I traveled to Hakodate for the first time in March 2020. I had always wanted to visit. There was a great deal on a 3-night, 4-day trip to Hakodate, so I signed up for it. It was a package that included round-trip flights and accommodation, known as a "free plan". I am good at planning travel itineraries, so this type of plan suited me better than a package tour. I decided to plan an itinerary without using a rental car this time. Instead, I used JR trains, buses, and the Hakodate streetcar. I ended up using the Hakodate streetcar almost every day because my accommodation was in Yunokawa. I got off at Hakodate-Ekimae Station almost every day. This day was the last day of my Hakodate trip. My return flight was scheduled for the late afternoon, so I took the streetcar from Yunokawa again. I explored the Motomachi Bay Area. First, I got off at Suehirocho Station, climbed the Hiyori-zaka slope, and visited Motomachi Park. The view from the steep slope was amazing! The exotic atmosphere was also great! Hakodate is all about squid, isn't it? I headed to the Hakodate Hachiman Shrine, the oldest shrine in Hokkaido. There is also a legend about Minamoto no Yoshitsune here! On the way to Yawata-zaka, I came across a cafe with a mix of Japanese and Western architecture that I couldn't resist stopping by. The shop is called "Hanakanro". The exterior is refreshing and the building was built in 1921. It seems to be the owner's family home and shop. It used to be a candy store, but the current owner renovated it into a cafe. It has a retro and charming atmosphere. The prices are reasonable, and this time I tried the matcha shiratama and oshiruko. The owner runs the shop alone, so it might take a bit of time, but it's a perfect place to relax. The time flows slowly, allowing you to forget the hustle and bustle of the city. They also serve curry and onigiri, so it's a good place for lunch as well. Service: Excellent, Food: Excellent, Value: Excellent.

My youth "Hanakanro" ♡ Auntie's handmade shiratama sweet red bean paste, tempura, and more are all nostalgic and gentle flavors that are very delicious ♡ Opened in 1995 and has been in business for 25 years! I hope they continue to operate energetically without change. Details here ☟ Hanakanro in Motomachi, Hakodate - Tempura and shiratama sweet red bean paste are the taste of youth! https://saron-sayuko.com/2019/11/03/hanakanro-hakodate/

Timeu family's first camping trip, 4th day. In the morning, they arrived in Hakodate and took a stroll around the Motomachi area. Hakodate is a great city, especially the Motomachi area at the foot of Mount Hakodate, where they used to visit often even when they lived there. This time, they were complete tourists (laughs). They parked the car near the Bay Area and walked around Motomachi. It was a very hot day, and walking on the cobblestone streets and stairs made their daughter completely exhausted. It seems like we have become true Kushiro people who get tired easily (laughs). To escape the heat, they decided to stop by this sweets shop located at the top of the hill. The inside of the shop was cool and comfortable. On a day like this, they decided to go for shaved ice. Their daughter chose red bean shaved ice, and their son chose lemon shaved ice. The adults waited, knowing they would probably have leftovers. The shaved ice looked amazing, making them forget about the heat just by looking at it. The taste was decent, but on a day like this and in a place like this, it felt special. As expected, the twins got bored and only ate half, so the adults finished the rest. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

On the second day of the Aomori and Hokkaido trip, after enjoying a hamburger at Lucky Pierrot and viewing cherry blossoms at Goryokaku, we strolled around Motomachi. In the light drizzle, we walked with our folding umbrellas, visiting the Ship Soul Shrine, the oldest shrine in Hokkaido. We then came across a charming green-themed cafe where we warmed up with hot coffee and hojicha tea with soy sauce and sweet bean paste dumplings. The dumplings were homemade and had a nice balance of sweetness and texture. After refreshing ourselves, we headed towards the Red Brick Warehouses and later had dinner at a sushi restaurant near the Crossroads.

My grandma might have been running the place alone, which made it even more heartwarming. I ordered amazake and mitarashi dango. The amazake was delicious! The handmade mitarashi dango was also tasty. Please stay healthy and keep up the good work! I will definitely come back!

I visited this old farmhouse café with the strong desire to try it out while Muku-ri was closed. Exhausted from the steep slope and summer heat, I entered the café and was served this gem-like anmitsu, which I gratefully enjoyed. The amount of fruit, three types of homemade agar jelly (each with a different flavor), and homemade rice flour dumplings was impressive, especially for the price of 600 yen. In a city like Hakodate where tourist meals are often overpriced, this anmitsu shone even brighter. It was delicious. When I shared my positive feedback with the female owner, she smiled warmly, making me even happier.

