Photo/Illutration Rokkatei’s Marusei Butter Sandwich (Photo courtesy of Rokkatei)

A local confectionary manufacturer famed for its Marusei Butter Sandwich cookie that is a favorite souvenir from Hokkaido will open its first overseas store in California in October.

Rokkatei Co., which is based in Obihiro, is widely recognized for its floral paper bag and has outlets only in Hokkaido. It had stuck to the policy of not branching outside Hokkaido since the company was established in 1933. 

And the company says it is not entering the American market for sales purposes but for training employees in customer service. 

The company's Marusei Butter Sandwich, made with butter produced entirely of milk produced in Hokkaido, has been a best-seller since it was launched in 1977.

Rokkatei also offers many popular sweets that locals love, including Daiheigen, a rich buttery madeleine, and Hitotsu-nabe, a “monaka” wafer cake with rice cake inside.

Since there are no outlets outside Hokkaido, many foreign tourists are seen holding the floral paper bags full of sweets at the airport.

OHTANI'S FAVORITE

Recently, the sighting of Shohei Ohtani, a superstar with the California-based Los Angeles Dodgers, holding Rokkatei’s floral paper bag at the stadium created a buzz.

However, no matter how high the sales were, Rokkatei did not make forays outside Hokkaido.

“We do not wish to try too hard to increase the number of outlets or sell our sweets,” says a spokesperson for the company.

Rokkatei has 66 stores in Hokkaido selling products made at three factories in the Tokachi district.

If the company increases the number of stores, production will not be able to keep up, and if it builds more factories, maintaining the products' quality will be a problem. This unbending stance has helped lift the brand image.

The first store to be opened outside Hokkaido and in the United States will be located about 60 kilometers east of Lost Angeles, in Victoria Gardens, a shopping mall in Rancho Cucamonga city.

Some 13 products including the Marusei Butter Sandwich and Daiheigen will be frozen and flown from the factories in Tokachi.

Keeping in mind the preferences of Americans, the company will not send products featuring “anko” (sweet bean paste) or those with nuts whose flavor will change when frozen.

CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGE TO INSPIRE STAFF

Rokkatei is popular overseas and has made inroads among Asian visitors in particular. So why choose the United States then for its first overseas outlet?

The idea to strike out overseas is said to have started 10 years ago. According to the spokesperson, the company is having an increasing number of not only foreign customers but also jobseekers from overseas in recent years.

Although the staff members face situations where language skills are required, training them at the stores in Hokkaido has its limits. Hence the company thought of “training the employees abroad through interactions with people from different cultures.”

Rokkatei plans to send three employees to its store in the United States. However, it will not set a sales target nor is it planning to open more stores overseas. The new outlet will focus on employee training.

“We are certain that by gaining a lot of experience overseas, the employees will help Rokkatei make further progress,” says Fumihide Oda, chief executive of the company.

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