Fujii Confectionary houses a love story so sweet it has literally rotted teeth. The 60-year-old family-run business was started by current manager Chiaki Fujii’s grandfather, possibly as sweet a tooth Hokkaido has ever seen. So strong was his love of sugar as a kid, his teeth completely rotted away and he had to get dentures while he was still a teenager. While his lack of chompers meant he didn’t have to go to war, it didn’t warn him off getting a job at the local sweet factory. where he also fell in love with the owner’s daughter. They later married and together started their own store, the current Fujii Confectionary.
But the love story doesn’t end there. Chiaki-san herself found love behind the confectionary counter. After working for a few years and learning the trade in one of Sapporo’s most well known confectionary companies, Chiaki-san too met the man of her dreams. They married and moved back to Kutchan to take over the day to day running of Fujii confectionary from Chiaki’s parents who are looking towards retirement.
Chiaki-san specialises in all sorts of western-style cakes and bread and dairy-based sweets, while husband Takayoshi-san is an expert in Japanese-style sweets – ‘wagashi’. The intricately designed sweets are tiny recreations of all sorts of fruits, flowers, and other traditional Japanalia, often associated with the seasons. They’re to be enjoyed with the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Be sure to try the Roku-san sweet!
Fujii Confectionary is located on Kutchan’s main street, Eki Mae Dori, right near the train station.
Buses to Kutchan leave from the main street near Seicomart. The bus stop is a few small signs on the roadside opposite PowPow. Buses leave every half hour or so during the day and cost ¥380. The night bus is free and leaves every hour or so from 5pm. Timetable on the back of the resort’s course map.