It's afternoon cafe time. This time, I visited Hanakanro in Motomachi. Soft serve ice cream is a must-try here. The store is located next to Hiwasaka. I have visited this place a few times before, but it has been a while since my last visit. The exterior of the shop has a mix of Japanese and Western architecture and is designated as a traditional building in the city. It has a charming atmosphere that is perfect for a sweet shop. Let's go inside. The interior has counter seats on the right side as you enter, and table seats on the left side. There are also a couple of tables towards the back. I chose a table in the back. I ordered the white ball cream anmitsu for 600 yen, and a cola for 300 yen, making the total 972 yen including tax. The dessert arrived shortly. It was filled with lots of fruits, red bean paste, white balls, agar jelly, and ice cream. The red bean paste, white balls, and agar jelly are homemade here. They seem to be recommended, as they are made to order. The texture of the homemade white balls is excellent. It's not overly sweet but has a gentle sweetness. It was delicious. The place seems to attract many tourists due to its location in the center of a tourist area. Apart from the white ball cream anmitsu, they also offer other sweets like sweet red bean soup and skewered dumplings. Many customers were ordering dumplings. They also have curry and rice balls on the menu. I saw some people ordering shaved ice as it was a bit hot that day. During the hot summer days, I often see people enjoying their desserts on the terrace outside. It looks very relaxing. I have seen this place many times, and I might come back here to take a break during the hot summer days. Thank you for the meal.

Hakodate Tour, on the morning and evening flight to Haneda on the 3rd day, but you can enjoy plenty of sightseeing until then. Today, I will take a sightseeing route from Motomachi area to the Goryokaku through the "Kitajima Saburo Memorial Hall" with a rental bicycle from the hotel where I stayed. First, visit the Hokkaido branch of the Higashi Honganji Temple (Jodo Shinshu) from the cross street, and then head towards the Hachiman slope through the hill. Hakodate Nishi High School, where Kitajima Saburo is from, is also located here, and further ahead is the Hiyori slope. This area is the Motomachi area, where you can see "Western" within "Japanese" and enjoy a quiet and exotic atmosphere. Even though it's still early in the morning, the soft serve ice cream shop is already open. (This soft serve shop was also introduced in "Moya-sama"). There is a house that looks different in atmosphere beyond that. The first floor is Japanese style, and the second floor is Western style, a "surreal" building. It seems to be a tea house. Designated by the Hakodate City Board of Education as a "traditional building". There is a sign for "Toko Ten". Oh, this looks good... After days of hard eating and drinking, a little tired stomach, I chose the "Toko Ten" and "Onigiri Set" for breakfast. The inside of the store (house) also looks like the early Showa or Taisho era, but there is a table and an engawa in front of the store, so I decided to eat outside. When I put too much mustard on the "Toko Ten", it was very spicy with mustard and vinegar! But it was refreshing and very delicious. Eating "Toko Ten" in the peaceful morning sun is stylish... As the group of tourists became lively, I decided to leave soon. A surreal breakfast of "Toko Ten" at a "traditional building"... It was delicious, thank you♪∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ After this, from the "Kitajima Saburo Memorial Hall" to Goryokaku. Lunch at Goryokaku. Next is "Ajisai".

Located on top of a hill, this sweet shop is conveniently situated near Motomachi Park, a route that most tourists would likely walk. It was raining continuously on this day, as it had been for the past few days. After managing to finish sightseeing, I had some free time until it was time to head back. I searched for a nearby place I hadn't been to before and found this place. Although I wasn't very hungry, I decided to stop by as I thought they might have some light snacks being a sweet shop. I ordered a warm sweet red bean soup. It was not too sweet and had just the right amount of flavor, which I really enjoyed. It also came with pickled cucumbers, which complemented the soup perfectly. At that moment, I started feeling unwell and had to use the restroom. I was pleasantly surprised to find a spacious and clean restroom with a warm toilet seat and a washlet, which was a huge relief.

Yesterday, I couldn't go to the place I wanted to due to rain and strong winds. But today, it's snowing (laughs). Well, the snow here is light and fluffy so I don't need to use an umbrella. Just brush it off with your hand and it's no problem. Normally, I don't have any particular preferences on where to go, but I wanted to visit an old folk house! Following yesterday's visit to the tea room, I went to the second place on my list. I checked the map beforehand but I was a bit anxious until I arrived at the store. Finally, I found a seat and ordered a coffee and cake set! (I was a bit worried about the order at this point. What if it's too sweet...?) The cakes are homemade here. The prices might be cheaper than in Kamakura. There were two types of cakes available, so I asked for one of each. First, a tart was served. It was subtly sweet with a buttery aroma, and I found it delicious. Next was the cheesecake. It was also not too sweet and quite enjoyable. It's hard to see in the picture, but snowflakes were falling outside. It was a wonderful memory.

