An irresistible event for anyone with a sweet tooth! The "Anko Expo," a special event where you can savor the diverse flavors of anko (sweet red bean paste), is being held at the Marui Imai Sapporo Main Store until Monday, October 7. Hokkaido has deep ties to the world of anko, accounting for about 90% of Japan's adzuki bean production, the primary ingredient for this beloved paste. Be sure to visit the expo and find your new favorite anko sweet!

The "Anko Expo" is a popular event that brings together a wide variety of anko sweets. While they all fall under the umbrella of "anko sweets," each is unique—from familiar snacks to expressions of traditional beauty and even innovative creations that explore new possibilities. Here's an introduction to some of the most anticipated shops and their anko delights.

■ Gokatteya Roll: 378 yen / Gokatteya Honpo (Esashi-cho)

Limit 3 per customer

The "Gokatteya Roll," which has a legion of devoted fans, will be made fresh on-site. It features a fluffy cake filled with Gokatteya Honpo's special coarse red bean paste made from Hokkaido adzuki beans.

■ Mame Kinton: 150g, 648 yen / Kashitsukasa Tsujiya (Akita Pref.)

The traditional "Mame Kinton" is a special treat typically made only once a year for loyal customers at the year's end. This beloved local delicacy, essential for New Year's celebrations, is now specially available at the Anko Expo. Enjoy the rich flavor of Hokkaido's O-fuku beans and the smooth texture of the white bean paste.

■ Pandoro (Pistachio An, Fig An, An): 432 yen each / BABBI (Italy)

Pancakes made with Italian brand BABBI's pancake mix are filled with anko blends featuring BABBI's popular pistachio paste and fig sauce.

■ Anko Stand: 30g x 2, 540 yen / Takumi Anko-do (Aomori Pref.)

Choose two types of anko from a selection of 12 event-exclusive varieties and enjoy a taste comparison on top of dorayaki pancakes.

■ Fondant Mizu Yokan -Koicha-: 324 yen / Kashiwaya Tsuchiya (Gifu Pref.)

A dessert-style mizu yokan (soft adzuki bean jelly) with a soft texture, filled with a rich matcha latte sauce.

■ Arashiyama Mont Blanc: 1,296 yen / Kyoto Kinnonohana Saga Arashiyama Store (Kyoto Pref.)

This is Kyoto Kinnonohana's No. 1 most popular Mont Blanc, generously topped with a paste made from roasted chestnuts.

■ Kokuto Seki-no-to Apple Pie: 324 yen / Fukagawaya Mutsu-no-daijo (Mie Pref.)

Limited to 100 per day

An apple pie filled with anko made from baked Kokuto Seki-no-to (a brown sugar confection) and dried apples.

■ Anko Soft Serve Ice Cream: 550 yen / Ginza Kuya Sorairo (Tokyo)

Limited to 200 per day

Anko soft serve, made with Maru-an (a type of anko) using Tokachi adzuki beans and fresh Tokachi milk, is served in a monaka (crispy wafer) bowl.

■ DORACATS: 5 pieces, 2,160 yen / Kitaya Rokuninshu (Tokyo)

Limited to 20 boxes per day

Kitaya Rokuninshu is a brand created by six of Kitaya's most skilled artisans. They've crafted a Western-style dorayaki with a filling of crunchy apple, white bean paste, and cinnamon. The chewy pancake and apple anko are a perfect match. It comes in limited-edition packaging featuring a collaboration with photographer Masayuki Oki.

■ Anko Mushi-pan: 432 yen / Anko Mushi-pan (Butter): 476 yen / Anko-do (Sapporo)

Fluffy steamed buns (mushi-pan) are filled with various types of anko.

■ Hokkaido An-colon Collection: From 381 yen / Boulangerie coron (Sapporo)

A total of six varieties will be available exclusively at the event, including coron's popular "Hokkaido An-butter" made with 100% Hokkaido wheat bread, coarse red bean paste, and various flavored butters, as well as the limited-edition "Coffee An & Fluffy Fresh Cream" bread with a 20-minute shelf life, featuring coffee-flavored anko and fresh cream.

