Established in 1918, this candy shop has a long history dating back to the Edo period. Originally founded in Toyama Prefecture, the shop later moved to Otaru and has been passed down through eight generations. While normally selling their candies from a street stall, during winter they display them on shelves at the office entrance. Surprisingly, the owner's last name is Ametani, which means "candy valley" in Japanese. The candies, including the popular Snowball Candy with sweet bean paste inside, have a nostalgic, old-fashioned taste reminiscent of childhood. The polite and elegant service provided by the owner's wife was truly impressive. I purchased three bags of candies for 300 yen each, including the Snowball Candy, Strawberry, and Cocktail flavors. These candies are also sold at New Chitose Airport and online, making it easy to try them out for yourself.

I purchased this candy as a souvenir, and it has a long history. It has a gentle and delicious taste that is not old-fashioned, but a modern retro deliciousness. Inside, there is sweet bean paste surrounded by a candy that is not too sweet, providing a comforting deliciousness. It was much more popular than it looked, and I should have bought more!

Otaru's long-established candy shop, the Masaya Candy Store, is a true candy artisan. They have been in business for 103 years, with a history dating back to when they moved from Toyama to Otaru in 1891. They are known for using ingredients sourced from Hokkaido, such as top-grade sugar. This means their candies are almost all natural and have a simple, rustic flavor. Their popular candies include rakkyo candy, butter candy, and snowball candy. The snowball candy is a specialty filled with a special sweet bean paste, representing the image of snow piling up on coal. It has an elegant and gentle sweetness, truly reminiscent of traditional Japanese sweets. During the summer, they offer plenty of samples for sale at their store, and in winter, if you buy directly from their main store, they give you extra candies. Their candies have a comforting taste that even adults can enjoy. If you're used to commercial candies, trying Masaya's candies might make you go "Wow!" I hope that such long-standing establishments like this one continue to thrive, especially in Otaru where the number of tourists has decreased due to the pandemic.

I'm in Otaru, drinking from daytime with my friends. One of them says, "Hey, isn't that a famous candy shop over there?" Oh, that place... it's famous, isn't it? It was even on TV recently! Well, since we're here, let's all buy some candy, shall we? I'll go for the refreshing lemon flavor, it reminds me of my first love! (laughs) Oh, we get a bonus? That's great, I got 4 extra candies! Maybe I should have bought the pineapple flavor too? The next day, I tried the candy. It really tastes like a refreshing lemon, just like my first love! (laughs) *My first love... back in 6th grade, I wonder how she's doing now? (laughs) Thank you for the delicious meal, I'll definitely come back again!

I'm in Hokkaido, so butter candy is probably the popular choice, but personally, I like Rakkyo Ame. It comes in individual packaging which is not easy to find. I think I'll finish it before I get home. I also bought butter candy as a souvenir, but I forgot to take a picture of it.

Hokkaido, Otaru City. Along the canal road, there is a shop called "Ame-ya" located a little off the beaten path. The shop has a navy blue curtain with "Ame-ya" written on it, a traditional candy shop. The establishment of the company in Otaru dates back to Taisho 7 (1918), making it a long-established candy shop. The shop is run by a family, following traditional methods. When you peek into the wooden wagon outside the store, the shopkeeper comes out to greet you. You can purchase just one piece, the handmade taste is nostalgic and delightful. The shop is fun, with the shopkeeper giving out free candy samples and explaining the different types of candies. It's a must-visit when strolling along the Otaru Canal. If you're lucky, you might even meet the entertaining lady shopkeeper. Highly recommended for tourists as well! Enjoyable experience guaranteed!

While looking at my smartphone in May 2015, I found some photos that I had completely forgotten to upload. I often visit many shops recently, but I will make an effort to upload photos right away from now on. On this day, I was working in Otaru. Suddenly, my morning work was canceled, so I had some free time. I usually visit Minatomochi, but they were unexpectedly closed, so I decided to visit Ameya Rokubei Honpo. You can find the exact location on Tabelog, near Otaru Canal and a little off the main street. It is also on the route for rickshaws, so be careful when driving there. Please note that there is no parking available. I thought I was a bit early, but when I arrived at the shop, the candy was already displayed on the stall. A woman came out of the building and assisted me while I was looking at the candy. I had a little chat with her and chose some candies. I purchased Passion Fruit Cocktail and a few others that I liked for their cute appearance and simple taste. I also received some candies that I didn't purchase as a gift. I returned to my car and tried one of the candies. It was a nostalgic candy that brought back memories. I wanted to buy more, but then I realized I could buy in bulk for my company or as souvenirs for business partners, so I decided to buy in bulk next time.

