[Amatou Head Office in Otaru] Big Cookies, Marron Colon

Amatou

Amatou (あまとう) is a long-established confectionery store based in Otaru city, and has been established as a restraunt and a panju shop since 1929. Amatou corp. (株式会社あまとう) runs it, and Mr. Akira Shibata (柴田 明) is a company president at present. They have 2 shops, the head office and Unga Branch (運河店), in the Otaru, and most of Otaru people know the Amatou. They sell cookies, baked confectioneries, white puddings, cakes, chocolates and ice creams, and sweets such as Cream Zenzai (クリームぜんざい * Zenzai with ice cream) is also popular.

My visited place is the head office facing Otaru Miyako-dori Shopping Mall (小樽都通商店街), and it is near Otaru Station. A shop is on the 1st floor, and a tea room is on the 2nd floor. The tea room has a typical atmosphere such as an old tea room. By the way, a highway bus "Otaru-go (おたる号)" runs between the Otaru and the Sapporo. Unfortunately, the express bus does not run between New Chitose Airport and the Otaru. Besides, Rent-a-car can be rented around Otaru Station.

List of Means of Transportation

Highway buses run between the Otaru and the Sapporo. Refer to following the means of the transportation in the Hakodate. As for car rental comparison websites, you can compare vehicle rental prices on Tabi-Plaza Rental Car Reservation (旅ぷらざレンタカー予約), Jalan Rental Car (じゃらんレンタカー) and Rakutem Travel Rental Car (楽天トラベルレンタカー).

(Chuo Bus)中央バス	From Sapporo to Otaru	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
(Chuo Bus)中央バス	From Otaru to Sapporo	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Times Car Rental(タイムズカーレンタル)	Their office is near the Otaru Canal.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Toyota Rental Lease(トヨタレンタリース)	Their offices are near the Otaru Station.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Station Rent-a-car(駅レンタカー)	Their office is near the Otaru Station.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Nico Nico Rent-a-car(ニコニコレンタカー)	Their office is near the Otaru Station.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten

OTARU

Otaru (小樽) that 120,000 people live is the 9th largest port city in Hokkaido, and is located in the located in the northwestern part of Sapporo city. It takes about 30 minutes from the Sapporo to the Otaru by a train. The Otaru is one of most popular tourist cities in the Hokkaido, and about 8 million people visit here. It is also well-known as a city with a lot of slopes, and there are 30 slopes with its name, so the Otaru has a lot of slope lands, and has a lot of narrow roads. It is famous as a city with a lot of sushi restaurants, too, and more than 100 sushi restaurants open their businesses. Fresh seafood caught in the Sea of Japan facing the Otaru or caought in various places of the Hokkaido can be enjoyed. As for a climate, the Otaru has calm climate, it is cold in a summer, and it snow hard. The Otaru was called an inaccessible land in the old days because all transportation facilities paralyzed by a heavy snow. Read More

Marron Colon

I heard from my older sister that cookies were tasty, so I purchased 4 Marron Colons (マロンコロン) this time. Those were 3 sables (Almond Flavor, Walnut Flavor and Cheese Flavor) and 1 jam sand (Almond Flavor). I brought these, and sat on a bench along the Otaru Miyako-dori Shopping Mall, and decided to eat those.

The Marron Colon, a baked confectionery, has been sold in the Amatou since many years ago. 3 pieces of circular cookies are stacked, and chocolate is coated around the cookies. Sable type (Almond Flavor, Cheese Flavor, Cacao Flavor and Walnut Flavor), strawberry type and jam sand type revived flavor in those days (Almond Flavor and Cacao Flavor) are sold.

The sable type had the crispy texture, and the sweetness was just right, too. As for the jam sand type, Apricot jam was spread out between cookies, and it had the moist texture. This was sweeter than the sable type. Since these were big cookies, it was really filling. Thanks for the tasty Marron Colons!

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Otaru. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Ginrinso(銀鱗荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Former Okagawa Pharmacy(（旧）岡川薬局)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Uomatsu Ryokan(魚松旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Sonia Otaru(ホテルソニア小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Unga-no-Yado Otaru Furukawa(運河の宿 小樽 ふる川)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Nord Otaru(ホテルノルド小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Dormy Inn Premium Otaru(ドーミーインPREMIUM小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Authent Hotel Otaru(オーセントホテル小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Inaho(ホテル稲穂)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Tabino Sanpoyado Otaru Ekimae Guest House Ito(小樽駅前ゲストハウスIto)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
THE GREEN OTARU(ザ グリーン オタル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Oyado Sakurai(御宿 櫻井)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Etchuya Ryokan(越中屋旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
The Otarunai Backpacker's Hostel Morinoki(おたるないバックパッカーズホステル杜の樹)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
DORMITORY L(ドミトリー L)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otarukitaunga Kamomeya(おたる北運河かもめや)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Life House IPPO(Life House IPPO)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Nupuri Hostel (Female Only)(小樽ヌプリホステル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Guest House(小樽ゲストハウス)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Villa Mount Tengu(小樽ヴィラマウンテング)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Tenguyama Honkan(小樽天狗山 本館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Tenguyama Sanrokukan(小樽天狗山 山麓館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
emina backpackers(えみな バックパッカーズ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Neu Schloss Otaru(ホテルノイシュロス小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Tabi-no-Ie Sha Tomaya(旅人の家 舎 とまや)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Nature Village(おたる自然の村)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Musashitei(ホテル武蔵亭)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Korakuen(宏楽園)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Asari Classe Hotel(小樽朝里 クラッセホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Ryotei Kuramure(小樽旅亭 蔵群)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Winkel Village(ウィンケルビレッジ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pine House(パインハウス)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pension Shadow Classe(ペンション・シャドウクラッセ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pension Puti Hotel Roman(ペンション プチホテルろーまん)	Only Tel:+81-134-52-2118
Ryobo Hanaemi(旅房はなえみ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Boyo Schanze Automobile Campsite(小樽望洋シャンツェオートキャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Asarigawa Onsen Automobile Campsite(朝里川温泉オートキャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten