【Takeout】Founded on July 29, 1972, in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, the rice cracker manufacturer Iwatsuka Seika has a factory outlet in Chitose City. They are famous for their Aji Shirabe, Black Bean Senbei, and Fuwatto snacks. This outlet, located in a residential area of Chitose City, offers not only their regular products but also individually wrapped Aji Shirabe and other items. For the location of the store, please refer to the previous review. On August 29, 2023, around 12:00 pm, I revisited the outlet. One of the things I wanted in the summer was rice crackers and senbei from Iwatsuka Seika in Chitose. I bought Edo-age, Seafood Senbei, and Aji Shirabe. Aji Shirabe was given as a gift to my workplace, as everyone there really enjoys these snacks. They usually disappear within 2-3 days even if I buy 3 bags (laughs). Edo-age is made from domestically grown mochi rice, not rice flour, so the texture and taste are completely different! Seafood Senbei is made from domestically grown uruchimai rice. Although there is no seafood powder listed in the ingredients, it has a taste reminiscent of shrimp, scallop, and squid, which makes it delicious and addictive! Just for reference, for those who may come by bicycle, it took me 1 hour and 38 minutes to ride from Shin-Sapporo to this store, covering a distance of 35.66 km, with an average speed of 21.8 km/h and a top speed of 39.9 km/h.

"The confectioner from the north, scallop butter flavor" I remembered that I had talked about how delicious it was when I received it before, and my friend bought it for me♪ You can also buy it at the Fujiiya store in Mitsukoshi Sapporo. Taste impression: The scallop flavor is subtly present, with a light texture that goes very well. The lightly salted rice crackers pair perfectly with beer. Once you start eating, you can't stop. Highly recommended as a souvenir from Sapporo and Chitose."

Cheap direct sales store here. Really cheap! I thought I'd try the representative product of this place, and it's delicious!!! It's like a grown-up version of Happy Turn, a high-end version lol. If you like Happy Turn or sweet and salty snacks, definitely give it a try.

It's a quick stop on the way from home, about an hour from Sapporo. The shop is small, fitting 7-8 people, but everyone seems to have their eye on something and leaves quickly. We got two large bags of Edo-style fried snacks. The individually wrapped items aren't that cheap, but the big bags with lots of snacks are a good deal. It's a bit off the main road, but there's parking so it's easy to stop by.

I bought and ate Hokkaido cheese rice crackers at the Shinjuku Keio 7th floor event "Spring Great Hokkaido Exhibition" from March 29 to April 11. I purchased it around 10:00 on a Tuesday using Rakuten Pay. The package looked like something from the pioneer era, but the rice crackers were delicious with plenty of cheese powder coating them. There were also small pieces of dried cheese that added a nice crunch. They were so tasty that I easily finished a bag, although they are quite high in calories at around 550 kcal. I don't think I will buy them again as they tasted similar to cheese rice crackers I've had before.

It was some time ago when I, someone who likes rice crackers and arare, happened to be surprised by the deliciousness of the black soybean senbei that I purchased, and found out that there was a direct sales store in Chitose City, so I bought some. This was over 10 years ago. At that time, they were selling cheaply packaged cracked senbei that couldn't be sold as regular products, but despite their unattractive appearance, they were still delicious. Nowadays, they no longer sell cracked products, but the regular ones come in double the quantity for 320 yen, which is a good deal. These black soybean senbei have excellent saltiness, and once you start eating them, you can't stop, making them a snack that is hard to resist. So I don't buy them often (laughs). When I visited the store after a long time, I noticed that there were no signs prohibiting indoor photography at the store entrance or at the register. When I asked the staff, they told me that the ban had been lifted. When I first visited the now closed "Azekko", I asked why indoor photography was prohibited, and was told that it was because someone had taken photos of customers without permission and posted them on a blog, causing complaints to the store. However, in this case, the reason for the ban was the same as in electronic stores and other places that prohibit indoor photography. I nodded in understanding and left the store. This store is a factory direct sales store, and the factory is located in Koyo-dai.

Iwatsuka Seika I didn't think I would find something like this here, I just came to target this shop. Since there was a registration, I'm alone in Higashikawa. I arrived early, so I will attack the open shops first. Well, what if the shops are not open yet? Higashikawa seems to have quite a few shops that open early, which is very convenient. The first place I came to was Higashikawa Town Product Center. It's basically a park, right? Inside, there is a ski resort, a park golf course, and several groups of people camping. It has various facilities for activities. There is a slightly large parking lot-like area with pavement, where a cross-country skiing team of young boys was practicing. The park golf course seems to be a social gathering place for the elderly. I found this "Kinoko Mochi" at the shop and remembered that Sato-chan often writes about it. I checked and found that it is registered, so I bought it. It's made at a Hokkaido factory, so it should be fine. It's a nationwide confectionery company, right? From Hokkaido? Niigata? It's convenient that it can be written without going to Chitose. It says it's made at the Hokkaido factory, so it should be good. It's convenient that it comes in small portions. It has a fine powder sprinkled on it. At first, you don't notice it, but as you eat more, it does have the taste of kinako mochi, which is strange. It's crispy, not too sweet, and melts in your mouth. It's a delicious snack. As expected of Iwatsuka Seika.

