# Tobetsu Trappist Monastery

> Founded in 1896 in Hokuto, the first Trappist monastery in Japan and home to the monks who created its famous butter cookies and candy. The cloister is closed, but the tree-lined approach, the Lourdes grotto and the shop are open to all.

- Prefecture: Hokkaido
- Type: Historic site
- Address: Hokuto, Hokkaido, Japan
- Admission: Free

The Tobetsu Trappist Monastery (officially Our Lady of the Lighthouse) was established in 1896 and was the first Trappist (Cistercian) monastery in Japan. The monks live a cloistered life of prayer, study and farm work, and the dairy products they began making here (butter, butter candy and cookies) are sold across Hokkaido. The interior cloister is closed to general visitors (men may apply in advance for a guided tour; the enclosure is not open to women), but everyone can walk the long approach lined with poplars and cedars, visit the Lourdes grotto and Mary statue on the slope behind, view the brick gate and church exterior, and buy the monastery's products at the shop near the entrance. It looks across Hakodate Bay toward the Trappistine convent on the city side.

## FAQ

### Can anyone enter the Tobetsu Trappist Monastery?

The grounds (the tree-lined approach, the Lourdes grotto, the gate and church exterior, and the shop) are open to everyone for free. The enclosed cloister itself is not a tourist site: men can apply in advance for a guided visit, but the enclosure is closed to women. Please keep quiet out of respect for the monks' life of prayer.

### What is the monastery known for, and how do I get there?

It is famous as the birthplace of the monks' butter candy and butter cookies, sold at the shop and across Hokkaido. From Hakodate, take the Donan Isaribi Railway to Oshima-Tobetsu Station (about 40 minutes), then walk roughly 20 minutes or take a short taxi; by car it is about 50 minutes from central Hakodate.

---
Source: Tobetsu Trappist Monastery — Japan Voyage