Nobuka is a seasoned creator with over 15 years of extensive travel experience throughout Hokkaido, having authored over 1,000 travel articles. With her keen eye for detail, Nobuka has carefully researched the top Hokkaido souvenirs at the MEGA Don Quijote Sapporo Tanukikoji Main Store, known for its vast array of products, and after thorough comparison and personal use, introduces her top 20 recommended items.

Don Quijote is a general discount store that sells everything from Japanese daily necessities to food, medicine, cosmetics, home electronics, brand-name goods, souvenirs, and more, all at great prices. MEGA Don Quijote Sapporo Tanukikoji is one of the largest stores in Hokkaido, boasting an extensive selection of goods that ranks among the greatest in Japan.

Spanning six floors from B2F to 4F, this store is packed with just about anything you can imagine! Located in downtown Sapporo and open 24 hours, it consistently draws in crowds of both locals and tourists alike on any given day.

MEGA Donki Sapporo Tanukikoji is conveniently located just a 3-minute walk from Susukino Subway Station, the nearest station to Susukino, Hokkaido's largest downtown area. It’s also a 15-minute walk from Sapporo Station on the JR Line, offering easy access to various parts of Hokkaido via an underground shopping arcade. With numerous restaurants and hotels in the area, visitors are encouraged to leave their luggage at the hotel before coming back out to indulge in shopping and souvenir hunting.

The store is packed with visitors all around the clock, and truly comes alive in the evenings and late nights. For those who prefer a more relaxed shopping experience, we recommend visiting in the morning hours. The store also employs a handful of staff members competent in English, Chinese, and other languages, ensuring that even those who cannot speak Japanese can shop with ease.

LIVE JAPAN is also offering a special coupon for international visitors where you can save up to 10% + 5% off purchases at Don Quijote. Simply tap the coupon below and present it to the cashier!

MEGA Donki Sapporo Tanukikoji is stocked with more products than you can count! However, Nobuka has managed to research and select her favorite from amongst those that she has personally tried and wholeheartedly recommends, as well as products that have grabbed the attention of international visitors perusing the aisles. Many of these handpicked items feature local ingredients like cheese and Yubari melon, beloved staples of Hokkaido souvenirs.

KitKat chocolates are recognized and loved all over the world, and Japan stands out for its diverse array of flavors, from strawberry and green tea, to regional variations showcasing famous ingredients from different areas of Japan.

Hokkaido's regional flavors are azuki bean and strawberry. This unique KitKat features “an" powder, made from Hokkaido azuki beans, and strawberry juice powder, enveloped in a delicate wafer and creamy white chocolate. An is a traditional Japanese confectionery ingredient, carefully prepared by boiling and kneading the beans with added sugar.

Apollo is a triangle-shaped chocolate, traditionally featuring a layer of strawberry chocolate on the top of the triangle, with milk chocolate at the base. Hokkaido offers an exclusive regional variation of Apollo, with white chocolate on top and strawberry chocolate inside.

The milk chocolate delivers a rich sweetness, complemented by a perfectly balanced sweet, tangy strawberry flavor that emerges with every bite. There’s also an exclusive Hokkaido version made using melon!

Amongst their various flavors is Kinoko no Yama White Gift, a Hokkaido-exclusive milk chocolate delicacy crafted with a generous amount of creamy Hokkaido milk. This treat boasts a rich milky flavor, and is a subtly sweet perfect match to the crisp cracker.

Pocky stands as a pioneer of chocolate snacks in Japan. These pretzel stick-like treats are generously coated with delicious chocolate, making them widely known and loved all around the world over the years.

Chocolates come in a variety of flavors, including strawberry and almond milk. There are also regional Pocky products using ingredients from different parts of Japan. Hokkaido's regional Pocky features chocolate infused with Yubari melon juice. The mellow Yubari aroma envelopes your palate with every bite, accompanied by the rich, indulgent flavors of the melon and milk.

Tokibi Corn Chocolate is a crunchy mixture of tokibi (the Hokkaido dialect for corn) and white chocolate, crafted by Hori, a confectionery manufacturer in Hokkaido.

There are several flavors to choose from, but we recommend the Corn Chocolate Yubari Melon, featuring Yubari melon and chocolate. One bite will bring you a delightful crunchiness and rich melon flavor, with the sweetness of the corn slowly unfolding as you savor it.

