Royce' Chocolate World is located in the New Chitose Airport, the air gateway to Hokkaido. Smile Road, a causeway linking the domestic terminal and the international terminal, is a facility on the third floor housing a museum, factory, and bakery, all of which can be enjoyed at no charge.

Incidentally, on the second floor, there is a Royce' shop that sells its original soft ice cream, and here you can also buy popular souvenirs.

Also on the second floor, there is a trove of Airport-Exclusive Take-out shops! There are many ways to enjoy your time at New Chitose Airport, but if you are a chocolate lover, then you’ll definitely want to go to Royce' Chocolate World!

In the Royce' Factory, you can observe chocolate being made by machines and staff beyond the glass partition. This is the only airport in Japan that has an actual chocolate factory in it.

Chocolate is poured into molds and then packaged and displayed when ready. The way the machines move around is strangely pleasant to watch!

Depending on what is being made that day, you can also see machines making illustrations in chocolate and other mechanisms that rotate the molds into which chocolate is poured.

You can also watch staff applying decorations to the finished chocolate. There is such a warm and comfortable atmosphere here that you'll certainly enjoy a relaxing visit.

Royce' was founded as a chocolate maker in Sapporo in 1983. Many people are familiar with Royce' ganache called "Nama Chocolate."

A unique characteristic of ganache is the way it softly melts in the mouth. In the shop, there are 11 types of regular types offered in addition to the Au Lait shown in the photo, such as Macha, Champagne (Pierre Mignon) [each 777 yen], and Islay Whiskey (Port Charlotte) [820 yen].

In addition to the standard products, also displayed here are about 200 kinds of Royce' Chocolate World original products!

Let’s take a look at the three most popular original products sold here.

First is the Hollow Choco. These are chocolate figurines of cute animals. They make a lovely decorative item until they are eaten.

Next is the Royce' Pop Choco that uses figures of animals commonly found in Hokkaido as its motif. Their adorable expressions are rather cute, don’t you think? The chocolate is so soft that it will not only melt in your mouth but also melt your heart!

The most highly recommended item is the Milk Truffle! The centers of these round, white chocolates are filled full of ganache made with Hokkaido milk which suffuses the mouth with the rich flavor of milk when bitten into.

Plus, the Strawberry Champagne Truffle are infused with a blend of milk chocolate and a ganache that is itself a blend of strawberry puree and champagne, the exterior dusted with powdered sugar giving each an aroma of strawberries. Though rich, it has a clean aftertaste.

The Baton Cookies are another popular item that comes in a small size. These not only make fine gifts for friends, but are good for treating yourself, too.

Lastly, there is the bakery. There are only seven shops in Hokkaido that are jointly bakeries and Royce' shops, so this is a perfect place to head if you can't get to any of the others.

Freshly baked bread is sold in the joint facility, but special mention should be made that there is a large selection of breads made with chocolate. The amount of chocolate-colored bread on display is overwhelming.

Here are the three best-selling items at the Royce' Bakery.

No. 3 is the Choco Melon Bun. This bun is made with dough having a cocoa flavor which is then loaded with chocolate cream. For the author, who is crazy about chocolate, this was sublime. Truly sublime.

No. 2 is the very impressive Gute. This is a bar of chocolate sandwiched in bread and slathered with a hazel nut and almond paste

This combination was so new that it was hard to imagine how it would taste, but after the first bite, the chocolate melted in the mouth and mixed wonderfully with the bread. The chocolate part gives it a very rich flavor.

The No. 1 popular item is the ganache croissant Au Lait! Ganache oozes out of the center when the lightly chocolate colored croissant is broken open and the flavor is so rich and creamy that delicious does not even begin to describe it.

There is no eat-in space in the bakery, but if you want to eat there, head to the rest area in front of the bakery. There are tables and chairs there where you can sit and eat. This is perfect for breakfast or a light lunch.

Even though you may have enjoyed lots of chocolate and bread there are still many more things one might like to eat. Next time come again with an empty stomach, unencumbered, and with lots of time.

We heartily recommend this spot to all Royce' fans. Be sure to stop by when your travels take you to the New Chitose Airport!

Text: Fumi