I love the éclairs from Hangetsudo in Otaru, especially because they have both custard cream and whipped cream inside. I enjoyed them with my favorite tea. I thought I was full, but I guess I have a separate stomach for desserts. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the oldest traditional Japanese confectionery shop in Otaru in late September on a weekday afternoon around 2 pm. I had a delightful time exploring the shop and ended up purchasing the "Honey Cream Puff," "Karinto Manju," and "Chestnut Yokan." Among them, the "Honey Cream Puff" was unique with its honey and liquor flavor, making it stand out. Thank you for the delicious treats.

I have never been to Hangetsudo before. Actually, I realized that I don't have any memory of trying Hangetsudo's sweets before. But, I found Hangetsudo's sweets being sold at a nearby supermarket. I always thought of them as a traditional Japanese confectionery shop, but they also have donuts! I bought some and when I opened the bag at home, the thin surface was all crumbled and scattered everywhere. Oh, it's a pie? I saw that it was actually written on the bag. N.Y. Caramel Crispy Donuts Pie... The crispy pie is coated with caramel and has nuts stuck on the surface, so you can enjoy various textures. I really like this! Thank you for the meal!

In October 2021, I visited Otaru City for the first time. Otaru has a history as a commercial town, so there are many long-established companies and shops in Hokkaido. "Hangetsudo" was established in 1851 in Echigo Province, and the third generation of the family moved to Otaru, which was prospering, in 1904 and opened a shop under the same name, "Sugimoto Hangetsudo." Although the company went bankrupt in 1960, they repaid their debts and restarted as "Hangetsudo" in 1981. After that, they expanded to 30 stores at one point, but faced difficulties due to overexpansion, leading to civil rehabilitation proceedings in 2010. The "Kitamu" group in Sapporo, which had been absorbing businesses from different industries, established "Kitamu Foods" when they absorbed a seafood company, and in 2017, they integrated the management of "Hangetsudo," which continues to this day. The "Mikasa-yama," also known as "dorayaki," uses red beans from Tokachi. It is not too sweet and easy to eat. The "Busse" features caramel cream and apple puree, which are common sweets. It would be nice to have some sweets that evoke more history.

Mom, I used to buy traditional Japanese sweets and mouthpieces here. I bought two New Year-like Japanese sweets this time. The eclairs are also cheap at 105 yen, even cheaper than convenience stores. The packaged ones remind me of what you can find in convenience stores or supermarkets. They last for a few days and contain additives, making me feel a bit lonely as the contents don't seem special. The "Mizunoe" had red bean paste and chestnuts inside. The "Kotobuki" had red bean paste as well. Traditional Japanese sweets are all cute and beautiful to some extent. Sometimes I feel like buying them. This time, I bought them thinking it's New Year's. Hopefully, next time I visit, I'll find something that surprises me. When entering here, I feel like there used to be a larger, old wooden sign that stood out more. It feels like despite being a 100-year-old company, it lacks dignity, making me feel lonely. There was a taste test of karinto manju at the entrance. They seem to be demonstrating it here as well. It's crispy and delicious. But it's not a historic taste. Maybe history is not important. I think history leads to confidence. When the company was featured as a 100-year-old company in the newspaper, the president said, "It's important to do business with tourists, but it's crucial for the people of Otaru to eat our products." I hope to find something I like at Hangetsudo.

Last December, I went to Otaru to buy kouign-amann. They used to sell both Japanese and Western sweets, but since they started rebuilding, they no longer have cakes. The branch in Sapporo has also disappeared, which is very sad, but it can't be helped. Every year, I buy kouign-amann from Hangetsudo. Last year, I tried buying from various stores, but Hangetsudo was still the most delicious. The kouign-amann was elegant and delicious, and I could eat many of them. I will not cheat on them and will continue to buy from here. The chocolate manju and castella were delicious, but unfortunately, the dorayaki had a slightly burnt taste to the skin.

Hangetsudo is a confectionery shop located in Otaru City. Established in 1851, it is a long-established store. Originally a Japanese confectionery shop, it now also offers Western confectionery. The Azuki Matcha Choux is one of the cream puffs offered by the shop. Inside the light and fluffy choux pastry, there is matcha-flavored cream, red beans, and white dumplings. It is truly a fusion of Japanese and Western flavors. The choux pastry is light, but the cream inside is rich. The matcha cream is incredibly smooth and cool in the mouth. Despite its price, it is quite large and offers a sense of value for money.

Today, I blamed the snow and took the day off from work. It's not remote work, just a regular day off. I work for a company in Otaru, which was established in 1851 and celebrated its 170th anniversary last year. I saw these handmade botamochi (sweet rice cakes with sweet bean paste) being sold at a supermarket in Chitose and they caught my attention. They seem to be sold every week. A pack of 2 botamochi (with smooth sweet bean paste) costs 321 yen. They are not too sweet, have a hint of saltiness, and are incredibly delicious. You can really taste the individual grains of rice and the handmade feel of the sweet bean paste. They don't taste like they were made by a machine. They also sell botamochi with chunky sweet bean paste, daifuku (rice cake filled with sweet bean paste), and chestnut rice cakes. I enjoyed eating them at kimumiyu's place. Thank you for the meal.

