Eating everything I want to eat on my first trip to Seicomart.

Everyone has a dream trip.

The author Kotaro Sawaki once listed "Saigon during the Vietnam War," "Berlin in the 1930s," and "a long-term stay in Shanghai in the 1930s" as trips he could no longer take.
All of them are time-space travels that require a time machine. A longing for an era, a land, and a city that one can no longer visit.
The fact that one "cannot go" further stirs up imagination and passion. Everyone surely has such dream trips.

At the same time, a dream trip is also the flip side of "Hey! Go while you can! Just go!!"
The world has become so small that we can go almost anywhere if we want to, but realistically, we cannot go everywhere.
Too short for a belt, too long for a sash. A life that can be used, a life that was not used. Since life is also a journey, the places a person can visit in a lifetime are limited. Choices make the journey, and they make life.

Yes. Before longing turns into a bubble of dreams, if you have a ticket, you grab it. That spirit is what matters. One choice. That single move, that single step, draws the dream trip closer and keeps the dream from remaining just a dream.

My dream.
Where is it that I want to go?

In the modern age, when I imagine traveling around the world, it has become something that is completely played back by Google.
But there must have been a much, much hotter longing in the past. A jump into the world of imagination. An encounter with a primal experience.

I try to grasp the image that is about to break off in my brain... What is this...! Hmm..., well...

Yes, the Manga World Mystery Stories I read in the elementary school library. ...That's it! Do you know it? It's a story where you go on adventures with a child mummy, and you can go to a destination by inserting a key for each place into a mysterious door. How nostalgic! It was so fun to run around the world with the mummy, the bearded old man, and the girl, and I used to read them all the time. So nostalgic.

The pyramids of Egypt, Machu Picchu of the Inca Empire, the Great Wall of China, the Nile River, NASA's space center, caribou in Alaska... what else?

Remember the passion of those days when I was traveling around the world in my imagination...!!

Where I want to go...
Where I want to go...
Where I want to go...

Hmm...!

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That's it! It's Seicomart!!

And so,

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☃️

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Turn 'someday' into 'now'.
When will you do it? Now, of course...! My heart will go on, as Professor Osamu Hayashi shouts.
A family trip for the Sapporo Snow Festival. Thinking it would be tiring to eat out all the time, we decided to stock up on dinner for the second night at Seicomart and eat it at the hotel...!
Are you serious!? I'm serious. A once-in-a-lifetime chance, written as 'serious' but read as 'magi' (serious), has arrived. This is it. This is the only place.

When are you going to grab this ticket?

Now, of course!!!!

🎫

Yahoooo!!
Let's goooo!!!

Here we go!

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Introduction: What is Seicomart?

Seicomart is a local convenience store chain headquartered in Hokkaido. Known by nicknames like Seikoma or Sekoma, it mysteriously has stores in Ibaraki and Saitama prefectures outside of Hokkaido. It's said to be the oldest existing convenience store chain in Japan. Truly the progenitor and the strongest local convenience store.
There are stores with 'Hot Chef,' which features in-store cooking, and many original Seicomart products! It gets me so excited!!!

Every time I saw it featured on variety shows or heard stories from people from Hokkaido or those who had visited, my envy grew. That longed-for Seikoma. My partner, Shiho-san, would always say, 'Seikoma's Napolitan is the best!' (frustrating), and my parents (grandpa and grandma) are Hokkaido travel experts who always said, 'Seikoma is just wonderful' (frustrating). Ahhh! I want to go there someday!!!! The anticipation just kept building.

...And now, it's right in front of me.

I finally visited Seikoma for the first time. And it's the Minami 9-jo branch, directly connected to the headquarters. Rumor has it the Hot Chef selection is insane...!! What, this treatment for my first Seikoma experience...!!! John, are you really sure about this!?!?

It's fine.

Kabira! Brain juice, good fortune, freshly squeezed. Ahhh!! Serotoniiiin!!!!
Just looking at the products lined up is fun. It's the best... It was the best... Welcome, happiness hormones. This is the place!!! What is this, a dream come true...

Furthermore, perhaps because there are many hotels nearby, the Minami 9-jo branch has a great selection of alcohol...! What, is this standard...??? They have Sapporo Classic beer, original Hokkaido craft beers, original wines, and even original craft gin! Is this heaven????

I hesitated to take photos inside the store, so please check the official link above for the atmosphere of Hot Chef!

At such a longed-for Seikoma... I'm releasing the limiter! Each family member is putting whatever they want to eat into the basket!! A landslide of happiness!! Hello New York!! Is today Monday!?!?

This feeling of invincibility is just the best... It's a precious time. I could stay in the store forever!! I want to live here!!! ...Just kidding, I'm hungry!!! I want to eat.

"Thank you very much!"

I headed out into the snow with bags in both hands. It was a blizzard, a complete change from just a moment ago...!! Seriously...!! This is the land that tests you...!! Also, Seicomart bags were free! Why? It's mysteriously amazing!!!!
I waddled back to the hotel like a penguin to avoid slipping, and lined up my treasures.