I would like to purchase this eat-in type senbei that can be eaten at any time. It's not a big round senbei, but more like an ebi senbei. It has a nice shrimp aroma and tasted delicious, so I would like to buy it again if I come across it.

I visited the factory outlet of Iwatsuka Seika, a rice cracker manufacturer based in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, which was founded on July 29, 2022. They are known for their Aji Shirabe, Kuromame Senbei, and Fuwatto products. The factory outlet is located in Chitose City and offers a variety of products, including individually wrapped Aji Shirabe. The store is located in a residential area in Chitose City, and it is attached to the factory. The store is well-organized, with a wide selection of rice crackers on display. They also offer exclusive products only available at the factory outlet. I purchased the Kuromame Senbei because I prefer hard, crunchy rice crackers. At the checkout, I was given a sample snack, which was a nice surprise. The Kuromame Senbei was packed with plenty of black beans and had a deliciously salty flavor. Contrary to its appearance, the rice cracker was not too hard and was a perfect match for the savory black beans.

I headed to Chitose City to pick up my daughter again in April 2022, and it had been a while since I visited this "direct sales store." According to my daughter, who is knowledgeable about the food industry, there is a shortage of snacks like "okaki" due to a fire accident at Sanko Seika. They are in high demand from Iwatsuka Seika and Kameda Seika. Although it's not a trend, supermarkets and convenience stores have a certain amount of space, so they need to be displayed. When it comes to these snacks, it's hard to resist grabbing some. "Ebi Kari" 380 yen is a special deal only available at the direct sales store. I'm pretty sure it wasn't individually wrapped before. I just want the Ebi Kari. "Ajishirabe" 300 yen is a great deal because it's not packaged. The sweet and salty flavor is addictive. "Kuro Kosho" 500 yen is a mature flavor that I can't resist. I'm happy that you can buy at a good price at the direct sales store.

On a certain weekday, I happened to pass by a confectionery company's store in Tomioka, Chitose City, where they sell a variety of salty fried snacks. The store has a decent number of parking spaces in front and on the side. The interior is not very spacious, but it is filled with various sweets stacked everywhere, and customers are constantly coming and going, indicating its popularity. Oh, photography is not allowed inside the store. On this day, instead of the menu, I picked out some snacks from the display shelf... Personally, I was interested in a bag of fried rice crackers that was too large, so I gave up and looked for something smaller that caught my eye. "Ribon Napoleon (150 yen)" When I took a bite... Whoa! So powdery!! The flat rectangular white fried rice cracker was coated with a striking orange powder of Ribon Napoleon, which was incredibly impressive! "Baked to a crisp (150 yen)" I thought it was packed in a bag, but it was just loose inside, and when I took a bite of the round snack... The moderately fried rice cracker with red powder had a tomato powder and cheese flavor that was so delicious that I couldn't stop eating. "Hokkaido Zangi flavor (90 yen)" It was a long, narrow fried rice cracker, supervised by the famous Hotoke-san in Sapporo, and it had a slightly firmer texture this time. The seasoning with a certain amount of saltiness and the taste reminiscent of Zangi made it interesting. "Ume Wasabi (100 yen)" With a slightly red rice cracker, when I took a bite... Huh? Oh, this is... The mysterious flavor of Ume from Wakayama and the subtle hint of wasabi from Azumino mixed well, and the peanuts did a good job too. "Lightly Shrimp Flavor (100 yen)" The flower-shaped white fried rice cracker had a light texture with the flavor of shrimp and a hint of saltiness, and I was impressed that it was made from rice flour and gluten-free. The bonus butter mochi rice cracker we received... It was quite impactful, with a lot of powdery butter flavor sticking to it, and it would be addictive for younger people. The barley and sesame one... The barley flavor is a mystery to me, but the strong sesame aroma is something I can appreciate more as I get older. Suddenly, I thought that if I had a large family, it would be convenient to have a store that sells large bags of fried rice crackers, and if it were nearby, I would want to visit it from time to time due to its lineup of snacks. But that Ribon Napoleon powder... I wonder how they came up with that... Thank you for the meal.

Before joining Tabelog, I had been here a few times... This time, I tried the Hokkaido cheese rice crackers. The cheese flavor is rich and sticks to your teeth - I love it! Perfect for a snack or as a side dish. I feel like going back again after a long time. The black soybean senbei is definitely tastier when bought here than at the store!

