Sapporo Kanihonke
A long-established crab kaiseki restaurant by Sapporo Station, the only branch left in Hokkaido.
piggybackjapan.com
Sapporo Kanihonke
SaveA long-established crab kaiseki restaurant by Sapporo Station, the only branch left in Hokkaido.
Tables and chairs are among the seating, and shoes are sometimes left at the entrance.
MoreWhat kind of place
Sapporo Kanihonke is a long-running Japanese restaurant company built around crab, with branches in the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Tokai and Kyushu regions.
The branch by Sapporo Station is the only one left in Hokkaido: a seven-story building with 460 seats across chairs, tatami and sunken floor tables.
Its private rooms run from ones sized for one or two people up to a hall for 60, since the restaurant takes bookings for everything from celebrations and memorial gatherings to drinking parties and meetings.
Sources and evidence (15)
- You pay after the meal at the checkout counter by the entrance.source
- Credit cards are accepted, along with Japanese tap-to-pay e-money cards and the d Point card (both are Japanese cards you would only have if you signed up in Japan).source
- The restaurant's information for overseas visitors says Union Pay is accepted as well.source
- Some branches offer takeout and taxi delivery.source
- Red king crab, snow crab, horsehair crab and crab hot pot sets can be ordered through the online shop.source
- There is a permanent shop selling crab sushi, plus pop-up sales at events.source
- The official page for the main branch by Sapporo Station lists many private rooms, from ones sized for one or two people up to a hall for 60.source
- The official page for the main branch by Sapporo Station says the whole restaurant is non-smoking.source
- The Kamui children's course, for elementary school age and younger, is six dishes for 2,800 yen including tax: orange juice, rolled omelet, crab gratin, Japanese-style croquette, a thick crab sushi roll and ice cream.source
- The Pirika children's course is five dishes for 1,950 yen including tax, also limited to elementary school age and younger.source
- The Kamui children's course also appears on the Hot Pepper course page for the main branch by Sapporo Station, so it can be ordered at this restaurant.source
- There is tatami seating and sunken floor-table seating, per Tabelog's space and facilities section, and Gurunavi also lists sunken floor-table seats.source
- Gurunavi lists private rooms with doors and walls in both sunken floor-table and standard table styles, and says most of the rooms are the sunken type, seating 2 to 16 people.source
- Hot Pepper's smoking section says every seat is non-smoking with no smoking room, and Tabelog, Gurunavi and Hitosara say the same.source
- The building has seven floors and 460 seats across chairs, tatami and sunken floor tables, and Hitosara's write-up says the banquet hall holds 80 people.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If a long crab dinner with kids worries you, this restaurant near Sapporo Station lets you eat in a private room with a door and walls.
Children in elementary school or younger have their own set courses: five dishes for 1,950 yen, or six for 2,800 yen with crab gratin, a thick crab sushi roll and ice cream, both tax included.
Shoes usually come off at the entrance, and most of the private rooms have sunken floor tables — a low table set over a footwell, so you sit at floor level but your legs hang down.
Booking from overseas means phoning the restaurant, since the online booking sites take reservations only from inside Japan.
On that call you can ask for table-and-chair seating instead; staff write the request down, though they cannot promise it.
Sources and evidence (3)
- Late morning on a weekday, a private room for two: the Juraku course 7,900 yen, crab miso 800, about 20,000 in all.source
- 190 seats; semi-private rooms take 2 to 60. Tatami rooms have sunken hearths so legs hang down. All non-smoking.source
- Kimono-clad staff build the hotpot in a sunken-hearth room: crab sukiyaki 5,200 yen, gratin 1,100, shell miso 1,045.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1Most of the rooms are private ones with sunken kotatsu seating for two to sixteen, each with its own door and walls, so a crab kaiseki dinner still works when a baby makes noise. You take your shoes off at the entrance, and there is tatami seating too. The whole restaurant is non-smoking.You take your shoes off at the entrance and ride the elevator up to the room. Listings say wheelchairs can enter, but with shoes coming off at the door, whether a stroller can be pushed to the table is another matter, so mention the stroller and ask for table or chair seating when you phone to book. Details of what they have for small children have to be asked by phone. Online booking through Hot Pepper and Gurunavi is for within Japan only, so from abroad it is a phone call. It is a five-minute walk from the south exit of JR Sapporo Station, or exit 13 of Sapporo subway station.