■ Anko Parfait: 701 yen / QINA&Co. x Moiwayama Dango (Tokyo x Sapporo)

A parfait that lets you enjoy traditional Japanese flavors, created by the kinako (roasted soybean flour) and anko sweets brand QINA&Co. and the popular dango (dumpling) shop Moiwayama Dango.

■ AN Choux Cream Trio: 3 pieces, 1,501 yen / Anko no Kachi (Osaka Pref.)

This trio features three types of anko: tsubuan (coarse), koshian (smooth), and kawamukian (smooth, made from peeled beans), each with a different level of sweetness for you to enjoy.

■ Dora Ball Rum Raisin: 540 yen / Hanakanzashi (Osaka Pref.)

Limited to 20 per day

Raisins thoroughly soaked in rum are generously mixed into white bean paste. The alcohol is burned off during heating, so the alcohol content is zero. This is a popular item that is often requested.

■ Tama Monaka: 4 pieces, 1,296 yen / Kameya (Saitama Pref.)

Following last year's popular Tama Dora, this is the second adorable product in the series.

■ Cube Yokan Yokan au chocolat: 4 pieces, 1,620 yen / Takumi Anko-do (Aomori Pref.)

Instead of the typical rectangular bar shape, this yokan is formed into 1-sun (approx. 3cm) cubes. The flavor variations also go beyond the traditional Japanese image.

■ An-butter France: 886 yen / Ginza Kuya Sorairo (Tokyo)

Limited to 150 per day

A soft French bread, about 30cm long, is generously filled from end to end with coarse red bean paste and butter.

■ An-butter Toast: 301 yen / Shirokuma Bakery (Sapporo)

The popular eat-in menu item from the Shirokuma Bakery Cafe on Nango-dori, the An-butter Toast, is making a special appearance at the Anko Expo. Enjoy the classic combination of butter and anko.

■ Mini Fruit Daifuku Set: 3-5 pieces, 1,001 yen / Kakuozan Fruit Daifuku Benzaiten (Aichi Pref.)

Limited to 20 sets per day

A limited-edition product that lets you sample and compare a variety of daifuku in small portions.

■ Seki-no-to Wasanbon: 6 pieces, 648 yen / Fukagawaya Mutsu-no-daijo (Mie Pref.)

A mochi sweet made by wrapping smooth red bean paste (koshian) in gyuhi (a soft mochi) and dusting it with wasanbon (fine-grained Japanese sugar).

■ Mame Daifuku Shio Tsubuan: 3 pieces, 648 yen / Kameya (Saitama Pref.)

A mame daifuku made with carefully prepared, lightly sweetened salted coarse red bean paste using Hokkaido adzuki beans, all wrapped in a soft, white dough made from Niigata's "Wataboshi" rice.

■ Junmai Dango (3 skewers): Mitarashi, Adzuki, Hishio - 778 yen each / Japanese Chestnut - 998 yen / Kashima Kasho Marusan Raho (Ibaraki Pref.)

Made without joshinko flour, the dough is created by steaming and pounding rice, giving it a firm texture and a subtle sweetness.

■ Sanbai Mochi (Small): Red An, White An, Sesame An - 1,242 yen each / Kashitsukasa Tsujiya (Akita Pref.)

A traditional anko mochi from Akita. When you take a bite, you first experience the texture of mochi, and the more you chew, the more the flavor of the adzuki bean paste spreads.

■ Yamadaya Manju: 10 pieces, 1,566 yen / Yamadaya Manju (Ehime Pref.)

A bite-sized manju with smooth red bean paste (koshian) made from carefully kneaded Tokachi adzuki beans. The smooth, melt-in-your-mouth koshian is characterized by its moderate sweetness and pleasant aftertaste.

■ Gokatteya Marukan Yokan: 378 yen / Gokatteya Honpo (Esashi-cho)

The oldest existing "ito-shiki yokan" (yokan cut with a string), bearing Gokatteya's red flag seal. It pairs well not only with tea but also with whiskey and scotch.

■ Peanut Monaka: 151 yen / Nagomi no Yoneya (Chiba Pref.)

An adorable peanut-shaped monaka wafer filled with anko that has sweetened, boiled peanuts kneaded into it.

