I found an interesting place while looking for a coffee shop to go after a meal. Take the Nanboku Line from Sapporo Station to Makomanai, then walk for a little over 10 minutes. It's a splendid building covered in ivy. It's a library themed around food that was renovated from a store by Rokkatei. They have 8,000 books in their collection. Order your coffee at the entrance counter and take a seat. In the chairs next to me, an elderly woman with white hair was reading a book while drinking coffee. All you can hear is the sound of pages turning. The coffee costs 400 yen and comes with a cookie called Richland. The coffee tastes average, but you can have refills, so you can stay as long as you want. It's a quiet space far from the hustle and bustle of daily life. You can relax and enjoy your coffee here.

When I heard that the public housing I lived in as a child was being demolished, I took my mother to see it for the last time. About six buildings in the housing complex were being torn down, with the one we used to live in currently under demolition. Across the street, there used to be a medical mall with various clinics like internal medicine, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and dentistry. I had always wanted to visit this cafe that had opened there, so we took the opportunity to go inside. The cafe had a cozy atmosphere with shelves filled with books, and I picked up a cookbook filled with delicious-looking baked goods recipes while enjoying a hot coffee with a bitter taste. Although they didn't offer book rentals, they assured us that we could stay as long as we wanted reading. Unfortunately, we had to leave when the cafe closed, but I look forward to returning to continue reading. Thank you, Rokka Bunko Cafe!

First of all, there are no Rokkatei sweets sold here. If you want to purchase them, the nearest store is Rokkatei Makomanai Hall Store. The store is spacious and has a cafe. If you're looking to shop or have tea, Makomanai Hall Store is the closest option. In Hokkaido, Rokkatei operates a library. However, there are only books related to food and beverages. They are not available for borrowing but can be used for free. If you wish, you can have coffee for 300 yen (with a snack). There is no merchandise available. The coffee is from Richmond, made with a coffee machine. It's slightly more on the dark roast side. I have provided detailed information about this place in my previous reviews, so I will skip it this time. If you have time during your visit, it's worth stopping by. I used to give an overall rating before, but I have removed it now.

It was nice to have a quiet and calm atmosphere. There were books about food, so I could relax. It was great that they allowed refills for coffee.

The coffee here is... so-so.

This place is both a cafe and a library. It is free for anyone to use, but there is no book lending service. The menu only includes hot coffee, and only for those who want it. There are no snacks available for purchase. However, there is a nearby Rokkatei store with a cafe space. During my extended stay in Sapporo this time, I had the opportunity to visit after a long time, as it was spring. I ordered a cup of coffee, and this time it was the "Rich Land" cookie, a popular item from Rokkatei. The cookie is shaped like a silo, which may be inspired by the livestock feed storage in the dairy farming area of Obihiro, where Rokkatei is based. I don't usually like cookies, but I enjoy this one. The coffee is also delicious. The highlight of this place is the cozy atmosphere and the wide range of books, from recipe books to essays to specialized books and magazines. During my stay, I visited several times, and this time I was lucky to be there during the "Book Exchange" event. In Hokkaido dialect, "bakuru" means "exchange." Participants can bring up to 10 books each for exchange. I brought 10 books that I haven't read in years but wanted someone who loves books to read, and I exchanged them for 3 books. The staff are friendly and always greet me warmly. It's not a place for socializing like a cafe, nor for studying like a library. It's a unique library that doesn't lend books. It's a place where only those in the know should visit. It's not for tourists, but for those who want to read a book in a library. It's a space that I consider one of the top 5 cafes in my mind. I wonder when I'll visit next...

The menu offers refillable coffee with Rokkatei tea sweets for 300 yen. On the day of my visit, they had Marseille caramel. The cafe is a calm and sophisticated place with a selection of books on food lined up for reading. The soft lighting makes it easy to read and creates a relaxing atmosphere. It's a great place for adult readers. However, on the day I visited, there were high school or college girls chatting, and a couple who were talking, which didn't quite match the peaceful ambiance of the place. Despite that, there were many other adult customers enjoying the lovely space, so I would like to visit again.

A quiet residential area houses a renovated old Rokkatei building that now serves as a library café called "Café Rokka Bunko." The exterior is covered in climbing vines, with wooden flooring and bookshelves inside. The large bookshelf mounted on one wall extends all the way up to the high ceiling loft. There are only a few seating areas, including tables, a sofa in front of a fireplace, and chairs by the window. This place is operated by Rokkatei, a company that places a strong emphasis on art and cultural activities. As part of their cultural initiatives, they have transformed their collection of books on various aspects of "food" into a library that can be enjoyed as a café. The books cover topics such as food culture, ingredients, health, art, and more, totaling around 7,800 volumes. While books cannot be borrowed, visitors are welcome to browse freely. The collection includes essays, practical guides, and many books specific to Hokkaido. The café offers coffee with a Marseille caramel for a reasonable price, and refills are free. It's a quiet place where the only sound you hear is the rustling of pages as people read. It's a perfect spot for book lovers.

Rokkatei has gathered their own collection of books and renovated their old Makomanai store to operate it as a "food library" that anyone can use. When entering, you pay a "coffee fee" as a usage fee, and are provided with authentic drip coffee and their famous caramel. I'm not a big fan of sweet things, but I love this caramel so much that I end up eating several pieces. You can also enjoy additional servings of this sweet treat and coffee for an extra charge. After finding an available seat, you can choose from a wide variety of "food books" and immerse yourself in reading. The quiet and serene atmosphere, with no background music, is a precious and relaxing place to spend time. I also found a book about soba noodles and couldn't finish reading it that day, so I purchased it online later. It's fun to use the facility in this way. This would be a perfect place for food bloggers who have a deep interest in food. However, it's disappointing that they are closed on Sundays.

