Starting Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Seven-Eleven stores in Hokkaido, Northern Japan, will launch the “Winter Tourism Fair.” This special event is timed to coincide with the opening of the “2026 Sapporo Snow Festival,” famous as one of the world’s three major snow festivals.
This Snow Festival is a symbol of Hokkaido’s winter, attracting over 2 million tourists from Japan and abroad. Japanese convenience stores (often called Konbini) are known not just as retail shops, but as destinations for high-quality food. To celebrate the festival through food, this fair features menus supervised by famous local restaurants and limited-edition items using ingredients unique to Hokkaido.
The lineup is packed with unique products, such as “Genghis Khan” (mutton BBQ) dishes supervised by the “Sapporo Beer Garden”—a landmark loved by Hokkaido locals—and bread developed in collaboration with a popular local radio program. For tourists, this is a great opportunity to experience Hokkaido’s food culture, and for locals, it’s an event to rediscover the charm of their region. Here is a detailed introduction to the full 7-item lineup and money-saving smartphone app coupons.
Authentic Menu Supervised by Sapporo Beer Garden
The “Sapporo Beer Garden” is a classic sightseeing spot in Sapporo, a restaurant where you can enjoy beer and Genghis Khan in a historic red-brick building. This time, three products supervised by the Sapporo Beer Garden will be released. The appeal lies in easily experiencing the taste of a restaurant at a Konbini.
Sapporo Beer Garden Supervised: Genghis Khan Rice Ball (Omusubi)
- Release Date: Sequentially from Wednesday, February 4
- Price: 198 yen (213.84 yen incl. tax)
- Sales Area: Hokkaido
First up is this Omusubi (Rice Ball). Omusubi is a representative Japanese portable food made by shaping rice into triangles or other shapes. This product uses a special Genghis Khan sauce supervised by the Sapporo Beer Garden. A noteworthy point is that the sauce is mixed into the entire rice portion, not just the filling. No matter where you bite, the umami of the mutton and the sweet and spicy flavor of the sauce fill your mouth. The exquisite balance of acidity and sweetness felt from the first bite is just like authentic Genghis Khan. You can easily enjoy the taste of Hokkaido through Omusubi, Japan’s soul food.
Sapporo Beer Garden Supervised: Genghis Khan Yakisoba
- Release Date: Sequentially from Tuesday, February 3
- Price: 498 yen (537.84 yen incl. tax)
- Sales Area: Hokkaido
Also appearing is a specially crafted Yakisoba (Japanese stir-fried noodles) that recreates the popular menu of “Murahashi,” a restaurant directly managed by Sapporo Beer Garden. The biggest feature is the sauce. By adding spices as a secret ingredient, a deep richness is achieved amidst the sweetness. This yakisoba, where the unique umami of mutton intertwines with the rich sauce, is perfect for lunch or as an appetizer for beer.
Sapporo Beer Garden Supervised: Ramen Salad (Miso Dressing)
- Release Date: Sequentially from Tuesday, February 3
- Price: 258 yen (278.64 yen incl. tax)
- Sales Area: Hokkaido
“Ramen Salad” is a unique cold noodle dish that originated in Hokkaido. This version is finished with a miso-based dressing accented with the aroma of sesame and the spicy kick of chili peppers. Ingredients like cherry tomatoes, shredded cucumber, wood ear mushrooms, and ham mix well with the special dressing and noodles. While it has a rich flavor, it can be eaten refreshingly with vegetables, making it a satisfying dish as either a side menu or a main staple.
“Raw” Melon Pan: A Collaboration with a Popular Radio Program
Two products are also appearing in collaboration with the popular program “Gokigen Yoji” on Hokkaido’s STV radio station. These are “Melon Pan,” a representative Japanese sweet bread. Melon Pan is made by placing sweet biscuit dough on top of bread dough and baking it; it is named for its resemblance to a melon’s shape. These products focus on a moist texture described as “Raw” (meaning fresh or moist-style).
Gokigen Raw Melon Pan (With Furano Melon Sauce Whipped Cream)
- Release Date: Sequentially from Wednesday, February 4
- Price: 198 yen (213.84 yen incl. tax)
- Sales Area: Hokkaido
Hokkaido is famous for its melons. The biggest feature of this Melon Pan is the dough, which has a moist and chewy “Raw” texture. Inside, it is sandwiched with whipped cream using melon sauce from Furano, Hokkaido. You can enjoy the texture of the dough and the rich aroma of melon simultaneously. It offers a new textural experience that overturns the image of traditional Melon Pan, which can sometimes be dry.