While there’s also a larger size available, we recommend the Petit Gold version. Its compactness makes it easy to carry into an airplane and bring back as a souvenir, ensuring you can enjoy the delicious flavor of Yubari melon wherever you go!

Not only does Petit Gold boast the delicious taste and aroma of melon, its texture also mirrors a real melon so perfectly, you won’t believe it’s a jelly! These bite-sized treats taste delightful as-is, even at room temperature, offering a burst of flavor in every bite. However, chilling them in the fridge really brings out the melon flavor, allowing you to savor them in two different ways.

This delectable delight is a steamed cheesecake, crafted with Hokkaido mascarpone cheese and perfectly sized to eat in two or three bites, making it a convenient light snack. And as it can store at room temperature, it also makes a great souvenir! So enjoy this cake’s fluffy texture, generously filled with creamy cheese, and indulge in its rich, irresistible flavor.

Moving away from the realm of sweet, here’s something with a spicy kick. These potato chips tantalize the taste buds with a tangy flavor profile and a tingling sensation in the nose. This comes from a type of local horseradish known as yama-wasabi (or mountain wasabi), which has been traditionally enjoyed as a condiment and an accompaniment to meals, such as grated and drizzled with soy sauce on top of rice.

These chips perfectly recreate the beloved Hokkaido flavor, with a subtly mature taste that you’ll want to enjoy with a beer rather than as a simple snack. But be careful, as once you indulge, you may find yourself unable to stop!

Here’s another traditional Hokkaido flavor, in the form of a snack featuring scallops, butter, and soy sauce. Kappa Ebisen is a crispy snack made completely from shrimp shells, and has long been a favorite product of Japan.

Kappa Ebisen is available in a variety of flavors. However, the one featured here is an exclusive limited edition, only available in Hokkaido. This treat delights with the distinct flavor of scallops, complemented by a hint of butter and soy sauce, with the familiar shrimp taste of Kappa Ebisen gradually unfolding in every bite.

Happy Turn is a crispy, age-old Japanese delicacy crafted from rice, characterized by a robust coating of flavorful powder. While the original powder boasts a sweet and tangy taste, it also comes in various regional flavors.

In Hokkaido, the Happy Turn Hokkaido Cheese Flavor features cheese powder derived from local Hokkaido cheese. The subtly aromatic cheese harmonizes perfectly with the crispy rice dough, making this snack a choice you won’t regret!

This snack is a must-try for cheese lovers! As soon as you open the bag, the delicious cheese aroma immediately wafts out. These okaki crackers are generously coated with a rich blend of Gouda and Cheddar cheese powder. Crafted from glutinous rice, okaki crackers are bite-sized and perfect for nibbling!

The crisp, airy texture reveals a blend of cheese flavor and subtle sweetness from the rice. Inside the bag with the rice crackers are small cubes of mixed, freeze-dried cheeses, adding another layer of deliciousness to the mix!

Soup curry is one of Sapporo’s original local delicacies, with many famous soup curry restaurants in the area. One of the most popular curries is Garaku, a pouch-type product that brings the delicious taste of the restaurant into your own home kitchen. In fact, it’s so popular that it tends to fly right off the shelves, regardless of the fact that MEGA Don Quijote Sapporo Tanukikoji usually keeps them well-stocked. So if you happen to spot it during your visit to the store, don’t wait and grab them before they’re gone!

Sapporo Miso Ramen is a local Sapporo delicacy that you won’t want to miss out on! There are countless establishments here that serve Sapporo Miso Ramen, and Junren is one of the longstanding favorites. This cup ramen faithfully captures the essence of the restaurant's renowned dish, featuring firm, yellow noodles and a rich, umami-packed miso broth.

Here is another ramen product. This is a retort from Ebisoba Ichigen, a restaurant that has garnered immense popularity in recent years, with long lines of patrons waiting eagerly outside. The soup boasts a distinctive shrimp flavor that shines through in every sip, and unlike your typical instant noodles, the ones used here are fresh with a satisfyingly chewy texture.

Available in three variations, including Ebi Shoyu, featuring a refreshing soy sauce broth accented by savory shrimp, and Ebi Miso, with a rich miso broth infused with the deep flavor of the miso itself.