I stopped by the "Rokka Bunko" cafe on my way back from visiting the big manga exhibition at the Art Park. Located right next to the Hikarishio Academy in Makomanai, this cafe was found through a search on Tabelog. There are a few parking spaces in front of the cafe. The building is covered with ivy, giving it a mysterious atmosphere in the residential area. Upon entering, a librarian who also seemed to be the staff greeted me warmly. They kindly guided me and had a very pleasant demeanor. The cafe maintains a good atmosphere, with the staff engaging in friendly conversations with regular customers. The Rokka Bunko is a library about "food" operated by Rokkatei. The library itself is free to use, and for 300 yen, you can have all-you-can-drink coffee with a Marseille caramel. The coffee had a bitter taste followed by a slight acidity. Alternating between the coffee and caramel balances out the sweetness and bitterness. The interior of the cafe is very quiet and peaceful, making it easy to drift off to sleep. The walls are lined with various old and new books about "food," sparking excitement. The seating includes table seats, individual seats, and a comfortable large sofa. I spent my time reading thick books like "Design of Japanese Sweets," "The Fascinating Antarctic Cooks," "Silver Spoon," and "The History of Bread," which I don't usually come across. It's a great place to spend a relaxing holiday!

The cafe "Rokka Bunko" that I visited this time may stand out among Rokkatei's directly managed stores. First of all, let me make it clear. The only item on the menu is "Hot Coffee" for 300 yen. That's it. Just hot coffee. However, you can refill your coffee as many times as you like, self-service, and it comes with one snack. Well, there really is only hot coffee. But it's not a coffee shop either. Well, they do serve water, though. Just drinks. Therefore, there are no menu cards anywhere to be seen, not even on the tables, and you won't be served water even if you wait or sit down. The staff won't come to take your order either. However, the name of the shop is "Cafe Rokka Bunko," with "cafe" in the name. Actually, this shop is called a cafe but it's said to be open for anyone to use for free. However, if you want to drink coffee, you need to tell the caretaker in the center of the room and prepay for your coffee. Then water and coffee will be brought to you. At that time, one snack is also provided for free. Refills are self-service. So unless you express your intention, nothing will be served. They won't recommend anything. It's a space where you can stop by, read a book, and leave without ordering anything. It's a kind of free space. However, bringing food and drinks from outside is prohibited (reading books inside the facility is allowed, but borrowing is not allowed, I think). It's not like a typical cafe. It's a space for reading books, or rather, a space to relax, with coffee as an aid... Well, the main purpose is probably more about managing the collection of books and making them available. It's not a space for chatting. It's a space to go read the books that are there. By the way, as far as I could see, there was no play area for children, and I don't remember seeing children's picture books either. It's more like a quiet space for adults. The interior of the shop is like a small private library. The space where customers are is in an L-shape, with several tables and chairs. It gives the impression of a model room that skillfully incorporates the sunlight from outside. It's a really relaxing space. So, I found a seat I liked, put down my belongings, and headed to the bookshelf. In one corner of the building, there are all kinds of books and magazines about food. There are recipe books, essays about food, novels, specialized books, photo books, business books related to food, books about bars, etc... There are various books related to food, both old and new, lined up on the bookshelf. I was impressed by how well they had collected them. Now, as for the taste, the coffee has... a sour taste. It's the type I don't like. Also, they serve freshly brewed coffee, but honestly, I didn't find it delicious. I think freshly brewed coffee is decent, but... maybe it's because of this sour taste, the time has passed quite a bit, and I personally don't like sour taste, so I felt it even more. Maybe it's a type with a good balance of sourness and bitterness... Well, just think of it as quenching your thirst. Also, the snack that came with it was called "Marsei Caramel." This was the first time I had seen this snack... It seems to be a snack made for the 130th anniversary of Rokkatei. It seems to be a new snack that was created in 2012. It's nice to have a sweet treat with your coffee. (They also bring water with the coffee) It's not bad for 300 yen with free refills. However, if this were a regular cafe, even if it's cheap, I wouldn't come back, but considering this price with free refills, a snack, and the additional value of this space and things other than drinks, I personally think it's a good place. This "Cafe Rokka Bunko," which stands out among the various Rokkatei stores, is actually a place I visited when I went to the Rokkatei main store in Obihiro over ten years ago. I remember that there was a room with a collection of books like this on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the main store. When I asked the staff at Rokka Bunko, they said that they had moved the open library that was at the Obihiro main store to Sapporo. I see, so it's not at the main store now... I was thinking about that while looking at the exterior...

Originally located in the former Makomanai store of "Rokkatei," it opened in April 2004. Situated in a quiet residential area, this cozy restaurant has a calm atmosphere with ivy-covered walls. Although not very spacious, it offers a relaxed setting. With over 7,000 books all related to food, categorized into six main sections such as "ingredients" and "history." The only drink available is coffee for 300 yen (comes with one piece of cheese sablé "Richmond"). Initially, the staff will escort you to your chosen seat. There is a wide range of books available, from novels and essays to specialized books, recipe books, and magazines. On the day of the visit, there were around 7-8 people leisurely enjoying their reading time. The place is well-maintained and clean, allowing for a pleasant experience. Although they prefer not to be too crowded, checking out the books recommended by the librarians on their website each month is enjoyable. If you happen to be nearby, please drop by. However, please note that they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Thank you for the wonderful experience.