When it gets hot, the symptoms worsen, and it is a designated rare disease by the government. Unfortunately, there is still no medication that suits me. After my third hospitalization due to poor health, I managed to make it to the fourth act of "Eating Too Much and Getting Fat Theater." I had to gradually return while considering my health condition. Recently, the idea of short-term hospitalization has come up again during a check-up. Likes and comments may be delayed, but I plan to visit no matter how long it takes. [December 2020] "Hangetsudo" is a traditional Japanese confectionery shop with its main store in Otaru City. It was established in the 4th year of Kan'ei (1851), making it a long-standing store that has been around for 169 years. It is the oldest traditional Japanese confectionery shop in Hokkaido. Although there is no longer a branch in the area where I live, the central area of Sapporo, there used to be one. At that time, my mother used to visit it frequently. It's a very nostalgic Japanese confectionery shop. When I came to the usual supermarket in the Nishi Ward, they happened to be holding a Japanese confectionery fair. They were also selling a "Daifuku Set" from "Otaru Hangetsudo," consisting of two types of four pieces each, "Bean Daifuku" and "Yomogi Daifuku." It was so nostalgic that I bought it. (laughs) ■ Yomogi Daifuku 4-piece set Weight: Actual measured value 280g (after deducting the weight of the bag) They use Hokkaido-grown mochi rice "Hakuchou" and "azuki beans." They use domestically produced "sugar." The flavor of yomogi is quite strong, and the filling inside has a moderate sweetness. Price: 257 yen (tax included) "Hangetsudo" is a very nostalgic shop. The taste is also somewhat nostalgic, and they are particular about using Hokkaido-grown and domestically produced ingredients. And it is reasonably priced. It's a "Daifuku" suitable for someone like me, a commoner. (laughs) In Sapporo now, companies like Rokkatei and Yuzuki from Obihiro are popular. In the past, shops like Hangetsudo in Otaru and Yokan no Yakata were popular, and there were stores in the Maruyama area. I hope that the confectionery shops in Otaru will continue to do their best. Next time, I might go for the "Bean Daifuku" set. Thank you for the delicious treat.

Founded in 1855 in Niigata, Flower Moon Hall later moved to Otaru, a thriving port town, in 1897. After facing bankruptcy in 1960 with a debt of 100 million yen, it took 17 years to recover. At its peak, the company had 30 stores in Hokkaido, including in Otaru and Sapporo. However, in 2010, the company faced another financial crisis under the management of Hokubu Foods. Flower Moon Hall is known as the oldest traditional Japanese confectionery store in Hokkaido, with over 150 years of history. Currently, the company operates three stores in Otaru, including an in-shop. I discovered their "Mame Daifuku" and "Kusa Daifuku" at a supermarket in Kutchan Town. I bought the "Mame Daifuku" for 257 yen (tax included) and enjoyed it on the JR train. The thin skin, moderately sweet red bean paste, and subtle saltiness of the black beans made for a delightful treat. I often buy daifuku, and I've noticed that there are differences between those from traditional Japanese confectionery stores and those from mochi shops. Traditional Japanese confectionery daifuku usually have a thin skin and a generous amount of bean paste, focusing on the filling. On the other hand, daifuku from mochi shops tend to have a thicker skin and less filling, allowing you to savor the mochi. This daifuku falls into the former category, with its thin skin and ample filling of red bean paste and whole beans. It may not be my favorite, but I found that the whole beans complemented the red bean paste well. I would love to visit their store in Otaru someday.

At the Kintetsu Department Store Wing Building 9th floor event space in Abeno Harukas, the Hokkaido Fair is being held until Tuesday, October 8th. It's a popular event that takes place in various locations during the autumn season. This fair is held for two consecutive weeks. There are familiar shops as well as some new ones, like this pudding dorayaki I tried. It costs ¥237. It's a dorayaki with a thin layer of pudding inside. The outer skin is baked slightly hard, probably to prevent the pudding from making it soggy. It's delicious.

I was disappointed with a purchase I made before at Hangetsudo. Back when my husband's mother used to bring their traditional Japanese sweets to her parents' house and they would say it was delicious, Hangetsudo still had some strength. That's why I was disappointed. Both their Japanese and Western sweets seemed sloppy. If this was the best they could do, it lacked appeal. Hangetsudo's monaka was being sold at a supermarket in this distant town. It might end up with a half-price sticker if left unsold. I rescued it. The ingredients were listed as sugar, red beans, corn syrup, glutinous rice, agar, salt. When I opened the package and saw the Hangetsudo name engraved on it, I felt a little relieved. I sensed the tradition of this long-standing establishment. I hope they continue to make delicious products that have probably remained unchanged for a long time.