In Otaru, there is a historic candy store called Ameya Rokubei Honpo Ameya Seika. In front of the building, there is a stall selling candy. The first Rokubei started a candy store in Toyama, and the third Rokubei continued making candy when he moved to Otaru in 1891. It is a long-established company founded in 1918. The stall is located near Kaene-ya and Manjareta Kinami, close to the Idemitsu gas station. School trip students and rickshaw customers can be seen buying candy at this stall. The ingredients for the candy include beet sugar, which is the raw material for sugar in Hokkaido. I bought "Amazake Candy" and "Yuki-tan Candy". The Amazake Candy has a refreshing taste of amazake compared to the candy sold in supermarkets. The Yuki-tan Candy has sweet bean paste inside, making it more like a confectionery than a candy. The candy is not too hard, so it easily melts in your mouth, spreading a gentle sweetness of sugar. The Yuki-tan Candy has an elegant taste with the added flavor of bean paste. Other nostalgic candies such as Pine Candy, Kinako Candy, and Nikki Candy are also lined up at the stall. Each bag costs around 300 yen for 200 grams, making it a perfect souvenir from Otaru. The staff at the stall are friendly and often include extra candies in your purchase. It's enjoyable to stroll around Otaru while licking the candy. In winter, if the weather is good, the stall still sells candy. I wanted to buy "Pine Candy" and the smile of the lady at the stall. The Pine Candy sold in supermarkets often has a strong sour taste to resemble pine, but the Pine Candy from Ameya Seika has a much gentler sweetness. The aftertaste is also refreshing. When I asked the lady about the foot traffic due to the Snow Light Path event, she mentioned that occasionally lost tourists find their way to the stall and make a purchase. The stall is a short walk from the main venue of the Snow Light Path event, behind a shop called Le Cattierem on the Canal Street side. It may be a bit hard to find, but if the shop is open, buy some candy and enjoy a leisurely walk in Otaru. The candy from Ameya Seika has a gentle sweetness that complements other food flavors, making it a perfect treat while exploring Otaru. Two bags of candy cost 600 yen, and when I paid with a thousand yen bill, the lady handed me back 400 yen with both hands, saying "Thank you" and "Please come again" with a smile. It's heartwarming. This candy is a representative sweet treat of Otaru. Thank you for the delicious experience.

This place is in Otaru City, at 2-4 Irochome in Nakakoji, so it's best to confirm the exact location on the map on the food review website or use a car navigation system as usual. This shop is not on the main street, but has a stall-like selling area in front of Nakakoji, and it's a shop that only those who know it would recognize. Park your car in front of the shop and browse the products at the stall. There are over ten types of candy lined up, but the first one that caught your eye is the "Kinako Ame," so you purchase it and leave the shop. When you look inside the bag to enjoy it in the car, you find out that there are 3 extra candies in a small bag as a service, so you lick the "Yukitan Ame" on your way back. Now, let's enjoy the "Kinako Ame" you bought at home. The surface of the candy is covered in "kinako," so first, the fragrant and flavorful "kinako" spreads in your mouth. As you continue to lick the candy, you can taste the "kinako" kneaded into the candy, and the flavor of "kinako" lingers in your mouth for a long time. The sweetness is also mild. The candy itself is not too hard, rather soft, and doesn't stick to your teeth much, so it seems like even those with dentures can eat it. This shop has been in business since 1918, so I hope they will continue to operate in Otaru for many years to come.

During a stroll in Otaru, we stopped by a shop that caught our eye - a long-established candy shop called "Ameya". When we arrived, there were no products displayed on the shelves, but a friendly elderly lady came out to greet us. She had a warm smile and quickly started arranging the candies. Her lively presentation was more engaging and authentic than typical food fairs, and it felt comforting. We tried some samples and ended up purchasing the "strawberry candy" (apologies for not buying more). Even just one piece brought joy. The syrup-coated strawberry-flavored candy with a sugary coating brought back nostalgic memories from childhood. It's a taste of the past. With nearly 100 years in business, I hope this shop continues to thrive for years to come.

