Don't dismiss it as just a "tourist spot."

Shiroi Koibito Park

For 600 yen (adult admission), the "Factory Walk" tour lets you see not only the Shiroi Koibito production line but also a remarkable collection of chocolate-related artifacts. The first thing you'll encounter is a fountain made by Royal Doulton, one of Britain's largest pottery manufacturers. Made around 1870, this extremely rare piece creates a dreamlike space with light glowing from beneath the water. The "Chocolate Cup Collection" displays an astonishing range of rare items — cups and pots from the 18th century, when drinking chocolate was fashionable among the aristocracy, along with various chocolate packaging labels — the sheer volume of items on display is genuinely surprising.

Pass through the "Chocolate Time Tunnel," which recreates a 19th-century British chocolate factory, and you'll arrive at the Shiroi Koibito factory tour zone at last. Here you can see the production line where about 460,000 Shiroi Koibito cookies are made each year. You'll get a look at everything from sandwiching chocolate between freshly baked langue de chat cookies to individual wrapping, and the rigorous quality control behind every step of the process. Incidentally, the wheat used as a raw ingredient is 100% Hokkaido-grown "Kitahonami," making Shiroi Koibito a genuinely, truly Hokkaido confection, in both name and substance.

On the top floor, the 4th level, you'll find a confectionery-making workshop and a cafe serving original sweets. Surrounded by antique British furniture, you can enjoy the "Shiroi Koibito Parfait," available only here. And don't miss the free exhibition zone, "Old-Fashioned Children's Toy Box." Behind glass display windows are tin toys — including one appraised at 5,000,000 yen on a TV program — alongside antique stuffed animals, models, and more, packed in tight. Beyond toys, the sheer breadth and volume of the collection, from nostalgic sundries and furniture to autographs and memorabilia from famous athletes, never gets old to look at. "People tend to assume this is for families or women, but men enjoy it just as much," says Deputy Director Miyamura, who guided our tour. Don't dismiss this as just a "tourist spot" — it's packed with surprises and fun that go well beyond that label.