Yoichi Voyage Tips and guide

Yoichi (余市) is a small city in Hokkaido, with two claims to fame: whiskey and ski jumping.

In recent decades, Yoichi has also emerged as Japan's premier cool-climate wine region. Designated as a Special District for Wine in 2011, the area now hosts over 20 wineries producing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling wines. Many young winemakers trained overseas before returning to create innovative wines that pair specifically with Japanese cuisine, establishing Yoichi as a serious contender in the international wine scene.

The local sightseeing association has a Japanese-only guide site, as well as a simpler English site

For comprehensive English-language information about Yoichi's wine region, including all wineries with visiting details and contact information, see this wine directory.

Yoichi is about 70 minutes from Sapporo by train, with a change to the Kutchan Line at Otaru (24 min).

The town center is easily walkable, but wine tourism requires transportation to hillside vineyards. Bicycle rentals are available for visiting nearby wineries, while more distant locations require a car or taxi.

• Nikka Yoichi Distillery. 9AM-3:30PM. Founded in 1934 by the Scottish-Japanese husband and wife duo of Masataka Taketsuru and Jessie Roberta Cowan, the Nikka distillery produces whiskey in the traditional manner, and offers free tours. The distillery is within sight of the main exit from the station, about a three minute walk away. Guided tours are in Japanese. English speakers can tour the distillery with the help of one of the pamphlets printed in English and distributed at the entrance. The distillery makes single malt and blended whiskies. It offers generous free samples and cask-strength samples for a small fee. The store on the distillery's campus sells the locally produced whiskey. Free. (updated Feb 2021)

• Yoichi Ski Jump Museum (2nd floor of Yoichi stn). Yoichi is home to not one but two Olympic gold medalists for ski jumping, Yukio Kasaya and Kazuyoshi Funaki, who are commemorated in this small display above the station. Worth a peek if you have some time to kill before your train. The rather modest facility they trained at is on a hill not far from the city. Free. (updated Feb 2021)

• Winery Tours and Tastings. Some Yoichi wineries offer guided tours explaining the winemaking process, typically in Japanese with some English materials available. Tours often include cellars, barrel rooms, and production facilities.

• Yoichi Wine. Local wineries sell bottles directly, often including limited releases not available elsewhere. Many wines are only sold at the winery or within Hokkaido. Yoichi wines typically range from ¥2,000-8,000 per bottle. Some wineries offer shipping within Japan. The Space Apple roadside station also stocks wines from multiple local producers.
• Yoichi Whisky. Yoichi whisky is considered among Japan's finest, with the distillery's coal-fired pot stills and seaside aging warehouses creating distinctive peated and maritime characteristics. The Yoichi single malt has won numerous international awards and is highly sought after by whisky collectors worldwide.

Try the sea urchin flavored ice cream at the convenience store attached to the station.

• Yoichi wine at local vineyards and bars
• Yoichi whisky at Nikka Yoichi Distillery

• Furubira
• Shakotan
• Niki
• Kyowa
• Kutchan
• Niseko
• Akaigawa
• Otaru
• Sapporo

Sapporo ← Otaru ←

N  S

→ Kutchan → Hakodate