I revisited the place and added some photos, so I will update the review (the additional photos are the first 8). This is an extra edition of the Hokkaido Early Summer Drive Tour. On the way back from Yoichi, we stopped by Otaru specifically for this shop. My mother insisted on buying the candy she couldn't forget from last year ("I should have bought more!" she kept saying, jokingly). While Yoichi had a glimpse of blue sky, Otaru, where we arrived, was drizzling. However, the memories from a year ago were surprisingly accurate, and we arrived right in front of the shop without using the navigation system. The "stall" in front of the shop and the names of the candies displayed there were the same as a year ago. It felt like they were welcoming us back, so we happily entered the shop. A lady, probably the owner, wearing glasses, greeted us saying, "From Tokyo? Quite a long way you've come!" as she promptly seated my mother and assisted us. We bought the usual "Rakkyo Ame" along with "Nikki Ame," "Yuki-tan Ame," "Shio Ame," "Cocktail Ame," totaling about 12 bags. Despite the increase in consumption tax, the prices were almost the same as last year, which was pleasing. When I mentioned I couldn't find them online, she pointed to the phone number on the shopping bag and said, "If you call here, we can deliver anywhere in Japan!" with a smile. And once again, we received a generous amount of candy souvenirs (happy). The "Rakkyo Ame," "Shio Ame," and various other candies, all seemed "plain" in appearance, but their nostalgic and unique flavors were unmatched. Made using traditional methods without any additives, these candies continue to preserve the nostalgic taste on the street corners of Otaru. Although we have only tried a few "Rakkyo Ame," "Shio Ame," and some candy souvenirs (the strawberry candy was excellent), once we finish them all, we will definitely have to order more. If you visit Otaru, I recommend stopping by this shop for a taste of nostalgia while strolling around. You can easily find it near "Umineko-ya." Thank you for the delicious treats! This concludes the "Hokkaido Early Summer Drive Tour" series. Thank you for following along!

Welcome! This is a candy shop that is famous beyond Otaru City, Shounai District. It may not be an exaggeration to say that it has become well-known! If you head towards the mountains from Le Cattier, you can easily find it! Hello! Finally, I made it here after being lost in the middle of the road. It's the real deal that you often see on TV and magazines! I was so moved and thrilled that my stomach and heart were satisfied, so I decided to go back to the hotel. No, no, "If there's something you're interested in, please try a sample." I couldn't resist and tried the apple candy and Rakkyo candy. The battle between the sweetness of the apple and the saltiness of the soy sauce in my mouth! And then, a marriage of sweetness and saltiness was born, making me drool so much that I couldn't speak. I wanted to try it, but there were no samples, so I bought the ones that must be delicious! The butter candy is made here and is precious as it is not sold elsewhere. The butter flavor with subtle sweetness, not too sweet, you can keep eating it without feeling sick. The Rakkyo candy should be read as "Rakkyo Ame"! It is dyed with soy sauce, a rich brown sugar with elegant salt candy. The salt candy uses mild and slightly sweet Okhotsk salt. The apple candy and the generous service were unexpectedly affordable and easy to get. Every time I go to Otaru, I want to stop by here! Conversations with the shopkeeper are also part of the taste. Finito! Thank you very much.

I visited Otaru and took a leisurely walk around. I found myself in front of a candy shop factory. The mother of the shop owner greeted me with a cheerful smile and was very friendly. I had decided to stop by again this time because I was drawn to her personality. I had bought snowman, strawberry, and pickled radish candies before. I heard they also have seasonal products, so it's always a surprise to see what's on display. It's a nostalgic shop where you can enjoy chatting with the shop owner and feel like you've traveled back in time.

This shop located behind the Catleum shop had a food stall in front of the factory. They were selling handmade candies, including what looked like cherry candies. Today, I bought a bag of strawberry candies and soybean flour candies for 300 yen each. I was surprised to see on the back of the bag that this was a long-established candy shop founded in 1929. The candies were made with Hokkaido sugar beets and Otaru water, and had a gentle taste. When I tried them, they had a well-balanced sweetness!

There was a candy shop in Otaru that sold candy. It reminds me of Otaru. I bought some sweet sake candy, which my mother likes. I bought it to send to her. I always seem to feel lonely when I have free time (although I always seem to have free time), so candy comes in handy. I continue to collect her favorite candies and send them to her when I have enough. I want to go to Otaru and stroll around.

I attended an event in Otaru at the Mitsui Outlet ◇ They were selling butter candy for 220 yen at a candy store. I quickly looked around and chose the butter candy. It was fluffy and I really liked it. I saw on TV that they cut long candies with scissors. I wonder if they used to sell it by weight in the Taisho era. It was a nostalgic candy. Thank you for the treat.

I found a candy shop that has been in business for almost 100 years in Otaru. I discovered it at a shop in Otaru's bus terminal. I was intrigued by the pickled radish candy, so I bought some. It has a taste of black sugar and soy sauce, with a Japanese-style flavor. It's a strange sensation, but delicious.