Yoichi, Hokkaido: Tasting wine in the snow and experiencing eternal love

When visiting Hokkaido, besides visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum, don't forget that Hokkaido is also the birthplace of the renowned whiskey NIKKA.

The Yoichi Distillery, not far from Sapporo, is the birthplace of NIKKA. The distillery also houses the former residence of founder Masataka Taketsuru and his wife, Rita, making it a highly recommended attraction.

Taketsuru Masataka initially started out selling fruit drinks produced in Yoichi, which became the Dai Nippon Juice Co., Ltd. (Dai Nippon Juice Co., Ltd.). He switched to selling fruit drinks because whisky brewing takes time. While the whisky was still being brewed, he began selling fruit drinks to support the company and its workers. The name NIKKA comes from the first few characters of the Japanese name, Dai Nippon Kaju (Dai Nippon Kaju).

Interestingly, Taketsuru Masataka was not originally from Hokkaido. He was from Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, a renowned sake-producing area in Japan. Taketsuru Masataka himself comes from a long lineage of sake brewers, so the Yoichi whisky still, continuing the sake brewery tradition, is decorated with bamboo ropes, symbolizing its connection to the sacred shrine and offering sake to the gods.

🚃 Access: The Yoichi Distillery is located approximately a 5-minute walk from JR Yoichi Station. If arriving from Sapporo, you'll need to change to a local train in Otaru. Yoichi is a small station and doesn't accept Suica or other IC cards. However, don't worry: If you enter the station from Sapporo using a Suica, the station staff will process your card and then ask you to pay in cash at Yoichi. You'll also need to pay in cash for the return trip. The train from Otaru to Yoichi runs approximately every hour, so be mindful of your schedule.

🎟️ Admission: Free, but reservations must be made in advance on the NIKKA Yoichi Distillery website.

🚌 Attractions to visit:

(1) "Yoichi Space Memorial Hall": established to commemorate Japan's first NASA astronaut - Mori Mamoru.

(2) "Old Yoichi Fukuhara Fishing Ground", where you can see the remains of the old fishing ground.

📌 Tips:

(1) You can arrive 1 to 1.5 hours in advance and check in with the receptionist at the door. The receptionist will first let you visit the museum and the sales department, and you can also take photos in the park. The museum has a detailed introduction to whiskey, including what is single malt, blended whisky, single cask, and pure malt. You will have a better understanding of the basic concepts before tasting.

(2) There is a paid tasting bar at the back of the museum. You can go there to taste first, and then after the tour, go to the store to buy some wine according to your taste to take home as a souvenir.

(3) It is best to sign up for the morning session, because the store may not sell popular items in the afternoon session. For example, I originally signed up for the 2:00 pm session, but I arrived an hour and a half early. The lady at the door was kind enough to change it to the 1:30 pm session. Even so, many shelves in the store were still empty, and even the large bottles of Yoichi limited edition single malt were sold out.

😋 Food:

(1) For lunch, you can choose to have a Western meal at Rita Restaurant inside the Yoichi Distillery. You can enjoy a whiskey with your meal. A sandwich is about JPY 1,400, and a glass of wine is about JPY 2,000-2,500, which is not too expensive. Or,

(2) You can go to the nearby "Kakizaki Shoten Seafood Workshop" for a Japanese seafood bowl. Kakizaki Shoten is located downstairs in the store, where there is a fish market and a local fruit and vegetable market. The restaurant is on the second floor. You must first queue up at the door to pay, and then enter the store to find a table. After paying, the waiter will give you a number card. When the food is served, raise your hand when your number is called, and the food will be brought to you. Don't worry if you don't understand Japanese. If your order isn't claimed, the staff will switch to English, so you're guaranteed to get your meal. This restaurant is mostly frequented by locals, and many order the grilled fish set meal, which is reasonably priced at 750-1,100 JPY.

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