Super Kato Shokai
㈱スーパー加藤商会
Tobacco shop in Kitami, Hokkaido — RYO, cigars, pipes, kiseru & rare cigarettes
Published
Super Kato Shokai (㈱スーパー加藤商会) is the only tobacco specialty shop in Kitami, a mid-sized city in eastern Hokkaido — and one of very few for a wide stretch of the island; the nearest comparable shops are in Asahikawa or Kushiro, both a long drive away. The storefront gives almost nothing away: it sits in an otherwise unremarkable building on Tonden Higashimachi with no obvious tobacco signage, easy to walk straight past — though in a town this size, the building it's in is also the only thing on that block that looks like a shop at all.
Inside, the range is wide for a shop this small: rolling tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, pipe tobacco, kiseru and a shelf of cigarettes running from ordinary Japanese and Chinese brands to genuine rarities, including the German brand Chapman — something we didn't see even at other dedicated tobacco shops.
We visited in December, after a heavy snowfall had left drifts close to two meters high on the street outside — the shop was still open right on time that morning, the clerk having already cleared the snow at the entrance herself. Staff speak Japanese only, so a translation app is worth having ready.
There's no smoking room and no cigarette vending machine on site; the nearest place to light up is the 24-hour ashtray outside the Lawson on Kitami Tokiwacho 3-chome, about a kilometer away. The shop is closed every Wednesday, open the rest of the week from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and — like every tobacco retailer in Japan — sells at the same fixed nationwide prices: budget around ¥800 for a pouch of rolling tobacco and ¥600 for a pack of cigarettes.
Opening Hours
Hours shown in Japan Standard Time.
Amenities
Drinks
A small selection of drinks is sold inside the shop — there is no vending machine at the entrance.
Cigarette Vending Machine
None on site — the shop's own counter has a far wider selection anyway. For how TASPO-locked vending machines work elsewhere in Japan, see our guide to cigarette vending machines in Japan.
Nearest Place to Smoke
No smoking room in the shop. The closest spot is the 24/7 ashtray outside Lawson Kitami Tokiwacho 3-chome, about 1.2 km away (roughly 15 minutes on foot).
Parking
A free lot near the shop with room for about 7 cars, though it isn't confirmed to be reserved for the shop specifically — the bus (see Getting There) is the more reliable option.
What's Sold
The only place in Kitami carrying a genuinely wide tobacco range — from rolling tobacco to kiseru.
Rolling Tobacco (RYO) — Colts, Amsterdamer, Dora, Old Holborn, Ark Royal, Mac Baren, Drum, Spade, Manitou, Golden Virginia and other brands.
Cigarillos — Swisher Sweets, King Edward, Black Stone, Café Crème and Clubmaster.
Cigars — A cigar selection alongside the rest of the range.
Cigarettes — Japanese domestic, Chinese, Western and other imported brands, including rarities like Peace in a can, kretek clove cigarettes, Supasawa, the German brand Chapman, Che, Black Devil, Peel, Captain Black and Joker.
Pipes — A general, mostly entry-level range.
Pipe Tobacco — Rattray's.
Kiseru — Traditional Japanese pipes from standard Japanese brands, with kiseru tobacco including Koiki and Takarabune.
Zippo & Other Lighters — A general assortment, including a Che Guevara design.
RYO Accessories — Filters (Pure brand, several lengths and flavors) and rolling papers, including Zig-Zag.
Getting There
From Kitami Station
About 2.5 km — roughly 30–35 minutes on foot. Taking the bus is faster (see below).
By Bus
Route ⑫Hokko Line (北光線) from the Odori stop — 6 stops to Minami-Odori (南大通), then about 1 minute on foot. Fare ¥270.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Super Kato Shokai the only tobacco specialty shop in Kitami?
Yes — it's the only shop in Kitami selling a genuinely wide range of tobacco rather than a convenience-store rack, and one of very few in this part of eastern Hokkaido; the nearest comparable shops are in Asahikawa or Kushiro, both a long drive away.
Does the staff speak English?
No — only Japanese is spoken at the counter, so bringing a translation app is a good idea.
Is Super Kato Shokai a good place to start rolling your own cigarettes?
Yes — it's well suited to trying new RYO tobacco brands or stocking up on basics, with a wide range of pouches, filters and rolling papers on the shelf, all at Japan's fixed nationwide tobacco prices (around ¥800 for a pouch of rolling tobacco, ¥600 for a pack of cigarettes).
Map
Address
474-14 Tonden Higashimachi, Kitami, Hokkaido 090-0833, Japan
〒090-0833 北海道北見市屯田東町474-14 エクセレンス東