- Ages 2-3The children's kaiseki Pirika, for elementary-school age and under, is five courses at 1,950 yen including tax - a smaller order to match a smaller appetite. Most rooms have sunken kotatsu seating, so legs hang down into the well instead of folding under, and each room has a door and walls.Footwear is sometimes taken in at the door; you hand the numbered tag back to the shoe desk on the way out. Requests for table or chair seating are taken when you book. You pay after the meal at the accounts desk by the entrance. Food allergies and vegetarian requirements can be discussed with the restaurant or through the English online support desk. There is no car park - you use the paid ones nearby, and the restaurant covers up to two hours of parking during the meal according to what you spend (bring the ticket).
- Ages 4-6The children's kaiseki Kamui, for elementary-school age and under, is six courses at 2,800 yen including tax: orange juice, dashimaki omelette, crab gratin, Japanese-style croquette, a thick crab sushi roll and ice cream. It appears on the Sapporo Ekimae main branch's own course page, so it can be ordered here. The building has seven floors and 460 seats, with chair seating, tatami rooms and sunken seating.Both Kamui at 2,800 yen and Pirika at 1,950 yen are limited to elementary-school age and under. Book by phoning the branch directly or through Hot Pepper or Gurunavi (within Japan only); you can fix the course in advance or just hold the table. Shoes come off at the entrance before the elevator. The Sapporo Ekimae main branch is the only one left in Hokkaido - the Susukino branch has closed. An English menu is available.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayInside a seven-story building with 460 seats, most of the rooms are private sunken-kotatsu rooms for 2 to 16 people. You may be asked to check your shoes at the entrance, handing the numbered tag back to the shoe desk on the way out.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed1.5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：not checked
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：not checked
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (6)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Indoor / outdoor, High chair, Kids' tableware, Baby food policy
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Late morning on a weekday, a private room for two: the Juraku course 7,900 yen, crab miso 800, about 20,000 in all.
A private room from midday, and nothing but crab
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
190 seats; semi-private rooms take 2 to 60. Tatami rooms have sunken hearths so legs hang down. All non-smoking.
Sapporo Kani Honke, Sapporo Station main branch: live crab since 1985, one minute from the station
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Kimono-clad staff build the hotpot in a sunken-hearth room: crab sukiyaki 5,200 yen, gratin 1,100, shell miso 1,045.
Sapporo Kani Honke, the Sapporo Station main branch
Sapporo Kanihonke · Links & reads ▾
＋ Add a link
Where to go next
With a baby (0–1)
- Sapporo Beer GardenBeer hall & Genghis Khan lamb barbecueStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table1.4 kmGenghis Khan lamb and beer in five restaurants around a red-brick Hokkaido Heritage hall.
- Nemuro Hanamaru Kaiten SushiConveyor-belt sushiStroller friendlyFamily restroom5 min walkA conveyor-belt sushi chain serving Nemuro-caught fish, with seven branches in Sapporo.
- Sapporo Maruyama ZooZooStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table3.7 kmA city zoo where Hokkaido's brown bears and wolves live alongside elephants and giraffes.
- Moerenuma ParkSculpture parkStroller friendlyElevatorFamily restroom8.4 kmAn Isamu Noguchi park with a 52-meter hill and a shallow summer beach.
- Shiroi Koibito ParkChocolate theme parkStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table6.9 kmA chocolate theme park run by ISHIYA, where you watch Shiroi Koibito cookies being made.
For a meal
- Sapporo Beer GardenBeer hall & Genghis Khan lamb barbecueStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table1.4 kmGenghis Khan lamb and beer in five restaurants around a red-brick Hokkaido Heritage hall.
- Nemuro Hanamaru Kaiten SushiConveyor-belt sushiStroller friendlyFamily restroom5 min walkA conveyor-belt sushi chain serving Nemuro-caught fish, with seven branches in Sapporo.
For play
- Moerenuma ParkSculpture parkStroller friendlyElevatorFamily restroom8.4 kmAn Isamu Noguchi park with a 52-meter hill and a shallow summer beach.
- Shiroi Koibito ParkChocolate theme parkStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table6.9 kmA chocolate theme park run by ISHIYA, where you watch Shiroi Koibito cookies being made.