■ Heiji Monaka: 141 yen / Heiji Senbei Honten (Mie Pref.)

A monaka shaped like the forgotten hat of Heiji, a character from an old tale passed down in Tsu City.

■ Awa Manju: 10 pieces, 1,301 yen / Koike Kashihou (Fukushima Pref.)

A traditional, handmade treat where homemade anko is wrapped in a blend of millet and mochi rice, then steamed. It's fluffy when fresh and chewy when cooled, offering two delightful textures.

■ Shibetsu Yokan Arare Cube: 594 yen / Shibetsu Yokan Honpo (Nakashibetsu-cho)

Shibetsu Yokan is cut into small pieces and the surface is dried. A crunchy texture is followed by the rich flavor of yokan.

■ Kiyome Mochi: 5 pieces, 901 yen / Kiyome Mochi Souhonke (Aichi Pref.)

A traditional famous confection made by wrapping carefully prepared smooth red bean paste (koshian) in soft habutae mochi.

■ Kiku Monaka: 3 pieces, 972 yen / Aoyagi Seike (Tokyo)

An adorable monaka with a wafer shaped like the 16-petal chrysanthemum of the Imperial Seal, generously filled with adzuki kinton-an (a type of sweet bean paste).

■ Kumamoto Ikinari Dango: 221 yen / Kumajun (Kumamoto Pref.)

A local specialty of Kumamoto, made by placing anko on top of a sweet potato, wrapping it in a chewy dango dough, and steaming it.

■ Warabimochi: 346 yen / Kuri Kinton: 346 yen / Tsukinoya (Mie Pref.)

The warabimochi is made with authentic warabi (bracken) starch, kneaded in-store, and filled with smooth red bean paste. The Kuri Kinton from Tsukinoya is rich in flavor, using fresh Rihei chestnuts from Kumamoto. Both are signature items finished by artisans on-site.

■ Coelacanth Tamago: 521 yen / Maison Coelacanth (Miyagi Pref.)

Tokachi adzuki beans are wrapped in pie crust and baked to a fragrant finish. The flavors of butter, Guérande salt, and black sesame enhance the sweetness of the anko in this cute, round, egg-shaped pie.

■ THE PIE -Nama Anko Pie-: 381 yen / QINA&Co. x Moiwayama Dango (Tokyo x Sapporo)

This popular brand, which has been a hit since opening in Nihonbashi, Tokyo in 2020, is making its Sapporo debut. The combination of their signature smooth red bean paste and fresh cream makes this the undisputed most popular item in THE PIE series.

■ Habutae Butter Cheese Sand 5-Variety Assortment: 1 box, 2,700 yen / RUNNY CHEESE (Fukui Pref.)

A popular product featuring Fukui's specialty "Habutae Mochi," flavored anko, and high-quality butter cream.

■ Cup Pancake: 864 yen / Cafe Kanon (Sapporo)

The popular cup pancake from the Kikusui main store has been arranged into a special limited-edition product for the Anko Expo.

■ Nama Donut: 540 yen / Yogashi Kobo Marianna (Sapporo)

The highly popular Nama Donut, sold only once a month at their store in Higashi-ku, is now available in a special anko version exclusively for the Anko Expo.

■ An-butter Dorayaki: 324 yen / Patisserie La Neige (Sapporo)

Limited to 100 per day

A pastry shop's dorayaki, baked by the previous generation's owner. Enjoy the marriage of buttercream made with Hokkaido butter and coarse red bean paste from Tokachi adzuki beans.

"Onuma Dango," a famous souvenir from Onuma in Southern Hokkaido, will also be available.

The "Anko Expo" will be held from Wednesday, October 2 to Monday, October 7, from 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM (closing at 6:00 PM on the final day), at the event hall on the 9th floor of the Odori Building at the Marui Imai Sapporo Main Store. At the venue, Onuma Dango will be sold from October 3 (Thu) to 5 (Sat), and Akafuku will be sold on October 6 (Sun) and 7 (Mon). In addition, there will be a lineup of anko sweets created in collaboration with cafes and restaurants, as well as a Yokan Collection.

With a lineup so extensive it's hard to decide what to buy, come and find your perfect treat!

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