Gulp. Alright.
I'm going to eat everything I bought, one by one!!!!
(As you may have realized by this point, I will be sending this note with plenty of exclamation marks, please bear with me!!!!)

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Entry No. 1: Katsudon

"Seicomart?" "Katsudon."
Pop-pop-pop-pow, the katsudon that was highly recommended by almost everyone with Seicomart experience, like an echo. It's not just a recommendation; it sits there as a must-have, as if to say, "Well, start with the katsudon..." It has the air of an obvious champion. Wow, it's shining in person, too. Beautiful.

Exactly! Since it's a convenience store rice bowl, it's not crispy, but the meat is just so tender and light! What is this?! So good!!!
The sweet seasoning with a dashi base is also outstanding; it really is the king... Green peas? No, these are pickles. They do a great job too...!!

Gobbled it up. Seicomart, you are fearsome...!!!

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Entry No. 2: Butadon (Pork Bowl)

Sitting next to the king, the katsudon, was the butadon, also with the face of a champion. Hokkaido, this has to be delicious, right?
...Pop. ...The moment I took the lid off, this aroma...!!

That's right. Seicomart's butadon smells like a festival. Ah, this smokiness... Even while in a hotel room in Hokkaido, it transports me back to that distant summer festival where you were.

...Beer, please!!!

🍺

Wait. Is it okay to be able to buy something like this at a convenience store!? Is it legal???
Haa~~~! Why does the faint smell of grilled meat or the scent of charred sauce make me feel so happy... (I know it's probably not, but) it even feels like charcoal fire, this is...!!!

Chomp, so good, what is this?!

🍻

Contrary to the rich, savory sauce, the meat is light and delicious. It's delicious. I mean, it's that katsudon... I knew it. I knew this deliciousness. It's incredibly delicious. If I had a Seicomart in my neighborhood and kept having their daily lunch bowls, I'd just keep getting fatter... Yikes. As expected, Seicomart is formidable...!!!

Since I've gobbled up the two main dishes, next I'm going to attack the side menu! There's still more!!! (Happy)

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Entry No. 3 Fried Chicken

Sorry, just one! One bite!! Give it to me!!!!

My favorite travel note also featured it, the classic of classics, fried chicken. The Seicomart fried chicken I absolutely wanted to buy and eat. I almost missed out on eating it...
The fried chicken that even my second son, who usually loves chicken nuggets and will only eat those, was captivated by from the first bite. He just kept eating it. That was close~~~!!!

The taste of the bite I got was something that seems like it would be common but is actually quite rare... This is delicious...!!
It's not karaage or a convenience store 'XX-chiki', but a dead-on, perfect fried chicken. The spice and the soft, delicious texture of the breading are just so good! This is the kind of thing you put in your basket the moment you walk in, and you'll definitely want to repeat it~~~!!!

I'll definitely buy it again next time I go!!!!
I'll buy two!!!

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Entry No. 4 Hokkaido Potato Fries

Speaking of Hokkaido, it's potatoes. Speaking of potatoes, it's Hokkaido. Speaking of Seicomart, they have Hokkaido potato fries. There's no way I couldn't buy these.

Nom.

Fluffy and with the perfect amount of salt. This is delicious.
I was getting pretty full by this point, so I left about half for later, but when I ate them later, they were still fluffy and delicious even cold. Huh... why???

If you were a middle or high school student, you could have an endless conversation over fried chicken and Hokkaido potato fries... Seicomart must be supporting Hokkaido's club activities and youth...!!!

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Entry No. 5 Japanese-style Tuna Mayo

A classic recommendation from Hot Chef, the Japanese-style Tuna Mayo from the hearty "Big Rice Ball" series. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it's truly heavy and big! It's 1.5 times the size of a regular convenience store rice ball. A fluffy rice ball made with rice cooked in the store. My expectations are high for this one.

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Wow~~~! The kelp really does a great job. It wasn't too heavy, and combined with the fluffiness, I just kept eating it. I mean, my stomach is about to burst, but still!!! Plus, this tuna mayo goes perfectly with Sapporo Classic beer...!!! The ultimate tag team has arrived... Both are going down smooth. Nom nom.

Also, the style of cooking rice in gas pots inside the store is something Seicomart has implemented as a disaster preparedness measure based on past experience. During the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, it seems 95% of the stores in the prefecture operated on their own judgment and sold items like rice balls. Amazing...!

When things are tough, you'd cry if you ate such a fluffy, big, and warm rice ball, wouldn't you?
Seicomart's corporate philosophy is packed into this rice ball that costs XX yen. I received it with gratitude. Delicious!!

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Entry No. 6 Frank Sausage

I knew it.
I knew it, Frank...

Wait, is it grilled? It's grilled to a nice brown color?? You're grilling it, right???
It's slightly fragrant, and the taste is exactly what I imagined—a direct hit. Delicious. The excitement of popping open the dispenser pack...! What is this!!!
Seriously, this must also be a cornerstone of youth... It's the flavor of youth!!!
Fictional memories (delusions) are racing through my brain...

