Last year, I received a Seiko Mart Mitsuboshi shortcake as a gift for Christmas, and it was surprisingly delicious. On my way back from Tomakomai, I stopped by the Seiko Mart Mitsuboshi Central store. In addition to a sweets section, they also had soft serve ice cream, cakes, and bread. There was an eat-in space where I purchased a cake and sat down. They offered free tea service, which was a nice touch. The cakes ranged from 300 to 500 yen. I tried the buttercream cake first, which was rich and had a gentle flavor. It felt nostalgic. I originally planned to have just one piece, but ended up having another. I chose the sweet potato shortcake from the showcase. The sponge was textured yet fluffy, and the sweet potato cream was delicious. The hot tea service was great! I was able to enjoy the cakes without feeling too heavy. The eat-in space also had a microwave and toaster for warming up purchased bread. I also bought some bread to take home. Visited in January 2023.

"Three Stars" is a bakery that I have visited a few times, but never left a review. It is quite popular in Tomakomai, and I'm sure most residents are familiar with it. Although I have never tried their famous "yoi to make" (good luck bread), I decided to buy two other items this time: - Furano Cream Melon Pan (¥209) - Ume An Pan (¥150) Furano Cream Melon Pan has a unique appearance with a melon-colored surface and orange dough inside. The crispy sugar-coated crust, along with the sweet Furano melon-flavored cream inside, makes it very delicious. It may not taste exactly like melon, but it is still very enjoyable. The Ume An Pan is a seasonal item with a distinctive powdery texture in the dough. It seems like they use rice flour instead of wheat flour, giving it a chewy texture. The pink-colored anko filling suggests the presence of plum flavor, but it leans more towards sweetness than the actual fruit. There could have been more anko filling, and the lack of sesame seeds makes it feel more like a big manju than a traditional anpan. I also noticed their curry pan, which I might try next time. When I visit Three Stars again, I will definitely get the "yoi to make" bread. Thank you for the meal!

Today, I had some free time before my favorite guitarist's event, so I decided to stop by the "Sansho Chuo-ten" cake shop. The shop is known for its nostalgic butter cake and fresh cream puffs. It felt like the coffee was all-you-can-drink, which was a nice touch. When I was a child, I used to admire the fresh cream, but now I also appreciate the occasional butter cake. Thank you for the delicious treats, Sansho Chuo-ten. I will definitely visit again!

I went to Tomakomai and was looking for bread as a souvenir, but many places were closed early due to the pandemic. I was in trouble, but then I remembered about Sanyo! I went in and found bread there. Lucky me! I bought a loaf of Hokkaido bread for 350 yen. It's made from 100% Hokkaido wheat, so you know it's delicious. Normally, bread at Sanyo is 275 yen, so I had high expectations. The next morning, I had it for breakfast and it was chewy and substantial. Not too sweet, very easy to eat. My wife also enjoyed this unexpected find from Sanyo. Thank you for the meal!

I purchased anmitsu, dessert mochi, and a baguette in June 2021. Although this is not a bakery, the baguette is quite delicious. It is soft, easy to eat, and has a good aroma. I grilled it before eating.

It is a bakery and pastry shop commonly seen in Tomakomai. I entered the shop at around 13:10 on Saturday. There were a few customers already there. I bought the snowman bread shaped like a bear (180 yen). I paid with WAON. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Next to Tomakomai Police Station is Sansei Bakery. When I went to renew my license and arrived early, I decided to go in and kill some time. Since it was early in the morning, there were a few bags of bread with approaching expiration dates being sold for around 500 yen each. I bought one and had it as my breakfast. All the bread was delicious and offered great value. Additionally, they provided free coffee in the eat-in area, so I leisurely enjoyed a cup of coffee and chatted with my wife while waiting. Thank you for a delightful morning experience.

I came to Tomakomai and had some free time, so I decided to have tea at a place called "Sansei." The shop has about 30 seats on the side facing the national highway, with a counter and table seating available. You can enjoy free coffee there. There were two groups of six customers before me and two groups of three customers after me. The store has a section for baked goods and a bakery section. I bought two pastries, poured myself some coffee and water into paper cups, and sat at the counter facing the window. I had a "Chocolate Ciabatta" for 175 yen, which had a nice chewy texture with plenty of sweet chocolate inside. The bread was of high quality and delicious, although a bit sweet. I also got a "Double Berry Fromage" for 250 yen to take home. It had a light and crispy texture, but when reheated, it turned into a crispy and chewy delight. The coffee, despite being free, had a strong flavor comparable to convenience store coffee. An elderly lady with a cane slowly bought a pastry, poured herself some coffee, and started eating at the counter. It was heartwarming to see how the bakery is closely connected to the daily lives of the local residents. I will definitely visit again if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal.

