Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Factory, A Sapporo Must Visit!
If you’re looking for a chocolate, fun fuelled day out in Sapporo, then make sure that the Shiroi Koibito Park chocolate factory is at the top of your agenda! Upon arrival, let the sweet smell of chocolate lure you in, it’s like nothing we have ever smelt before!
But it’s not just traditional chocolate that you’ll find here, it is home to the manufacturing of the Hokkaido famous, Shiroi Koibito cookies, since 1976. They are white chocolate sandwiched, buttery biscuits which you’ll get your first taste of as you purchase your tickets to go inside.
We visited during Halloween, so there was extra Halloween inspired decor and treats going on, a real must visit during their seasonal events throughout the year. If you’re planning a visit soon, here’s everything you can expect!
Shiroi Koibito Park Chocolate Factory
Location: 2 Chome-11-36 Miyanosawa 2 Jo, Nishi Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 063-0052
How to book tickets: Advance tickets online or can be purchased on the day in the park
Cost: Adults 800yen, Children (4-15 years old) 400yen, Children (0-3 years old) free (however, it’s worth knowing that you can still enter the building and use the restaurant, cafe without having a ticket)
Bits we liked: Easy access, free parking. A free Shiroi Kobito cookie to try when you get your tickets, seeing the factory in action, delicious treats in the cafe, and great souvenir shop!
The Cafe & Restaurants
You can choose from the following places on site;
- Cafe Butlers Wharf – quick bites, soft serve ice cream and sweet treats
- Curry Restaurant- original curry dishes, alcohol, coffee and more
- Chocolate Lounge Oxford – chocolate and other sweet treats
- Soft Cream House Canterbury – soft serve ice cream
The cafe and restaurants are must visits at the Shiroi Koibito Park, and the best bit is that you don’t need to purchase a ticket to enjoy any of them. Whether you want a quick bite or a full afternoon tea, Sapporo style, you can do it here.
We headed to the cafe upon arrival, and it’s ideal for quick snacks and getting a sweet fix before touring the park. They do a selection of warm bites such as chips and pizza in the cafe, but you can’t come and not try their delicious Hokkaido Milk soft serve ice cream, and perhaps our favourite, the Shiro Koibito ice chocolate drink! It’s a new addition to their menu and worth every calorie!
It’s probably the nicest thing we have ever drank, and we’re itching to go back just for this! It was an ice, milky chocolate drink, topped with crumbled white chocolate and Shiroi Koibito biscuits. Perfection! We tried the hot chocolate too which was equally as delicious, and great for warming up on a cold day.
There are also two other restaurants to enjoy on site. There is a curry restaurant and Chocolate Lounge which serves a range of sweet treats including afternoon tea, the Hokkaido famous parfaits and a chocolate fondue!
Factory Tour (With A Ticket)
Once we’d had a sufficient sugar rush from the cafe, we headed downstairs to get a ticket for the main event.
Once we had purchased our tickets, we also got given a FREE Shiroi Koibito biscuit to try which I’d really recommend eating before you get to the souvenir shop so you can see how good they really are!
There are a number of things to explore when you get through and all of the signage around the museum is in both Japanese and English so you can fully make the most of the factory tour.
Our highlight was being able to see directly into the factory and watching those delicious Shiroi Koibito biscuits being made! They have a TV screen up in the factory which also shows how many biscuits have been made that day, we went in the morning and it was already at 73,000, crazy stuff!
They also make baumkuchen cakes onsite. If you ever visit Japan, we highly recommend trying them, they’re inspired by the original cake in Germany and are the most delicious, moist and fluffiest cakes!
We spent a fair bit of time just watching the factory, it’s so interesting and is definitely a must visit for adults, and kids.
Amusement Arcade
As you make your way through the factory area, you find yourself in an amusement arcade! You can throw cushions accurately to make a giant “Shiroi Koibito”!
We also had a go at the claw machine, which we sadly didn’t win anything on, but it was great fun! These additional games were not included in the ticket, and prices varied on the games.
Souvenir Shop
Once you’ve tasted a Shiroi Koibito biscuit I’d say it’s almost impossible to leave without visiting the shop and buying some more! This was another highlight for us, and again, you don’t need a ticket to access this part.
The shop is packed full of treats and gifting ideas, including a selection of products including Shiroi Koibito cookies, products exclusively available at the park, and gifts.
They also have another shop on the opposite side which is Bakeshop Chelsea. They make and sell bread using Hokkaido wheat here, homemade jams and other delicious baked goods. The perfect place to end your visit at the Shiroi Koibito Park.
We really enjoyed our visit here, and spent a couple of hours going around the tour and spending time in the cafe and shop. There are also paid tours available where you can do chocolate tasting and enjoy cookie making workshops. This is a great choice if you’re looking for things to do on a rainy day in Sapporo. We plan to head back very soon to give one of these a go!
