Welcome to Hokkaido! As a rice-producing region, Hokkaido offers a rich variety of delicious side dishes and snacks that pair perfectly with rice. We'll introduce you to many little-known dishes so that visitors from outside Hokkaido can continue to enjoy "Delicious Hokkaido" even after returning home from their trip! 【Souvenir Search Team Member A-ko】 Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, but has lived in Sapporo for decades. Now a complete "Dosanko" (Hokkaido native), she still travels across Hokkaido, east and west, in search of delicious gourmet food and fun shopping. Undeterred by snow, she'll do her best to deliver tasty reports!

Departing from Noboribetsu, a Popular Hot Spring Town!

One day in January, the weather was unfortunately heavy snow! The bad weather was so severe that the Doo-O Expressway was closed, but Hokkaido natives don't give up. The accompanying photographer is a "fair-weather man." Indeed, when he pointed the camera... oh? The snow lightened. How convenient! Even though the expressway was closed, the photos turned out so well you wouldn't think so. However, the snow piled on the car in the departure scene tells the story. We started after thorough snow removal. (Who is this photographer, really!?) This time, the route is from Noboribetsu Onsen, which boasts immense popularity among tourists from outside Hokkaido, to New Chitose Airport. Noboribetsu Onsen is a popular hot spring resort that long held the #1 spot in the "National Popular Hot Spring Ranking" conducted annually by major companies. It has since lost that position to Hakone Onsen. Nevertheless, it consistently remains among the top five. Its secret is undoubtedly the rich variety of spring qualities. Nine different types of hot springs gush from this one hot spring village, and the Ainu people are said to have valued them as medicinal baths since ancient times. From Noboribetsu Onsen to New Chitose Airport, you can mostly take National Route 36. It's an easy route for those unfamiliar with the area outside Hokkaido. It's a perfect drive route, offering views of the sea on your right. Since the distance is only about 70km, you can easily cover it in half a day without taking the expressway. The car rented from Sapporo Rent-a-Car this time was a Nissan Note. As a group company of Sapporo Nissan Motor Group, inspections and maintenance are, of course, perfect. It's sure to be a strong ally for those from outside Hokkaido who are unfamiliar with snowy roads! It's surprising that 95% of their vehicles are newly purchased. Driving smoothly across the vast northern land of Hokkaido in a sparkling new car must be irresistible for driving enthusiasts.

Wasabi in Hokkaido?! Discovering Noboribetsu's Hidden Specialty!

After checking the distance to New Chitose Airport, we drove on... wait a minute! Right in the heart of Noboribetsu Onsen town, there's a souvenir you can't miss: Fujisaki Wasabi Garden's Wasabi-zuke (pickled wasabi). What a perfect sound for something that goes with rice! We can't pass this up and move on. Hokkaido might not have much of an image as a wasabi producing region. In fact, I only learned this myself during this shoot, which is quite embarrassing. I've heard that wasabi is a very delicate mountain vegetable that only grows in places with clean water. The Noboribetsu area has abundant spring water from the Orofure mountain range, making it ideal for wasabi cultivation. Fujisaki Wasabi Garden has been operating here in Noboribetsu since Taisho 4 (1915). Amazingly, this year marks their 100th anniversary! You can feel the weight of history. When I spoke with President Nobuo Fujisaki, he recommended three products that have remained handmade for 100 years: "Wasabi-zuke," "Wasabi Kombu," and "Oni-zuke." I'm looking forward to trying them! They also sell a limited edition product called "Hon-Wasabi-zuke Cream Cheese," a collaboration with "Noboribetsu Dairy Hall," famous for dairy products like pudding. This is a limited edition product created to commemorate their 100th anniversary. What does cream cheese with wasabi taste like?! Please purchase it at the store.

Heading to Shiraoi for Today's Main Event!

After getting wasabi in Noboribetsu, we drive towards the neighboring town of Shiraoi. We caught wind of information that Tairyo Banyako Johama in Kojohama, Shiraoi Town, offers all-you-can-stuff mentaiko! Since I have a keen eye for gourmet food and shopping, I simply have to go! By the way, when Hokkaido residents hear "Kojohama," most people probably think of mentaiko (pollock roe), right? Kojohama's mentaiko is that famous. While there aren't many opportunities to compare mentaiko, compared to regular mentaiko sold in supermarkets, each individual roe has a firm presence, and the moderate firmness and saltiness are exquisite. After eating Kojohama's mentaiko, supermarket mentaiko feels strangely soft with a mushy texture and a somewhat lacking flavor. Just hearing "Kojohama mentaiko" gets me excited, but all-you-can-stuff? How generous! I'm eager to pack it in without any gaps. Oh, this is...! All my mental simulations of how to pack it without any gaps or empty space were overturned. It's HUGE! The size of a single mentaiko roe was incredible. I also needed to take photos, so I tried to make it as neat as possible... but I still wanted to cram it in... Hmm. I did my best to pack it. A big catch, a big catch! A huge haul of rice accompaniments! There are three sizes of jars: large, medium, and small. I challenged myself with the medium size this time. I'll mention the price at the end, but this is a great deal. The roe grains were visibly firm, and the size of each sac was surprisingly large. However, the all-you-can-stuff offer is only available on weekends and holidays, so please plan your trip carefully regarding the days of the week.

