Last year, I was guided to this shop where you can wash the cup from the cake set and take it home as a souvenir. This year, I got a different type of cup. The second floor is a spacious area where you can relax while looking out at Otaru through the window. A hidden gem spot! Highly recommended!

The menu is simple, with only drinks available. You can take the cups home, drinks are all-you-can-drink, and they also serve Camembert cheesecake, so I think it's really good value for money! Everyone goes to LeTAO, but this place is in a great location and not too crowded, so I think it's a hidden gem!

Now, from Sapporo to Otaru! Let's leave our luggage at the hotel and take a leisurely stroll along Koryakumachi Street! We can admire glassware and glass products while looking at the retro townscape, and maybe have a quick cup of tea? However, the cafes in this area are extremely crowded! I just wanted to have a quick cup of tea, but the waiting time is quite long. I even went to Meruhen Crossroads, but everything was full. Oh? How about Cafe Gin no Kane? It seems like you can have tea on the second floor! First, choose a cup and order a drink! I thought it was a bit pricey, but you can take the cup home! Coffee is self-serve! I'll have a juice! Let's go! Orange juice! Here you go, orange juice! It's like it comes out when you press a button, orange juice! Maybe it's Minute Maid? Anyway, it's orange juice! And you can get another drink with a refill ticket! There seem to be other juice options too! Let's go again! Apple juice! Here you go, apple juice! It's like it comes out when you press a button, apple juice! Maybe it's Minute Maid again! It's definitely apple juice! The cup I chose was small, so it quickly ran out when I drank it! Maybe that's why the turnover is fast? But in a way, it's nice to be able to relax without worrying about the store and plan the next activity! It's like a food court, so it might be good for making plans while feeling free! Now that tonight's plans are set, let's enjoy the retro atmosphere of Otaru on the way back to the hotel!

Showa pudding on weekends is full of tourists w It seems that you can get a cup when you drink coffee w The Showa retro pudding at Katchikachi is delicious #Gin no Kane #Gin no Kane 1st building #After drinking Gin no Kane, you can take a cup home #Showa pudding #Otaru walk #Otaru gourmet #Otaru cafe #Sapporo outskirts drive #Destination is Hokkaido #Scenic views visible

After enjoying a satisfying lunch at Aotsuka Shokudo, we decided to stroll around the town of Otaru to digest. We walked quite a distance, browsing for souvenirs for our families. Feeling a bit tired, we decided to take a short break. Luckily, we found a souvenir shop and cafe called "Gin no Kane 1-goukan." The first floor was a souvenir shop, while the second floor was a cafe. We approached the counter to place our orders. As we looked at the menu, we noticed an interesting option - you could take home the glass or cup used for the drink in the cake set. If you chose a mini-sized item, it would come with the regular price of the cake set. This could be a nice memento of visiting the "Glass City" Otaru. So, we decided to go for it! However, I was intrigued by the "Showa Pudding" listed on the menu. Unfortunately, it was not part of the glass set option. I hesitated... Then I noticed my friend Plush was ordering a regular iced coffee and chocolate cake, not opting for the glass takeaway. I came up with a plan - I would order the cake set with the glass takeaway option and exchange the pudding with the chocolate cake. This way, we both win! The plan was a success! The pudding had a nostalgic feel with a firm texture and was quite sweet. Personally, I wished the caramel was a bit more bittersweet. Plush and M-kun enjoyed the chocolate cake, as they always do. After finishing our drinks, we washed the glasses at the designated sink, wiped them clean, disinfected them, and packed them for takeaway. With a little snack, a break, and a small souvenir, we continued exploring Otaru before heading for the night's Genghis Khan feast. Gotta make sure we work up an appetite!

I went with a friend. We ordered tea. Pound cake came with it. We got a cup on our way out.

This is one of my favorite cafes in Otaru. It's located near the Merchen intersection, so the view is great and I like it. You can take home the Kitty Cup after drinking coffee. It comes with chiffon cake, and you can also get a coffee refill. The teacup with Otaru Canal and Kitty-chan's picture is a great souvenir from your trip. I definitely want to get this teacup as a souvenir of my trip. There was also a matcha tea bowl, so maybe you can also drink matcha tea?

On this trip, I haven't eaten any soft serve ice cream at all. I know everyone gets lonely without my soft serve reviews, right? Oh, you're not lonely? Well, anyway, I'm in Otaru. I'll check out some glassware I like before heading back. But before I leave, I'll try some soft serve ice cream that caught my eye while walking around. I bought it from "Gin no Kane 1st Building". It's a bit pricey at 320 yen, but hey, it's Otaru. The lady inside was very nice. When I received my soft serve, she said, "There's seating in the back if you'd like to sit down." It's not too cold outside, but it's better than eating outside. She also mentioned, "There's a café upstairs that's usually quiet. You can check it out if you want. Sometimes it gets loud when tour groups come in, but it should be okay today." Even though it's over 300 yen, I forgive it because of the nice lady. I usually hesitate, but today I went upstairs without hesitation. I still sat at the far end of the spacious store and enjoyed my soft serve. It was delicious, with a milky flavor. A bit grainy, but no problem. It's a bit sweet for my taste. Okay, I should head back before it gets too late.

