In Hakodate, there is a Trappistine monastery where men are not allowed, and in the neighboring city of Hokuto, there is a "Trappist abbey" of the same denomination.
As the name "Trappist" implies, this monastery produces Trappist butter.
Trappist Abbey
Address: 392 Mitsuishi, Hokuto City, Hokkaido
Access: 30-minute walk from Oshima-Tobetsu Station on the Donan Isaribi Railway, or 50 minutes by rental car from Hakodate Station on National Routes 227 and 228, which are almost a straight shot.
Parking is available in front of the Trappist store if you want to go up to the main entrance of the Trappist monastery, or in front of Ishibetsu Junior High School if you want to take pictures of the tree-lined street and the Trappist monastery.
※ The parking lot of the junior high school is, of course, no parking.
(Tree-lined street)
It will be lined with poplar trees.
It is beautiful as you enter the Trappist Abbey from Route 228 and you can see the main gate beyond the rows of trees.
Whether it is the limitation of the iPhone camera or my skill, it does not convey a fraction of what I actually saw...
(Go to the monastery)
To get to the monastery, park your car in the parking lot of the store and walk up the steep hill.
(in front of the main gate)
Unlike the Trappist Abbey, the Trappist monastery is only accessible up to the main gate.
Looking through the main gate, you can see only a part of the facility where the monks live.
It is possible to visit the inside of the building by making an application in advance (women are not allowed).
I heard that the road from the monastery to the sea is called the road to Rome.
It was cloudy that day, but it would be more pleasant if it was sunny.
(Near the store)
At the Trappist Abbey's store, butter soft ice cream is sold in addition to cookies and butter candies made at the Trappist Abbey.
It tastes delicious with a strong buttery flavor. A piece of butter cookie comes with the soft ice cream, and it goes perfectly with the soft ice cream.
There was also an explanation about Cîteaux and a general description of the Trappist abbey.
I wonder if building and living in a monastery on a harsh land can bring enlightenment.
There were also stone monuments of famous places in Hokkaido.
Unless you visit the interior of the Trappist Abbey, the time required is not very long, but I would recommend you to visit the abbey if you come to Hakodate, because it has a spectacular foreign-like view and delicious soft ice cream.