Where it is
2-1-18 Kitasanjo-Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0003source2
Before you go
- The Susukino branch has closed.source
- When you book you can ask for table or chair seating; staff will note the request, but it is not a guaranteed assignment.source
- You may be asked to leave your shoes at the entrance; you are given a numbered tag and hand it back at the shoe desk to collect them on your way out.source
- Since March 1, 2018, discount vouchers and coupons can only be used with cash payment.source
- The Okazaki branch, which is outside Hokkaido, closed in April 2026 (announced on April 2); the branch by Sapporo Station is unaffected.source
More notes (7)
- You book either by phoning the branch you plan to visit, or through the Hot Pepper or Gurunavi booking sites.source
- You can choose your dishes or a multi-course meal in advance when booking, or simply hold a table without ordering ahead.source
- It is open year round; on December 31 only takeout is sold and you cannot eat in.source
- There is no parking lot, so you use the paid lots nearby, and depending on how much you spend the restaurant covers up to two hours of parking during your meal (bring the ticket).source
- Online booking through Hot Pepper and Gurunavi is request-based and limited to users in Japan, so from overseas you book by phone.source
- One visitor's account (November 3, 2021, a man in his 60s) describes taking his shoes off at the entrance and riding the elevator up to a tatami private room on an upper floor.source
- A personal blog account of a visit in August 2024 describes being shown to a booked private room with the crab hot pot already set on the table, and notes that the storefront was clearly aimed at overseas visitors, with many foreign guests out front.source
Basics
- Hours：Sapporo Station main branch: 11:30-22:00 (last order 21:30)source
- Time to allow：1.5 h
- Booking：Book by phoning the branch directly, or through the Hot Pepper / Gurunavi booking sites. Courses can be chosen in advance, a table can be held without ordering, and you can ask for table-and-chair seating when you booksourceOfficial booking site ↗
Basics in detail (10)
Other
- It is a long-established Japanese restaurant built around crab dishes.source
- The top page of the official site says it takes bookings for everything from celebrations and memorial gatherings to drinking parties and group meetings.source
- It is run by SAPPORO-KANIHONKE Co., Ltd.source
- The company has restaurants in the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Tokai and Kyushu regions.source
- In Hokkaido, the main branch in front of Sapporo Station is the only one.source
- The Tomakomai office is the company's buying and sales base, open 9:00 to 16:00.source
Hours and closures
Getting there
- It is a five-minute walk from the south exit of JR Sapporo Station, or exit 13 of the Sapporo subway station.source
Contact
- The phone number of the main branch by Sapporo Station is 011-222-0018.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (8)
- tabelog.com: Elevator, Child entry policy, Tatami seating
- hotpepper.jp: Elevator, Child entry policy, Non-smoking
- hitosara.com: Elevator, Tatami seating
- r.gnavi.co.jp: Tatami seating, Private room
- Official: Private room, Non-smoking
- navitime.co.jp: English support, Child entry policy
- Official: Kids' menu
- hotpepper.jp: Kids' menu
- Official: Allergy support
- Official: main site
A long-established crab restaurant, this is the group's only branch in Hokkaido. The Susukino branch has closed; the others are in Tohoku, Tokai and Kyushu. Seating includes tables and chairs, and shoes are sometimes left with an attendant at the door. Besides the kaiseki courses, crab sushi is sold from its own counters and king, snow and horsehair crab go out by mail order. Allergy and vegetarian questions go to the restaurant or to an English support desk.
| English support | English menu & signs | A map-site listing (Navitime), checked in August 2026, states an English menu is available | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | navitime.co.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | ||||
| Nursing space | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Yes | The restaurant fills a seven-story building; you leave your shoes at the entrance and take the elevator up to the dining floors (noted in visitor accounts, one from November 2021) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hotpepper.jptabelog.comhitosara.com |
| Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Child entry policy | Yes | Children are welcome from babyhood (checked in August 2026 in booking- and map-site listings); for details of equipment for children, the restaurant asks you to phone | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hotpepper.jpnavitime.co.jptabelog.com |
| High chair | Not checked yet | ||||
| Tatami seating | Yes | Tatami rooms and sunken-hearth seating, so legs can hang down (checked in August 2026 in the facility fields of three booking sites) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | tabelog.comr.gnavi.co.jphitosara.com |
| Private room | Yes | From private rooms for 1-2 people to a hall for up to 60; most rooms are sunken-hearth private rooms with doors and walls for 2 to 16. Rooms are limited in number, so booking ahead is recommended | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kani-honke.co.jpr.gnavi.co.jptabelog.com |
| Kids' menu | Yes | Two children's kaiseki sets, for elementary age and under: Kamuy, six dishes with crab gratin and crab sushi rolls, 2,800 yen; Pirka, five dishes, 1,950 yen (tax included) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kani-honke.co.jphotpepper.jp |
| Kids' tableware | Not checked yet | ||||
| Baby food policy | Not checked yet | ||||
| Non-smoking | Completely non-smoking | No smoking room either | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kani-honke.co.jphotpepper.jp |
| Allergy support | Yes | Questions about food allergies or vegetarian meals go to the restaurant or to an English online support desk | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kani-honke.co.jp |
Reviews
Reviews