Hey, do you remember the finals of the prefectural tournament? Yeah. We lost, but the frank sausage we ate on the way home from the tournament was delicious, wasn't it... Yeah. Let's stop by Seicomart like we used to and eat some. Sure. Yeah. Hey, shall we go? (Hands held tightly together)

Ah~~~!! If there's a class reunion in Hokkaido, please invite me!!!!

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Entry No. 7: Meaty goodness! Meat Pasta

This chewy texture...
This thickness...
This flavor...

Yes, it's that one from the bento! The one that's soaked in flavor and delicious. It's that one you rarely come across!! You, were you at Seicomart all this time!!!

But it's by no means cheap-tasting; you can really feel the meat, and the tomato sauce has that perfect balance of acidity and umami. Ah, I just want to spread it out. I want to serve it next to a hamburger steak. That's right. Pasta is just a side dish... It slides into my barely-full stomach like a buzzer-beater... Slurp, gulp. This sound revives me (my stomach) again and again...!! Delicious...!!!

According to Shiho-san, the Napolitan is even better than this... This for 128 yen!?!? Are you serious!!! I'm definitely buying the Napolitan next time I go...

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Entry No. 8: Hokkaido Kelp Rice Ball and Natto Roll

While I was distracted by the star attraction, Hot Chef, Shiho-san and her eldest son both properly bought their usual favorites. You know, that sense of security from buying the things you just have to eat. It's just too good.

Nom.

Yum. I had a bite of the Hokkaido kelp rice ball, and it's truly delicious. Sometimes kelp rice balls can be strangely sweet and I get tired of them, but this one really has the flavor of the kelp coming through, and it's not cloying at all—it's delicious.
My eldest son, who has had a small appetite lately, also gobbled up a whole rice ball in an instant. Is it delicious even if it's not made in the store, Seicomart...!! Thank you...!!!

The natto roll was also, according to Shiho-san, who has eaten her way through countless natto rolls as a convenience store natto roll meister, exceptionally delicious. It was so good that it vanished in an instant before I even had a chance to get a bite.

As expected, what a terrifying child...!! Seicomart...!!!

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Entry No. 9: Chocolate Croissant

Man, I'm definitely full now...

Hmm...

Maybe I'll just have one bite and save the rest for tomorrow...

Yeah. Agreed.

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Nom.

I was shocked.
Once I started eating, it was gone.

I know you probably won't believe me, but before I knew it, it was gone. I've caught a glimpse of something terrifying... The Seicomart chocolate croissant was a guaranteed dessert... Open! Yes! My stomach has promptly made room for it.

I really felt that 'separate stomach' effect; it was definitely delicious. I ended up eating a regular croissant too (wait, what?), and the croissant itself is light, not heavy, and incredibly tasty. It smells so much like butter!
*The regular croissant is 148 yen (excluding tax).

I think the bread you eat for breakfast at a hotel while traveling is incredibly delicious, including the atmosphere, but this might have even surpassed what I ate the day before...!
Seicomart, you're even surpassing hotel travel bread...!! You terrifying thing...!!!

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Entry No. 10: Melon Pan

(Mainly my stomach) is being tested... The land of Hokkaido...!!

I'm really full now, at my limit, in 'see you tomorrow' mode, but I still want to have at least one bite... It just looks so good. This big melon pan is calling out to me...!!

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Nom.

...She's right. The balance between the crispy and fluffy textures is perfect—not too heavy, not too sweet, and it leaves you wanting just one more bite. This is the king of sweet breads... seriously. Before I knew it, half of it was gone. No way.

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My stomach is about to burst! ...So, what was everyone's number one choice...!?

Now then,

Thank you for the meal~~~~!!!!!

After eating everything we bought on a whim (we ate the rest of the melon pan and the leftovers the next morning), we rubbed our fully stuffed Seicomart bellies and shared our thoughts. So, what was everyone's number one choice...!!!

Ta-da!!!
This is how it turned out~~~!!
Hot Chef is the best, and there were some unexpected dark horses among the regular items, so we all ate our fill of what we liked. So full!!!

🎉

Seriously, everything was so delicious that I completely overate. I'll probably have an upset stomach tomorrow!! But I have no regrets... I'm satisfied...!
This is it, Seicomart is a festival!!! The excitement, the aroma, and the fun feeling of eating—it's exactly like a festival!!!

The original and strongest local convenience store, Seicomart is truly formidable...!!

That was so much fun...!!
Thank you for the wonderful time, Seicomart!!!

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Conclusion

The land that tests you. It is a paradise. Its name is Seicomart.

There are 1,000 stores in Hokkaido, so if you go to Hokkaido, please, by all means, go on a binge-eating spree at Seicomart! A 24-hour, full-blown festival...!! You'll be blown away...!!!!

That was the best~~~!!!
I want to go again someday, no... I want to go again right now!!! I'm definitely going!!!

See you later!

The end.