This is a review of a café located at the intersection of Irifune and Märchen in Otaru City. The building is designated as a historical landmark and was built in the 13th year of Taisho era. The café offers a self-service coffee with free refills, where you can choose a cup to keep as a souvenir. The coffee is decent and the café has a cozy atmosphere. I observed a foreign tourist repeatedly refilling her coffee without asking, which may be due to cultural differences.

I went back to Hokkaido to visit recently. I had a lot of delicious food in Otaru and I am quite satisfied. I took a little break near the Music Box Museum in Otaru. The area around this fairytale intersection has a LeTao shop and is also a small square that is bustling with tourists. In one corner, there is a shop called Gin no Kane where you can have unlimited refills of hot coffee and hot tea, and you can take the cup home as a souvenir. There are various cup designs, including many Kitty-chan mugs. The three-dimensional ceramic designs are quite impressive! Other options include lavender cups and cups with the Gin no Kane logo, which make great souvenirs. Gin no Kane's first store is called the "sweets workshop". The first floor sells cakes and Western sweets as souvenirs, while the second floor is a cafe where you can take the cup home. The cafe has an open and airy layout with a central atrium. I went to the counter and chose a cup. I bought a Kitty mug cup (520 yen) and a Kitty ceramic cup set (750 yen) with a saucer. I also got a cream puff (108 yen) which came with a drink. The drinks include self-serve hot coffee and hot tea with unlimited refills. Other drinks like iced coffee, iced tea, orange juice, and apple juice have a one-time refill limit. In a way, this place is more about selling cups with a drink as a bonus, rather than a cafe where you get a cup with your drink. The drinks themselves are not particularly delicious, just basic self-serve options. This business model seems quite clever, as it offers unlimited refills and a souvenir cup, but in reality, they are primarily selling cups. The complimentary pound cake is a popular item from Gin no Kane, so it's a nice touch. It's moist and delicious, which I really enjoyed. The cream puff I ordered separately was also tasty and fluffy. Gin no Kane's Western sweets are quite good and consistent. I had a relaxing break, enjoying my coffee with refills. Before leaving, I washed the cup at the cleaning station and put it in the box provided. I bought the Camembert cheese cake as a souvenir on the first floor. It's a crispy baked cake with a rich cheese flavor that crumbles in your mouth, spreading its flavor. It's truly delicious! The name "Gin no Kane" comes from the bell that was used when the first train opened in Otaru, Hokkaido. Despite being covered in heavy snow, the bell continued to shine, symbolizing "never forgetting to shine no matter the circumstances". It's a well-known shop in Otaru, but knowing the history behind the name adds a deeper meaning.

On the way from Sapporo to Otaru, I was approached by a local man who told me about a cafe where I could get a coffee cup and a map of Otaru. Although I hadn't planned to visit this cafe as I was heading to Kitakichihall in Otaru, I decided to stop by to get the cup. Next to the large building, there was a big silver bell. Nearby, there was a Music Box Museum attracting a lot of tourists. Inside the cafe, the first floor was a souvenir corner, and on the second floor, there was an eat-in space. When I ordered a hot coffee at the counter, I was asked to choose a cup. I carefully selected the simplest one since I could get it for free. The coffee came with free refills and a sweet treat. I chose a seat by the window where I could see a bustling intersection with tourists and rickshaws. It was unexpected to have such an interesting view while taking a break. The coffee and the sweet treat were nothing special, but taking the cup home as a souvenir was a nice touch. I was given a box and a bag to carry the cup home. Overall, it was a great service.

I took a friend from out of town to this place as a souvenir. They give you an original cup to take home after you finish your drink, so it's a nice souvenir. They have a few options with Otaru written on them. I chose a cute one that didn't really look like a cup - it was a Kitty-chan shape (laughs). They advertised as all-you-can-drink with free refills, but for some reason, ice coffee was not included. They gave me a card for another drink, and I think it was around 650 yen. Maybe a bit more. The cup comes with a saucer, but there are other cups available for an additional charge. Well, I guess it's good for a souvenir. But if you don't care about the cup, you might be better off going somewhere else for tea - it's cheaper and you get more.

I took a break at a cafe on the 2nd floor overlooking the Merhen intersection. I knew that I could take home the cup I used, so I decided to get it as a souvenir. It was sunny and warm while I was shopping, and I was thirsty, so I ordered an iced tea. The iced tea came with a ticket for one refill. My husband ordered unlimited refills of hot coffee, which came with a slice of pound cake. I chose two cups with Hello Kitty logos: one with a handle and saucer set for 700 yen, and another tall, slim cup without a handle for 450 yen. Both cups were quite small. The taste of the drinks may be disappointing if you're expecting a cafe experience, as the cups are small and the quantity is limited. My husband mentioned that the taste diminishes with refills, possibly because the coffee comes from a self-service machine. The iced tea was average, tasting like something made from a tea bag or a bottle. The pound cake was decent but small, more like a bonus. You can get a box and a bag to take the cups and saucers home, which is nice. If you consider the cake as a bonus for the cup purchase, it's reasonable. But if you were expecting a delicious drink with a free cup, it might be disappointing. Our main goal was to get the cups as a souvenir, so we were satisfied. Overall, we probably won't return to this cafe in Otaru. My husband also bought a chocolate soft-serve ice cream for 350 yen from the shop downstairs. It had a vanilla soft-serve with a stick of chocolate in the middle, topped with cocoa powder. It was okay, but nothing extraordinary. Perhaps we are used to better soft-serve ice cream from our hometown (near Obihiro). However, the idea of having chocolate inside the soft-serve was interesting and innovative.

