The Straits Times visits the island to observe the impact of climate change on what has traditionally been Japan’s breadbasket.
SAPPORO Many would think of whisky or fresh milk when it comes to Hokkaido-made beverages.
Add wine to the list. Mr Takahiko Soga’s pinot noirs, meticulously crafted in the terroir of Yoichi that is better known as the home of Nikka Whisky, have achieved cult status among connoisseurs.
The limited-production wines are so popular that one bottle of Domaine Takahiko wine can command thousands of dollars in Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide. The annual harvest in October draws an international pilgrimage of oenologists and sommeliers eager to volunteer on his 4ha field.
The 52-year-old is not native to Hokkaido’s burgeoning wine country. Born into a wine-making family near Nozawa Onsen in mountainous Nagano prefecture, Mr Soga packed his bags for Yoichi in 2009 with nothing but conviction that the town’s potential for high-end wines will only grow as climate change pushed the so-called “wine belt” northwards.
“I took a gamble, and in a sense, I won,” he gamely said.
His wager has paid off spectacularly as a pioneering vintner in Hokkaido, where the number of wineries has tripled to 73 in the decade to May 2025. One in four of them is located in Yoichi, the rapid expansion being a direct consequence of climate change creating surprisingly favourable viticultural conditions.
This is part of the changing face of Hokkaido caused by global warming, altering the types of produce from the island and also affecting the seasons, with more instances of extreme weather events like intense “guerilla rainstorms”, as the Japanese call it, and droughts, especially during summer. Hokkaido endured an exceptionally brutal summer in 2025, with the mercury 3.7 deg C higher than average.
AloJapan.com