Sapporo is seeing an increase in tourists year after year.
While this is a cause for celebration, we often hear stories of people struggling to find accommodation because there aren't enough facilities to accommodate them.

For people like that, I recommend a guesthouse!
Some of you may have heard of it before.

Some people may have a negative image of guesthouses, associating them with things like "a place where young people gather and make noise" or "cheap, therefore with simple and dirty facilities."
However, in recent years, guesthouses have undergone a process of trial and error, and have become places where everyone can feel comfortable.

Guesthouses, especially in Sapporo, are generally considered to be of high quality, partly because they face strong competition from city hotels and capsule hotels.
Amidst all this, I heard that a new guesthouse was opening in Sapporo, so I went to cover it closely even before it opened.

What's more, this guesthouse apparently has a sandwich shop attached, which is really interesting, and it smells delicious...

<Table of Contents>
1. A new concept: a guesthouse combined with a sandwich shop.
2. A sandwich that makes you want rice!?
3. Sandwiches that connect the world
Final thoughts

The guesthouse is located at Minami 4-jo Higashi 3-chome.

Currently undergoing redevelopment, this is Sapporo's most talked-about spot, and is expected to become even more vibrant in the future.

The location is very convenient, with the subway stations Toyosui-Susukino Station (Toho Line) and Bus Center-mae Station (Tozai Line) nearby, and the Susukino entertainment district within walking distance.

The opening is scheduled for February 1st, just before the Sapporo Snow Festival.

With snow falling and a lot of people coming and going, I took a peek inside the guesthouse, which was about to open.

It seems there's still a lot of work to be done, including painting, surface preparation, and administrative tasks.
I also helped out a little bit.

We thoroughly cleaned the space around the bed and set up the futon and pillows that had been brought in.
The new futon is so soft and fluffy, the light is so pleasant, it makes me want to drift off to sleep right there.

I would definitely want to stay overnight if I could sleep in a place like this.

"I won't be sleeping in this futon myself, but I enjoy the time I spend preparing it, thinking about how happy the person who sleeps here will be," says Soichi Sasaki.
I am a guesthouse owner.

This guesthouse is the third guesthouse run by Mr. Sasaki and his partner, Shunsuke Ohata.

Following their first guesthouse, "Social Hostel 365," where anyone can stay casually, and their second guesthouse, "IGLOO," a stylish renovated traditional Japanese house exclusively for women, they are now opening "Mezamashi Sand Shop," a guesthouse where you can enjoy breakfast.

What kind of guesthouse is it that serves breakfast?

Sapporo has a huge number of restaurants, but the idea came from the fact that there are few places to eat a delicious breakfast.

With the desire to provide travelers with a delicious breakfast before continuing their journey, we created a new type of establishment that combines a guesthouse and a sandwich shop.

There are six standard types of sandwiches that caught my eye.

The sandwich fillings include things that are commonly eaten as side dishes with rice, such as salmon chanchan-yaki and pork ginger stir-fry.

They also offer creative fillings like chicken thigh and enoki mushroom plum mayonnaise sandwiches, and mountain wasabi potato salad sandwiches—combinations you've probably never heard of before, but that combination is absolutely delicious!

What all these ingredients have in common is that they make you want to eat them with rice, and make you crave rice.
While sandwiches are often made with mayonnaise or fruit and whipped cream, the menu at Mezamashi Sandwich Shop is entirely Japanese-style.

The bread is also made with a certain proportion of rice flour in mind, taking into consideration its compatibility with Japanese-style ingredients.

The bakery we commission to produce our bread is Aesop Bakery, which consistently ranks among the top bakeries in Sapporo.
The bread specially made for us at Aesop Bakery, which is always crowded and difficult to even get into, has a deep flavor even when eaten on its own.

The soup served in the set menu uses ingredients sourced from designated farms in Hokkaido, and the coffee beans are sourced from a coffee shop in Nagano Prefecture, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to quality.

Since opening, the store has been selling out every day, and while it was bustling with activity, it was also filled with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Guests come to our guesthouse not only from all over Japan, but from all over the world.

A look inside the first guesthouse, "Social Hostel 365"

Sandwiches are a universally loved food all over the world.
Even if we don't understand each other's language, I'm sure our hearts will connect if we share a sandwich together.
It might be a good idea to be brave and try striking up a conversation with a foreign customer.

Final thoughts

Whether you're staying at a guesthouse, going to a sandwich shop for breakfast, or simply going without a specific purpose, just to talk to someone, any reason for visiting is fine.
They also offer limited-time sandwiches that change daily or weekly, so you can enjoy trying sandwiches you've never had before.

Why not just visit without overthinking it?

People who stopped by during their travels, people who were drawn in by the aroma of sandwiches and coffee and knocked on the door.
The unexpected encounters are so enjoyable that you might want to visit again the next day.

Menu (prices exclude tax)
sandwich
Pork ginger stir-fry sandwich: 590 yen
Salmon Chanchan-yaki Sandwich 590 yen
Steamed chicken Japanese-style salad sandwich 490 yen
Chicken thigh and enoki mushroom sandwich with plum mayonnaise: 490 yen
・Mountain Wasabi Potato Salad Sandwich 390 yen
・Dashi-rolled egg sandwich ~fluffy with grated yam~ 390 yen

Soup
• Potato potage (made with potatoes from Shimomura Farm in Shihoro Town, Hokkaido)
·Miso soup with pork and vegetables
・Soup of the day
Both are 250 yen for a set and 350 yen for a single item.

Beverage
• Blended coffee (using beans from Hirano Coffee in Nagano Prefecture)
• Black tea (made with organic tea leaves)
Many more
Both are 200 yen for a set, and 290 yen for a single item.

*Takeout available except for some drinks.

Mezamashi Sand Shop
Address: Heights Showa 1F, 9-1, Minami 4-jo Higashi 3-chome, Chuo-ku
Telephone number: 080-1866-9265
HP:http://mezamashi-sandwich.com/
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mezamashisandwich/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf
(Sandwich shop)
Hours: 8: 00 ~ 17: 00
(guest house)
One dormitory room for 8 people (mixed gender).
One female-only dormitory room for 8 people
One dormitory room for 4 people (mixed gender).
A flat rate of 3000 yen per person per night.

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