page_title: Ikeda, Hokkaido
section_title: Places to visit
hierarchical_section_title: Ikeda, Hokkaido / Places to visit
caption_attribution_description: English: A cute little wool shop in Ikeda, owned by a sweet old couple.
context_page_description: Ikeda is a town located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
  Tokachi has 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 is known for producing world class speed skaters. In the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, a speed skater from Ikeda won a silver medal for Japan. The main industry in Ikeda is producing Tokachi wine but there are also livestock and vegetable farming industries.
context_section_description: Ikeda has many attractions for visitors, with many locals speaking some levels of English and are very welcoming to visitors. The wine castle houses local Tokachi wines and shows visitors the wine making process. One can also 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 4,000 yen, one can sample as much Ikeda wine and beef as they wish. It is 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. One 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 one can learn to spin his or her 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.
caption: A wool shop in Ikeda
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