Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

Japan's first Catholic male monastery founded in 1896. Walk along tree-lined paths of Japanese cedar and poplar, and taste monastery-made butter and cookies.
Trappist Monastery, founded in 1896 (Meiji 29), has inscribed nearly 130 years of history as Japan's first Catholic male monastery. On the approach leading to the monastery, tree-lined paths of towering Japanese cedar and poplar stretch for about 200 meters, with sunlight filtering through leaves casting shadows on the ground. Walking along the approach wrapped in silence, only the sound of rustling leaves is heard, and the grounds are filled with sacred air where monastic life of prayer and labor is conducted.
At the shop, you can purchase Trappist cookies, fermented butter, and butter candies made with devotion by the monks. The special soft-serve ice cream with Trappist butter kneaded in spreads rich milk flavor and butter aroma in your mouth, characterized by cold, smooth texture. Behind the monastery, about 20 minutes on foot, is the Lourdes Cave, and on days blessed with good weather, you can view Mt. Hakodate, the Tsugaru Strait, and even the Tsugaru Peninsula beyond. Because it is a male monastery, women cannot enter the interior, but from the tree-lined paths and surrounding walking paths, you can enjoy seasonal scenery and spend quiet time unique to monasteries.