Maruchan Yakisoba Bento is part of the Maruchan Cup Yakisoba series sold by Maruchan, a popular instant noodle brand from Japan. Unlike traditional cup yakisoba noodles, which require pouring out the hot water after cooking, the Yakisoba Bento does not. Instead, the hot water is retained and reused. After cooking, simply add the included Chinese soup powder to the noodles, and transform it into a flavorful soup broth right in your cup!

While cup yakisoba soups can be found in various regions of Japan, Maruchan's soup version is exclusively sold in Hokkaido, uniquely tailored to the region’s cold climate, ensuring that a steady demand for yakisoba remains throughout the harsh winters. In Hokkaido, this variation is simply known as "yakiben,” and has enjoyed popularity for a number of years.

Tokachi Butadon Tare, produced by Hokkaido sauce manufacturer Sorachi, perfectly complements the local Tokachi delicacy, butadon (pork rice bowl). This traditional dish typically features grilled pork cooked over charcoal and served over rice, generously topped with the restaurant's signature sauce. And with Tokachi Butadon Tare, you can effortlessly recreate this culinary delight right at home! Just drizzle this authentic sauce over your own butadon dish.

Free from added water or artificial seasonings, the sauce boasts a rich, sweet and spicy flavor derived from Hokkaido sugar, soy sauce, and other ingredients.

While Coca-Cola might reign as the quintessential carbonated beverage in most parts of the world, in Hokkaido, locals swear by Guarana! Similar to Cola in appearance and fizziness, Guarana sets itself apart with its distinct taste. Infused with subtle herbal undertones and a fruity sweetness, its uniquely unmatched flavor makes for a beverage that’s refreshing and easy to drink!

While there are a variety of brands offering Guarana in Hokkaido, one standout product is the one found at MEGA Don Quijote Sapporo Tanukikoji known as Co-Up Guarana (available in 500ml plastic bottles). Produced by Obara in the outskirts of Hakodate City, this soft drink is made with natural water from Mt. Yokotsu near Hakodate City, and sweetened primarily with Hokkaido potatoes.

Exclusive to Hokkaido, this canned highball beverage hails from Nikka Whiskey, renowned for its Japanese whisky. Crack open the can, and you're greeted by the aroma of a sweet, vanilla-like malt, which further evolves once poured into a glass. Each sip allows the fruity malt flavors to unfold on your tongue, accented by its carbonation. With a modest-but-noticeable 9% alcohol content, it's best savored slowly, allowing you to fully appreciate it.

Hokkaido is known for horse breeding, making horse oil a prized souvenir from the region. At MEGA Donkey Sapporo Tanukikoji, you'll find an array of horse oil products, from creams and soaps to lotions, shampoos, and conditioners. Considering the size and weight, the creams and soaps probably make the best souvenirs to bring back home.

Hokkaido Hidaka Pure Horse Oil Premium Gold is a highly sought-after cream, recommended for daily skin care, and is so popular, it tends to go out of stock quickly! Even a small amount is said to have a warming, moisturizing effect on the skin. At the time of our visit to MEGA Donkey Sapporo Tanukikoji, Hokkaido Hidaka Pure Horse Oil Premium Gold was on display just inside the entrance, although the soap had already sold out.

Hokkaido’s Kitami region was once renowned for its production of peppermint and essential oil, which were exported worldwide. However, with the advent of synthetic fragrances, Kitami’s peppermint industry nearly met its end. Luckily, recent years have seen a revival of interest in peppermint products, which have made their comeback as souvenirs and daily goods. Alongside the sprays, a range of other peppermint-based items such as creams, bath salts, candies, and food products have emerged, now available all throughout Hokkaido.

Mega Don Quijote Sapporo Tanukikoji boasts one of the most extensive collections of peppermint products in Hokkaido, with a dedicated section featuring an array of minty goods, from sprays, creams, and bath salts to candies and more. So take a look–you just might find your next favorite product!

MEGA Don Quijote Sapporo Tanukikoji is a hot spot for tourists and locals alike, offering a diverse range of products beyond your typical souvenirs, including everyday essentials loved by the locals.

In addition to the 20 items featured here today, you’re sure to discover other wonderful Hokkaido souvenirs to pique your interest. With round-the-clock operation, this store offers top convenience, allowing visitors to easily pick up anything you might need during your trip. So whether shopping for fun or hunting for souvenirs, if you’re in Sapporo, a visit to this MEGA Don Quijote comes highly recommended!

Information in article as of February 2024. Please see official websites for the latest updates & information.

English translation by: Krys Suzuki