Tobetsu Trappist Monastery

The first Trappist monastery for men in Japan. Famous for its butter and cookies.

About 30 km west of Hakodate, a 20-minute walk from Oshima-Tobetsu Station, is the Trappist Monastery, which belongs to one of the Catholic religious orders. In 1896, when several monks from France first come to this place, the area was a desolate wilderness. Looking now at the scenery from the beautiful hill, one is deeply impressed by the hardships of the monks who pioneered the wilderness of Hokkaido and brought dairy farming and dairy products to the region.