I tried Iwatsuka Seika's black soybean senbei. The senbei itself is quite hard and crunchy, which I personally really liked. This may vary depending on personal preference. The senbei has sweet black soybeans scattered throughout, and eating them gives a comforting feeling.

I stopped by the Hokkotei for 4 minutes. I have visited this store a few times in the past to buy taste tests, and it turns out this store is also listed on Tabelog. I bought taste tests, Edo-age, and adult snacks. I received two free samples as well. When I looked closely at the bag, I realized the expiration date is only one week away. Is that why it's cheap? (^^;) Taste test: 280 yen Edo-age: 460 yen Adult snacks: 100 yen x 3 Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

It's located nearby so I go there often, but it seems like many people come from far away too. They are not individually wrapped but crispy. I think it's because they are freshly made. My friends say not to bring too much because they make you gain weight. They are perfect as a snack with beer.

I visited the store on Sunday afternoon around 3 pm. After eating ramen at "Menya Utsuro," I remembered this nearby store and decided to visit. The store closes at 5 pm, so I haven't been able to come here often. I used to come here a lot in the past, but this is my first visit since I started using Tabelog. It's a popular confectionery store in Chitose. I bought: Kinako mochi 190g (45 pieces) for ¥360, Ebi Kari (shrimp crackers) 11 packs for ¥360, and Ebi Kuro Kosho (shrimp black pepper) 11 packs for ¥360. The contents are the same as those in the package, so it's a great deal! I particularly like Ebi Kari and Ebi Kuro Kosho. They are popular souvenirs at the airport but are reasonably priced here. There were also different kinds of snacks inside the bags, which was a nice surprise! You might not want to buy them as souvenirs, but they could be a hit at home or with older family members. I may have bought too much for myself, but I'll enjoy them at work!

I finally got to visit a shop that I've been wanting to go to for a long time! Unfortunately, I couldn't take any photos inside because it was not allowed, but the shelves were filled with large bags of rice crackers! The individually wrapped rice crackers come in a huge quantity, about 2-3 times more than what you would normally get. And because it's sold at the direct sales price, it's very affordable! However, since there's so much, you can't buy a lot at once. I bought two bags of my favorite black bean rice crackers and cheese-flavored senbei. I wish they had mixed products with different flavors so I could try more varieties. I look forward to going back to buy more when I have guests over. Thank you, Iwatsuka Seika!

In December 2018, my daughter returned to Hokkaido for a visit. As a doting parent, I went to pick her up at the airport even though there are trains and buses available. This led me to stop by "Iwatsuka Seika" again. I really like their "Ebi Kari" and "Ajishirabe". Unfortunately, I couldn't find the large bag of "Ebi Kari" this time. "Ajishirabe" costs 280 yen and although the salty-sweet powder can be a bit messy, it's a versatile snack that goes well with both tea and alcohol. "Ebi Kari" costs 360 yen and comes in a regular assortment with peanuts. It's a curry-flavored rice cracker that I can't get enough of. I also tried "Mayo Kari" for 360 yen, but I prefer "Ebi Kari". "Fuwa to" costs 90 yen and is a light snack made from rice flour, typical of Iwatsuka Seika's rice-based snacks. I'll definitely stop by again next Golden Week. "Iwatsuka Seika Chitose Factory Direct Store"

In October 2018, I revisited the well-known major snack manufacturer "Iwatsuka Seika," which specializes in rice crackers such as senbei. As I mentioned in a previous review, the factory is located in the Higashiyodai area of Chitose City in Hokkaido. The direct sales store is in a residential area rather than in the city center. The factory is actually located in an industrial area that could be considered a neighboring town to Chitose City, so it makes sense to have a direct sales store close to the station. However, I'm not sure why the store is located in a residential area off the main road. There are a few parking spaces in front of the store, and inside, shelves are lined with packaged rice crackers and other snacks. The store is filled with a variety of rice snacks, and the sight is quite impressive. The snacks in large bags priced around 400 yen are a good deal, and the impact of a large bag of snacks could make a great gift for coworkers or friends. Personally, I visit a few times a year, and whenever I go, the store is always bustling with customers, showing its popularity. Since the snacks have a relatively long shelf life, if you ever find yourself in the Chitose area, why not stop by and check it out?

I came here for this candied kumquat. It's a bit pricey at 500 yen, but it's very satisfying to eat. This time, I even got a bonus.

On Friday before noon, there is a wide variety of rice crackers lined up. Most of them are priced between 380 and 500 yen, offering a good amount of volume. There are also options around 300-400g without individual packaging, which adds to the value. Some items with half the quantity are priced the same, making it a tough choice. The place was bustling with people stocking up. It seems like it would be quite a challenge to finish it all alone.