The marriage of “land, food and sake”

It’s 150 years since this land was named Hokkaido.
In that pioneer period, and the severely cold winters, did a shot of sake bring hope or a sense of nostalgia?

In response to the demands of the people who lived in this “new world”, many refined sake breweries were established around Hokkaido during the Meiji and Taisho eras. There are currently 12 breweries making local sakes.

In the past, refined sake from Hokkaido was not highly rated. However, now much of it is just as good as – if not better than – those from sake-producing areas outside Hokkaido.

Right now, regional development that’s aware of tourism is proceeding in areas throughout Hokkaido. An important component of that is the appeal of Hokkaido’s food.
Recently, we often hear the word “marriage” used for the compatibility of beverages and cuisine. In Hokkaido, if it is possible to convey the story behind the marriage of regional life (food related industries), cuisine that is born from those ingredients, and the local sake, it should be possible to develop food-based tourism to a greater degree than now.