Tokachi Wine (Ikeda Wine Castle)

Born from adversity and transformed into triumph, Tokachi Wine represents one of Japan's most remarkable winery success stories. Following the devastating 1952 Tokachi offshore earthquake and successive cold damage, Mayor Kaneho Marutani envisioned hope in wild grapes growing on unused hillside slopes. Despite harsh winters with temperatures plummeting to -20°C, the town embarked on an ambitious revival project. In 1963, the 'Ikeda Grape and Wine Research Institute' achieved its first successful fermentation, marking the birth of Japan's first official municipal wine. The iconic Wine Castle, completed in 1974 and modeled after a medieval European fortress, stands as a proud symbol of resilience and innovation. Through decades of research and development, they created unique grape varieties like 'Yamasachi' and 'Kiyomai' from testing over 20,000 grape varieties, establishing Tokachi as a premium wine region recognized globally.