August 2012 - First visit☆～Hakodate Dining Part 3～Exploring the Motomachi area. As you pass the Hakodate Orthodox Church and the famous Yawata-zaka hill featured in Charmy Green's commercial, you'll see a nostalgic and charming atmosphere. Right next to Hiyori-zaka, this shop, which my fellow reviewer had also visited, is one I had been keeping an eye on. It reminds me of the "Mitsuya" shop from Chibi Maruko-chan... or the dagashiya (traditional Japanese candy store) I used to visit every day when I lived in Kamakura. Apparently, it's designated as a traditional building in Hakodate City. Makes sense now. The interior has counter seats and several table seats. The Matcha Shiratama (600 yen) features chewy handmade shiratama with a generous amount of mildly sweetened red bean paste and matcha ice cream. The matcha ice cream in the surprisingly cool weather in late August was refreshing. Locals were also stopping by to buy dango or enjoy anmitsu. A heartwarming break during a stroll. Thank you for the meal. 100% solo dining. A heartwarming break during a stroll.

In the midst of the rain, I wanted to take a break and happened to stop by a dessert shop. It is located right in the middle of the Motomachi district, a famous tourist spot. The traditional entrance of this region's unique old folk house caught my eye. Upon entering, the modern, bright, and cozy atmosphere felt just like home. I ordered the Shiratama Anmitsu. The Shiratama seemed freshly made as it was slightly warm. And I was a bit surprised by the colored agar jelly. It had green, brown, and red colors, but I can't quite remember the taste of each, probably because I ate them together with the sweet red bean paste. The red bean paste was mildly sweet and easy to eat. There are many shops nearby selling soft serve ice cream, but it was a nice change to enjoy some traditional sweets. It was a heartwarming feeling to take a break in the middle of sightseeing. This shop is a great place to relax and unwind.

Strolling around Motomachi in Hakodate. After having the ikasumi omurice dessert at "Kikusen" earlier, I felt like having some sweets at 3 o'clock. The shop is right next to "Kikusen". In front of the shop, there were only a few skewered dumplings left in the nostalgic showcase. They had sesame, red bean paste, and edamame paste dumplings. I tried the edamame paste dumpling. It was quite big in size. The paste was sweet. It felt heavy but didn't burden my stomach. Since the weather was nice, I sat on the chair placed in front of the shop. A typical way to enjoy dumplings, I guess (laughs). I had the shop owner take a photo for me. Thank you for the meal.

I went to Hanakanro in Motomachi, Hakodate. It started snowing heavily while I was sightseeing, so I decided to stop by this nearby shop. It was almost noon and there were no other customers. The shop had counter seats and about 4-5 tables. This time, I ordered hojicha (with a small sweet) for 300 yen and a coffee set for 650 yen. The coffee set came with a choice of matcha chiffon cake, seasonal tart, or cheesecake, and I chose the matcha chiffon cake. I wanted to order the rice cake as well, but they weren't making it today. The matcha chiffon cake was fluffy and went well with the red bean paste and ice cream served with it. The coffee was also quite delicious. The hojicha was average, but it came with a small sweet and was enough for two cups, so it was okay. The spacious and clean restroom was also a big plus point. It's important when using a shop for a break. The atmosphere of the shop was nice, so I recommend it if you feel like having something sweet during your sightseeing break.

After visiting Mt. Hakodate, I took a stroll around the snowy church area. Feeling the cold, I remembered there was a sweet shop nearby that I hadn't visited yet, so I decided to check it out. That shop was "Hanakanro". At first glance, it looked like a candy store, but once inside, there were seats available (lol). Perhaps due to the cold weather, there were not many tourists around, or maybe it was just after opening, but there were no other customers inside. Looking at the menu, besides sweets, they also had curry, making it more like a casual dining spot. I ordered the sweet red bean soup (500 yen). The sweet red bean soup came with pickles. First of all, the mochi in the soup was hugeヽ(*´з｀*)ﾉ It was about twice the size of a regular mochi, which was surprising. It was soft and delicious, not grilled mochi, so maybe they added it while warming it up? The red bean paste was not too sweet, catering to a wide range of people of all ages. With a large serving of pickles, it was perfect for warming up the body, even for those who don't have a sweet tooth. However, for those who do like sweet things, it might be a bit lacking. The nostalgic atmosphere inside the shop makes it a great place to take a break during sightseeing (*´∇`)ﾉ

It was a scorching hot day during the Bon Festival. We climbed up Yahata-zaka and were so hot that we dove into the shop. With its retro storefront, we enjoyed some retro shaved ice. As soon as we took a spoonful, we could feel the sweat cooling off. Each of us ordered a different flavor of shaved ice or a beer. Everyone left the shop satisfied. The storefront, menu, and friendly service were all excellent.