I suddenly felt like having soft serve ice cream! This is my first visit to this store, although I have visited other Sansei stores before. This store sells various items other than Western-style sweets. I was interested in the thick Misopan bread and Sasazushi, but I wanted to try the soft serve ice cream this time. The soft serve ice cream was rich and had a unique taste. People who like this taste would probably love it.

I went to Tomakomai for some errands. It was still early for dinner, but I was starting to feel hungry. So, I decided to have a snack time at Sansei. It was my first time at the central store. The small store was crowded with customers! The eat-in area had nice sofas. It was bustling with families, and there were hardly any empty seats. After a short wait, I managed to find a seat. I bought a miso bread and another bread whose name I forgot, and enjoyed some free coffee at the eat-in area to satisfy my hunger. The Tomakomai Reconstruction miso bread was made with dough that included "ofukuro miso" from Atsuma Town and sprinkled with white sesame seeds, creating a flavorful and fluffy texture. It cost 160 yen. When you hear "miso bread," you might imagine something dry like an emergency ration or a soggy biscuit that could get stuck in your throat, but this was different. The texture was more like a miso chiffon cake. The fluffy and moist dough, combined with the richness of miso and the aroma of sesame, created a harmonious blend of flavors. It was so delicious that I ended up buying two more for breakfast the next day. The limited-time pumpkin-flavored chiffon cake from the kiln was a bit dry without any cream on top, giving a slightly choking sensation. I love Sansei's commitment to regional development.

3-chome, Asahimachi, Tomakomai City, Hokkaido. Located in the center of Tomakomai along National Route 36. While walking from the port area of Tomakomai towards Kincho, it suddenly started raining, so I decided to enter the shop right in front of me. It is a confectionery company based in Tomakomai, with many stores in the Hokkaido region. Known for sweets related to Takiji Kobayashi. They offer various sweets including a roll cake called "Yoitomake" made with Haskap jam, and Sasazushi. I have been eating these since I was young, but this was my first visit to this roadside store. They sell various sweets including Yoitomake, as well as bread baked in the store, and also have a spacious eat-in space. I bought soft serve ice cream to take shelter from the rain. I asked for it in a cup with a spoon instead of a cone. It was a strong type that didn't melt easily and maintained its shape even after a long time. The flavor was quite sweet and rich, with a nostalgic vanilla taste. I casually took a picture of the soft serve ice cream machine. It's amazing how some people can tell which manufacturer and what features a machine has just by looking at it. I replenished my sweet tooth and took a break from the rain. Thank you for the meal.

Since I came all the way to Tomakomai, I had to visit Sansei (laughs). Sansei is a representative confectionery shop in Tomakomai. They have over 10 stores in Tomakomai city and over 30 stores in the Iburi and Hidaka areas. Recently, they also have a few stores in Sapporo. This time, I visited the closest Chuo store from the restaurant I had a meal at. When it comes to Sansei, "Yoitomake" is a must-try. It's a roll cake with plenty of haskap jam around it. It's probably the most difficult roll cake to eat in Japan (laughs). Lately, they also sell cut versions for easier consumption. I bought that this time, as well as "Iyomante" and "Pon Eperere." By the way, "Iyomante" means "bear festival" in Ainu language, and "Pon Eperere" means "small bear." However, "Yoitomake" doesn't seem to be in Ainu language (^_^;) "Yoitomake" has a strong sweet and sour jam flavor with a sponge cake that has a strong egg aroma. "Iyomante" was taken as a snack to my wife's workplace (tears). "Pon Eperere" has white bean paste inside the chocolate, making it another difficult-to-eat treat like Yoitomake (laughs). Thank you for the delicious meal. I'll visit another store again soon.

There was a place in Tomakomai that I visited where they had the bean bread my mother wanted. I called ahead to ask if they had it, and they did. In Tomakomai, there are often elderly men working at the stores, and they are very kind. One of these men answered the phone and held the bean bread for me. I also bought the chestnut bun that I had said was delicious last time. On this particular day, only a few places were open near Tomakomai Station, but it was a warm day so I didn't mind walking a bit further to Sapporo.

Free coffee is the best! As a bread lover, having free coffee is a lifesaver for me as a daily bread consumer! The feeling of getting a good deal makes me want to go there. I often eat walnut bread and melon bread. They open early so I sometimes buy food there and have my meal while on the move in my car. I love the cost performance!

