1. Sweetopia Garden, where you can buy Ryūgetsu's famous confection "Sanpōroku" at a great price.

Ryūgetsu, located in Tokachi, a region known as the "Kingdom of Sweets," began in 22 with the manufacture and sale of ice cream.
Since ice cream is only available seasonally, we started making other sweets, and now we produce and sell over 250 different kinds of sweets annually.
The ingredients essential for making sweets, such as wheat, sugar, milk, eggs, and red beans, are carefully sourced from Tokachi and other parts of Hokkaido, resulting in a delicious taste that truly reflects the natural bounty of Hokkaido.

"Sanpo Roku Plain," made with 100% Tokachi-grown wheat flour, is a unique Baumkuchen with a moist texture and a coating of white and milk chocolate that replicates the pattern of birch bark commonly found in Tokachi. Named after the way firewood was split during the pioneering era, "Sanpo Roku" has been a best-selling product for over 50 years. In the past, it won the Grand Gold Award at the 27th World Confectionery Competition "Monde Selection" in 63.

Image provided by: Ryuzuki

In addition to "Sanporoku," Ryūgetsu offers a wide variety of sweets, from standard Western-style confections to Japanese sweets, with over 70 types available, including the popular "Anbatasan" featured in a morning drama, as well as cakes, seasonal items, and limited-edition products.

Sweetopia Garden, which could be called Ryūgetsu's flagship store, boasts one of the largest floor areas in the country for a store attached to a confectionery (fresh sweets) factory.

The first floor features a shop selling baked goods, Japanese sweets, and cakes, as well as a cafe where you can enjoy soft serve ice cream and seasonal menus, and a workshop where you can experience making sweets. The second floor is the factory, and you can take a free tour of the manufacturing process from the third floor.

And speaking of Sweetopia Garden, they have a special deal on "Sanpo Roku," which can only be purchased there. It's so popular that there's a line even before the store opens, so I decided to go and buy some myself.

1-1. Sweetopia Garden Exclusive "Sanpo Roku Bargain"

"Sanpo Roku" offers special deals every day, and numbered tickets are distributed starting about 30 minutes before opening time (9:00).

There is a limit of one purchase per person, and the types of flavors available vary from day to day.

When I arrived a little after 8:1 AM, an hour before opening, there were already more than 10 people lined up.

By 8:30, the line had grown to about 30 people. At that time, an employee used a megaphone to carefully explain the flavors and prices available that day, payment methods, precautions for queuing, and what would happen next.
On the day I went, there were two options: 1kg of Sanpo Roku Plain (550 yen) or 500g of Sanpo Roku Small Strawberry Cookies (400 yen).
You can also check the types of items available and their prices on the sign next to the line.

After that, you'll be guided inside the store, where you'll tell them what kind of flavor you want to buy and receive a numbered ticket.
As opening time approached, the line grew to over 50 people.
When the store opens at 9:00 AM, you exchange your numbered ticket for your purchased items before paying at the register.
Morning sales are generally cash only, so it's best to have cash ready.

Thanks to the staff's quick service, I was at the register in no time. I was able to purchase it successfully! It weighs a hefty 1kg. It's such a bargain at only 550 yen.
I visited on a weekday, but everything was sold out shortly after opening. Apparently, there are even more people lining up on weekends and during tourist season.

2. Sweetopia Garden

Sweetopia Garden is the most visited of Ryūgetsu's 43 directly managed stores, attracting approximately 40 customers annually. The store is packed with people from the moment it opens. But the appeal of Sweetopia Garden isn't just the "bargain" prices on Sanpōroku.

2-1. Cafe

This cafe offers soft-serve ice cream and seasonal menu items. You can enjoy classic vanilla and red bean flavors, as well as limited-time flavors. During our visit, they also had warm options like zenzai (sweet red bean soup) and pumpkin potage.

This cafe, with nearly 50 seats, allows you to enjoy complimentary coffee or red bean tea along with any cakes or pastries you purchase. In the summer, you can even enjoy your drinks on the terrace or in the garden.

"Tokachi Kinagoromo Soft Serve" is available exclusively at Sweetopia Garden.
This soft-serve ice cream is kinako (roasted soybean flour) flavored and topped with kinako-flavored mochi and black sugar syrup, which are sold as separate products. The cone is filled to the brim with Tokachi red bean paste!

Image provided by: Ryuzuki

2-2. Factory Tour

Free factory tours are available from opening time until 16:00 PM, and no reservation is required. You can use either the elevator or the stairs to reach the 3rd floor where the factory tours are held.

Panels advertising Ryūgetsu's products were displayed on the staircase.

From the third floor, you can get a panoramic view of the factory on the second floor. In addition to the factory's manufacturing process, there are panels about the history of Ryūgetsu, as well as panels about their products and materials, making it well worth seeing.
*Photography is prohibited during factory tours, but we were granted special permission to take these photos.

A photo spot featuring a bench shaped like a "Sanpo Roku" (a type of Japanese confectionery)!

You can also observe the manufacturing process of "Sanpo Roku."
If you're lucky, you might even get to see them coating the chocolates with birch tree patterns. Incidentally, coating the chocolates with birch tree patterns is a difficult process, so only a limited number of people are capable of doing it.

The factory tour takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

2-3. Confectionery Making Experience

At our confectionery-making workshop, which is open to both children and adults, you can create your own original cake!

Image provided by: Ryuzuki

You can choose a course that suits your skill level. Reservations are prioritized, but you can also participate on the day if there are openings. Apparently, reservations increase during school trip season due to school groups booking classes.

You can see the workshop from inside the shop. Photos of the participating children are also displayed, conveying how much fun they had!

Final thoughts

Starting with purchasing a bargain item from "Sanpo Roku," followed by a factory tour and a delicious Tokachi Kinagoromo soft serve ice cream, this is a truly satisfying experience! Why not visit "Sweetopia Garden" where you can not only enjoy the sweets but also learn the secrets behind their deliciousness?

Reika Hiraguri, a photographer based in Hokkaido

I am a freelance photographer born in 1990 in Obihiro City, Hokkaido. I hold certifications in Hokkaido Tourism Master, Tokachi Tourism and Culture (Advanced), Photo Master (Level 1), and Biological Classification Skills (Level 3). I worked as a photographer in Tokyo for nine years, but moved my base to Obihiro in 2023. My hobbies include touring, driving, and camping, and I write articles with the goal of conveying the charm of Hokkaido to as many people as possible.

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