Gokigen Raw Melon Pan (With Hokkaido Sweet Potato Paste Whipped Cream)
- Release Date: Sequentially from Wednesday, February 4
- Price: 198 yen (213.84 yen incl. tax)
- Sales Area: Hokkaido
The other flavor features whipped cream containing paste (An, a sweet paste) made from Hokkaido sweet potatoes. This dough also features the moist and chewy “Raw” specification. The natural sweetness of the sweet potato and the richness of the whipped cream show excellent compatibility with the moist dough. We recommend buying both to compare the melon and sweet potato flavors.
Piping Hot from In-Store Cooking! Specialty Hot Snacks
Japanese convenience stores have a “Hot Snacks” corner offering warm food next to the register counter. A taste exclusive to Hokkaido appears here as well. Since the final cooking is done in the store, you can enjoy the texture of freshly prepared food.
Fried Takoyaki (3 pieces)
- Release Date: Sequentially from Tuesday, January 27
- Price: 198 yen (213.84 yen incl. tax)
- Sales Area: Hokkaido
This item has been on sale in advance since January 27. Takoyaki is a Japanese snack where octopus is put into a wheat flour batter and baked into a ball shape. Cut octopus is mixed into the batter, which is seasoned with bonito stock. The key point is that it is deep-fried at the store. The contrast between the crispy, savory outside and the melty inside is a charm unique to freshly fried food. For a body chilled by walking around the Snow Festival, piping hot Takoyaki will be the ultimate treat.
Black Taiyaki (Custard)
- Release Date: Sequentially from Saturday, January 31
- Price: 186 yen (200.88 yen incl. tax)
- Sales Area: Hokkaido
Taiyaki is a traditional Japanese baked sweet in the shape of a fish (sea bream). This product is very unique with its jet-black appearance. Inside, it is filled with rich custard cream from Tokachi, Hokkaido. Because it is finished in the store’s dedicated oven, you can enjoy the chewy texture of the dough and the melting mouthfeel of the hot custard cream. It is the best choice when you crave something sweet.
“Food” Entertainment Made Possible by Local Ties
From the lineup of this “Winter Tourism Fair,” you can feel deep cooperation with local companies and media, going beyond the framework of simple local gourmet.
In the collaboration with Sapporo Beer Garden, high technical skill in commercializing the supervisor’s exacting standards as Konbini products is evident, such as the ingenuity of coating the rice with sauce and recreating the taste of their direct-managed restaurant. The collaboration with the radio program is also a manifestation of the attitude to enliven the entire region by developing products together with media loved by local residents.
Particularly noteworthy is the dedication to ingredients. High-quality ingredients from Hokkaido are used generously, such as the sauce for the rice balls and yakisoba, the Furano melon and sweet potato paste for the Melon Pan, and the Tokachi custard for the Taiyaki. The composition is designed so that tourists can enjoy the “Taste of Hokkaido,” while locals can enjoy a “Taste of Rediscovery.”
A Chance to Enjoy More with the App
Eligible Products and Discount Amounts
- Black Taiyaki (Custard): 20 yen off per item
- Gokigen Raw Melon Pan (With Furano Melon Sauce Whipped Cream): 20 yen off per item
- Gokigen Raw Melon Pan (With Hokkaido Sweet Potato Paste Whipped Cream): 20 yen off per item
Furthermore, coupons for discounts on the Hokkaido-exclusive beer “Sapporo Classic” will also be distributed. Coupons for 15 yen off a 350ml (approx. 11.8 fl oz) can or a 500ml (approx. 16.9 fl oz) can will arrive for four consecutive weeks every Friday starting February 6 (Friday). Enjoying Hokkaido-exclusive beer together with Genghis Khan Yakisoba or Fried Takoyaki is the best combination.
After enjoying the beautiful snow statues at the Sapporo Snow Festival, why not relish the “Delicious Winter” of Hokkaido at Seven-Eleven? Please look for these limited-time flavors at a store near you.
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