Ikeda town is a small town in the East of Hokkaido

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

. It is in the region of Tokachi

Tokachi Subprefecture

is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan corresponding to the old province of Tokachi. As of 2004 its estimated population is 360,802 and its area is 10,830.99 km².Tokachi-Obihiro Airport is in the city of Obihiro.- Geography :-Towns and villages by district:...

 in the sub region of Nakagawa-gun. Tokachi is blessed with almost year-round blue skies, which results in warm summers and cold winters. In the summer temperatures reach 30 degrees Celsius and in winter up to minus 30 degrees Celsius. The clear skies in winter make perfect ice skating conditions and Ikeda cho is known for producing world class speed skaters. In the 2010 Winter Olympics

2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...

 in Vancouver, a speed skater from Ikeda won a silver medal for Japan. The town has a population of 7,718 as of 2011. The main industry in Ikeda is producing Tokachi wine but there are also livestock and vegetable farming industries.

Population

As of January 2011 Ikeda has a population of 7,718. Like many small towns in Hokkaido, Ikeda has a declining population.

Geography

Ikeda is located in central/East Tokachi. It has an area of 371.91 square kilometres. It is mainly flat, but has some small hills to the North of the town. From these hills can be seen the beautiful Hidaka Mountains

Hidaka Mountains

Hidaka Mountains is a mountain range in southeastern Hokkaidō, Japan. It runs 150 km from Mount Sahoro or Karikachi Pass in central Hokkaidō south, running into the sea at Cape Erimo. It consists of folded mountains that range from 1500 to 2000 metres in height. Mount Poroshiri is the highest...

 on clear days. Ikeda is conveniently close to Obihiro city, which is 25 km to the West. It also has many other nearby towns, Urahoro Cho to the East, and Honbetsu Cho to the North. The Tokachi River

Tokachi River

is a river in Hokkaidō, Japan....

 runs through Ikeda, separating Ikeda Cho and Toshibetsu ward of Ikeda Cho.

History of the town

Ikeda is said to have been first settled in 1879 but organised cultivation began in 1896. In 1926 small villages came together, gaining town status and Ikeda town began.

Transportation

Ikeda is relatively well connected to the rest of Hokkaido by public transport. The Super Ozora express train between Sapporo and Kushiro stops in Ikeda. Therefore, Ikeda has express train links to Sapporo, Chitose, Obihiro and Kushiro. This is especially convenient for accessing New Chitose Airport

New Chitose Airport

, is an airport located south southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō....

. There are also local trains to Obihiro (30 mins) and Kushiro (2 hours.) The town is also connected to North East Tokachi by local bus which travels between Obihiro and Rikubetsu. By car route 38 is useful for accessing Obihiro and the highway to Sapporo is useful for longer journeys.

Places to visit

Ikeda has many attractions for visitors. Many locals speak some level of English and are very welcoming to visitors. The wine castle houses local Tokachi wines and shows visitors the wine making process. You can even taste the local wines or grape juice produced there. The castle also offers a large shop with many different local foods, drinks and crafts from Tokachi and Hokkaido and a restaurant overlooking the town. Every October Ikeda holds its annual wine festival, drawing visitors from all over Hokkaido. For 4000yen you can sample as much Ikeda wine and beef as you like. Its a very popular festival and is Ikeda's main event of the year.

Near to the wine castle is Happiness Dairy, a local cheese and ice cream producer. You can see the dairy making process here, or taste the delicious ice cream at the end of the process. The dairy farm is so popular it has been renamed by locals as 'Happiness Daily.' About 2 kilometres from the station is 'Makiba no ie' a campsite with log cabins available for rent. It also has an Italian restaurant which uses local Ikeda produce. In the summer there is also an outside cafe, play area for children and sheepdog shows. Near to the high school is 'Spinners Farm' a sheep farm where you can learn to spin your own wool or take a wool weaving workshop. Spinners Farm sells good quality wool and local crafts and occasionally also holds art exhibitions. Nearby to Spinners Farm is Moonface Cafe, a cafe and art gallery serving coffee and light lunches. There are also often art exhibitions held there.

Winter Activities

As the winter is so long in Hokkaido, there are many winter activities to keep the locals busy. As the weather maintains good ice skating conditions, there are local free ice skating rinks in the town. There is also an ice curling rink next to the town's community hall. In nearby Makubetsu (5km) there is a small ski hill. Larger ski hills such as Sahoro

Mount Sahoro

is located in the Hidaka Mountains, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the site of the Sahoro Ski Resort.There are two routes up the mountain:* Karikachi Pass route* Sahoro Ski Resort route-References:...

 and Tomamu

Tomamu Station

is a railway station on the JR Hokkaido Sekishō Line. It is located in Shimukappu, Hokkaidō, Japan.- History :* 1 October 1981: Open as * 1 February 1987: Rename to Tomamu Station-Station structure:The above-ground station has two platforms serving two tracks....

 are further away in the Hidaka mountains, but by the expressway they are accessible in under an hour.

International Exchange

Ikeda is the sister city of Penticton, Canada. Every two years there is a visit from students in Canada to Ikeda. They spend a week with local hosts and go to school with local students. There are also two foreign Assistant Language Teachers in Ikeda, who assist local students' English education and help to promote international awareness in the town.

External links

• http://www.town.ikeda.hokkaido.jp/index.html
• http://www.tokachi-wine.com
• http://www.penticton.ca/mainNoHeader.asp