Something smells good... I can't resist my appetite.

After packing plenty of mentaiko and taking a breather, I noticed other customers holding something delicious. Hmm. Upon closer inspection, it seemed the store manager was pressing a whole squid with a special machine to make a rice cracker on the spot. This isn't a souvenir; it's something you have to eat right then and there! Since I was getting a little hungry, I had one as a snack. Even though I say "one," look at the size! Everything in Hokkaido is so dynamic. This "Squid Cracker," made from a whole local Kojohama squid, was 1,000 yen per piece. Please note that this is also only available on weekends and holidays.

Winter nights come early in Hokkaido! Hurry to Tomakomai

The car heads towards our final destination, Tomakomai. Snow continues to fall. After a short drive, the sea came into view on the right. In conditions close to a blizzard, the photographer got out of the car with his camera. "Huh, are you really going to shoot now!?" Then, a wonder. The snow suddenly stopped, the view cleared, and a faint blue sky even appeared. It seems this photographer is no ordinary person. As we drove further, we saw a shop marked by a giant bear, a popular photo spot for tourists from outside Hokkaido. We didn't stop this time, but it's a souvenir shop selling fresh seafood like crabs and has a large fish tank. It's called "Kani Goten" (Crab Palace)! It's a great spot for shopping and photos. Before we knew it, dusk was approaching. Hokkaido has the earliest sunsets in Japan, so it gets dark quickly if you're not careful. But even if it gets dark, Sapporo Rent-a-Car offers the "Complete Peace of Mind Package," a warranty service that prepares you for any unforeseen accidents, so you can rest assured. If you're worried about driving on snowy roads, please consult them.

Roadside Station Utonai Lake in Tomakomai City: A Bird Sanctuary

Finally, we arrived at our last destination, Roadside Station Utonai Lake in Tomakomai City. Overlooking Lake Utonai, designated as Japan's first bird sanctuary by the Wild Bird Society of Japan, this roadside station serves as a stopover for migratory birds like swans, with over 250 bird species confirmed. Tens of thousands of birds are said to visit during migration season. Some individuals reside in the lake, so if conditions are good, you can observe swans and other birds year-round. Unfortunately, due to the bad weather and heavy snowfall this year, we couldn't see any swans. What a shame! But we've prepared photos for you to get a sense of the atmosphere.

Tomakomai City: Famous for Hokki Clams, proudly #1 in national catch!

This shellfish, perhaps more familiar as "Ubagai" on Honshu, is known as "Hokki Clam" in Hokkaido. It's a common ingredient, appearing on dinner tables in sushi, sashimi, butter-grilled dishes, and even curry. Roadside Station Utonai Lake offers a wide array of Hokki clam products. The selection is so vast it's hard to choose! While browsing, I found a souvenir that would go perfectly with rice: "Hokki Kimchi." The red color of the chili peppers is appetizing, and you can enjoy the tender texture of the thick Hokki clams. However, Hokki clams are out of season in May and June, so they may be scarce. Catch volumes also fluctuate annually, as it's a natural product. So, if you find it, consider yourself lucky and make a stop!

Return the car at the airport, then a feast at home!

We've arrived at New Chitose Airport. Customers from outside Hokkaido will likely take a flight home from here. Since I live in Sapporo, I'll take the highway back. Once I get home, I plan to photograph today's spoils and our dinner party! Here are today's spoils. Left: Onizuke (140g) 1,080 yen A dish of new shoots and stems pickled in soy sauce. The crisp texture and wasabi flavor filled my mouth. Middle: Wasabizuke (140g) 648 yen A mellow pickle that retains the spiciness of wasabi, wrapped in rich sake lees. The spiciness and sweetness blend perfectly, with an irresistible rich aroma. Right: Wasabi Kombu (120g) 756 yen This flavorful tsukudani, a top-selling product, is truly understandable. The saltiness and spiciness were so exquisite, I wanted to pile it on rice and devour it as ochazuke. Kojohama Mentaiko All-You-Can-Stuff: Small 648 yen, Medium 1,080 yen, Large 2,160 yen I tried the medium size this time. It's impossible for it not to go well with rice! Each roe sac is so large that you can enjoy it luxuriously without fighting with your family. It wasn't just salty; it had an excellent flavor with a subtle sweetness. Hokki Kimchi (180g) 1,400 yen Processed by a local yakiniku restaurant, it has an authentic flavor. I expected only a little Hokki clam among the vegetables, but it was almost all Hokki! It was so rich and flavorful, it would make a delicious kimchi hotpot if added directly to a pot. Thinking back on the Noboribetsu-Tomakomai route, let's eat!! I won't have trouble with side dishes for rice for a while. Total distance traveled: 82km. Total product cost: 5,964 yen. Everyone, please give it a try!