited and seasonal goods. In this article we will introduce some of Rokkatei’s most famous sweets, so that you know what to look for when you visit this store.
Rokkatei’s Top Products
Although the company was first founded in 1933, Rokkatei’s first best-selling product was the Hitotsu-nabe sweet in 1952. Hitotsu-nabe (literally “one pot”), which remains part of Rokkatei’s range, is a traditional Japanese style sweet consisting of wafer cakes shaped like a nabe cooking pot which contain a rich filling of sweet bean paste and tiny mochi rice cakes. Around this time the focus of the company was still on making and selling Japanese sweets, but gradually the company began to make more Western style sweets that made use of Hokkaido’s dairy products. In 1968 the company became the first to sell white chocolate in Japan, and partly thanks to Hokkaido’s snowy image this too became a hit product.
A display of Rokkatei’s most popular product: the Marusei Butter Sandwich
Rokkatei’s most popular product is the Marusei Butter Sandwich which was first sold in 1977 and is widely considered to be a classic souvenir of Hokkaido. This sweet snack bar consists of two biscuits sandwiching a rich cream filling made with white chocolate, raisins and butter produced from Hokkaido milk. At Rokkatei’s Sapporo Main Store, you can also buy an ice cream version of the Marusei Butter Sandwich, called the Marusei Ice Sandwich, from the 1st floor shop. This combines ice cream, white chocolate and raisins between biscuits and is intended to be eaten at the store, as it cannot be taken away.
A Marusei Ice Sandwich
However, even if these best-selling products don’t tempt you, there are plenty of other Rokkatei sweets, chocolates, cakes, and cookies to choose from at the Sapporo Main Store. Among other famous products are Yukiyakonko: a cocoa-flavored biscuit sandwich with a white chocolate filling; Choco Maron: a cocoa-flavored biscuit sandwich with a filling of rum-flavored chestnut paste and a milk chocolate coating; and Strawberry Choco White: freeze-dried strawberries in a crispy white chocolate shell.
Rokkatei’s 2nd floor cafe
Rokkatei Sapporo Main Store also has a café on the 2nd floor serving desserts and drinks. The menu changes with the seasons, with sweets made using seasonal ingredients. This is a good spot to enjoy a sweet treat while overlooking the 1st floor garden.
Rokkatei sweets are closely associated with Hokkaido, where the company’s Japanese stores are located. Elsewhere in Japan, selected products are also sold at department-store fairs and through the company’s online shop, which delivers within Japan. This makes a visit to the Sapporo Main Store a good opportunity to browse the range and choose some souvenirs of Hokkaido.
A street view of the Rokkatei Sapporo Main Store building
Location
Rokkatei Sapporo Main Store is about a 5-minute walk from the South Exit of JR Sapporo Station and about 4 minutes from Sapporo Subway Station.
Opening Hours:
Shop: 10.00 – 17.30
Café: 10.30 – 16.30 (Last orders at 16.00)
The café is normally closed on Wednesdays. Hours and holiday opening arrangements may vary.
The entrance to Rokkatei Sapporo Main Store
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 12-Sep-2026.
