Yoichi Town

Yoichi is located northwest of Sapporo, a 1-hour and 20-minute train ride or a 1-hour and 10-minute drive away. It is also less than 30 minutes by train or car from Otaru. Yoichi flourished as a port city for herring fishing, particularly from the Edo period through the Taisho era (1910s). In addition to fishing, agriculture, especially fruit production, is renowned here, including apples, cherries, grapes, strawberries, and more.

This is where the first Japanese whiskey was produced, now famous worldwide as Nikka Whiskey, founded by Masataka Taketsuru in 1934. The story of Masataka and his wife, Rita, has been featured on NHK morning TV programs. Yoichi is also notable for its wineries, utilizing local grapes.

Moreover, Yoichi is the birthplace and hometown of Japan’s first astronaut, Mamoru Mouri. It’s also the training ground for renowned athletes like Yukio Kasaya, who won the gold medal in ski jumping at the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics, and Kazuyoshi Funaki, who won gold at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. They trained at the Taketsuru Ski Jump Stadium, which was built by Nikka founder Masataka Taketsuru to support young athletes.