I visited for lunch on a regular day. This bakery and confectionery shop is mainly located in Tomakomai. The bread and sweets sections are separated. There is seating available for eating in. You can drink water and coffee for free. It was crowded with Tomakomai ladies. I managed to find a seat. The bread was delicious and cheap. I only spent less than 300 yen on three items. It's no wonder why the ladies gather here. If this shop was nearby, I would definitely visit often. Thank you for the meal.

Tomakomai is the company, but there are also many in Sapporo. I've been receiving Three Star sweets as gifts since I was a child. "Yoi Tomake" seems to be quite famous now. It's said to be the most difficult to eat in Japan. Well, I'm not sure if it's the most difficult in Japan, but it's definitely hard to eat. Now they seem to sell it in one-cut pieces, but back then it was just a roll. It's true, isn't it (laughs). Speaking of Tomakomai, there's the haskap berry. It used to be unknown in Sapporo and the surrounding areas... It seems to have become famous in the last decade. However, Three Star sweets... well, they're like local confectionery shops. I honestly don't understand why they became so famous. But there were many stores in the Sapporo area, so I guess most people know about them. And now, about trying their bread. They had wet tissues and free tea for dine-in customers, which was nice. I tried the bread. Hmm... it was a chikuwa bread (with shiso) and a ham and cheese-filled donut, I think. The bread was a bit... well... it was a nostalgic taste. Honestly, I wouldn't go back for more. The taste and the price didn't quite match for me. Well, that's how it was.

I use it when I want to have a light lunch. Today's hot sandwich was so delicious. It was made with thickly sliced Yamagata bread, giving it a homey feel. The egg and ham inside were amazing! If you spend over 1000 yen, you can get a soft serve ice cream voucher for 100 yen. This voucher is valid at all Sansei stores. Furthermore, if you collect 10 of these vouchers, you can get a free soft serve ice cream. Today, I also had the soft serve ice cream with the voucher. Sansei's soft serve ice cream is rich and delicious ❤️ It was super crowded today, but I was able to relax a lot.

I visited Three Stars again today. This time, I went to the Central store. Inside the store, the sweets and bread sections are separated. The bread section on the side facing the main road has spacious table seating, where you can enjoy bread and sweets with free coffee. The location and space are quite convenient. It was lunchtime, so there were people from nearby offices and some in work clothes. I also had a light lunch. I couldn't find the bread I was looking for, but I ended up choosing a curry bread and a cream cheese and apple bread. Curry bread: It had plenty of filling and was spicy and delicious, although a bit oily. Cream cheese and apple bread: Cream cheese and apple go well together! It's delicious! Just be careful of the powdered sugar (laughs). As expected of Three Stars, the customer service is great. I will definitely visit again!

Hokkaido, Tomakomai City. When it comes to Tomakomai, it's all about Sansei! There are shops all over Tomakomai City. Sansei is famous for its "most difficult to eat snack," the roll cake with Haskap jam called "Yoitomake," which I have tried before. It is very sweet and makes your hands sticky, but it is more about the novelty and buzz than the taste. Sansei not only sells sweets but also bread, and has a wide variety of Japanese sweets, Western sweets, baked goods, and cakes, establishing a solid position in Tomakomai. One of the many shops is the "Sansei Chuo Store," located near the city center, around the JR station and Tomakomai City Hall. The exterior looks like it used to be a family restaurant or something, with a slightly different vibe from other shops. However, inside the shop, there is a free coffee corner next to the bread section, which is one of Sansei's selling points, just like other shops. - Mame Daifuku: I like Mame Daifuku and sometimes buy it from various places. While cakes and sweets from this shop often give off a very sweet impression, this one is not overly sweet. The mochi is not too soft or too firm, and you can taste the flavor of the mochi rice. It is reasonably priced at around 100 yen, similar to what you can buy at a convenience store, and is quite delicious! - Peanut Butter Bread: This brings back memories! This type of bread was common in my childhood but is not often seen in newer bakeries. The taste is nostalgic, and you can occasionally feel the texture of the peanuts, making you think, "Ah, I found a peanut!" It is still quite sweet, though. - Shokupan (Japanese white bread): Sansei's sweet bread is often too sweet for me, but their shokupan is quite delicious. It is densely packed with fine texture, yet has a fluffy interior with a hint of sweetness. It toasts well and is one of my favorites. Sansei near the city hall and police station. During lunchtime, you can see government employees stopping by for lunch at this official Sansei shop.