The place is located at a five-way intersection centered around a square, making it convenient for shopping in different directions. It's a great spot for meeting up, with moms shopping and dads taking a break. I was recommended to take a coffee break by the staff at the souvenir shop on the first floor. The glasses and cups used here can be taken home (I heard that locals even reuse the pudding containers with logos on them). I thought about how I would use it at home, so I chose a glass based on its design and ordered an iced coffee with one free refill (you can have unlimited refills with hot coffee). I took a picture of the logo while sitting at a table with a view of the intersection. At home, I'm using it as a rock glass for shochu and it's working great!

Otaru City, Hokkaido, Merhen Intersection. A popular tourist spot in the north, the Silver Bell has buildings 1 to 6. The name comes from the bell used during the first train operation in Hokkaido. One of them, the Bell of Development, is displayed at Minami-Otaru Station. In the harsh cold of Hokkaido, the bell shines silver under the snow. It symbolizes never forgetting to shine, no matter the circumstances. Building 1 used to be the former Hokuriku Bank. It was designated as a historical building in Otaru City in 1993. The shop in front sells soft serve ice cream, including Yubari melon, Camembert cheese, and fresh chocolate soft serve. The first floor offers various baked goods that make great souvenirs. Their homemade Camembert cheese cake is baked in a large kiln. It has cheese on top of castella cake. They also have Snow Hana, Otaru Pie, Otaru Silver Bell, and limited edition Hello Kitty snacks. A popular attraction for tourists is the cafe on the second floor. They offer an Original Blend Coffee and Tea Cake Set with kiln-baked butter cake. You can enjoy free refills of coffee. You can choose your coffee cup from glass, ceramics, and cute Kitty versions. The Kitty cup is about the size of yogurt sold in supermarkets, a bit small. After finishing your coffee, you can wash the cup yourself and take it home. The third floor is the Lavender Garden, where you can enjoy a view of Ishikari Bay on sunny days. From June to August, you can see lavender. This is a highly recommended spot to visit during your trip to Otaru, Hokkaido. Speaking of Hokkaido, there is also Shiroi Koibito Park by Ishiya Confectionery, which is also delicious.

While walking along Sakaimachi Dori, a popular souvenir spot in Otaru, I stumbled upon a rare Camembert cheese soft-serve ice cream. It was a bit pricey, but due to the heat, I decided to give it a try. The ice cream had a subtle cream cheese flavor and was delicious, although I personally don't think it's worth the 350 yen price tag. If it were 200 yen, I would definitely have it again. B-grade food photo travel - Introducing cheap and delicious B-grade gourmet options.

Accompanied by a companion, I arrived here. We walked quite a distance from Otaru Station to the canal, and then further to Minami-Otaru Station. It's a nice place for a break before heading back to the station. After passing through the shop, take the elevator to the back. The back of the 1st floor shop has an open kitchen where the smell of freshly baked cookies wafts through the air. Go up to the top floor (3rd floor?) and order coffee at the counter. It's self-service. Both hot and iced coffee are the same price, with free refills for hot coffee and a ticket for one refill for iced coffee. Choose a cup first. There are about 6-7 types available, ranging from simple white ceramic to clear glass, and even one shaped like Hello Kitty's face. The prices vary depending on the cup, but are around 500-700 yen. Coffee comes with a small piece of pound cake. The cup comes with a saucer (boxed) so you can take it home, making it a good value for money. Since the weather was nice, we sat on the terrace. It was a Saturday, but there weren't many people around so we could relax. It seems like a hidden gem rather than a tourist spot. The streets below are crowded with tourists, so it's a nice place to take a breather. They even let us taste the cookies sold on the 1st floor. You can rinse the cup at the dedicated washing area and take it home. They provide a box and a bag, making it a perfect souvenir for yourself. While the city is filled with souvenirs found in stations and airports, this cup serves as a true memento of "I made it here," so I highly recommend it!

This is a shop where you can relax without any worries, with a casual expression on your face as you sit down and sip tea, thinking about which shop to visit next. It has a name that seems to attract people, called "Fairytale Intersection". The wooden floor reminds you of the prosperous days of this town. The first floor is a shop, and the second and third floors are a cafe. What's interesting is that you can take home the cup you drank your coffee in. It may not be something expensive like Otaru glass, but it's a small and perfect souvenir for yourself from Otaru.