At its peak, Tokachi was home to more than ten sake breweries.
Since 2010, local business leaders and community members have worked to revive Tokachi’s sake culture
We have the deepest respect for Tokachi, one of Hokkaido’s leading food-producing regions with a strong appreciation for local sake culture.
Our challenge goes beyond creating a new local sake culture in Tokachi.In partnership with Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, we are also committed to developing the next generation of sake brewers.
Together with the university and other regional organizations, we conduct education and research in fermentation science and brewing science,nurturing the next generation of brewers here in Tokachi, Hokkaido.
The name “Hekiungura” was inspired by Hekiun Dormitory, the historic student residence at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine is Japan’s only national university specializing exclusively in agriculture-related fields and has a long history of educating brewers who have gone on to shape Hokkaido’s brewing industry.
Today, many toji and brewers responsible for producing Hokkaido sake are graduates of the university.
Our challenge is twofold: to create local sake that will be cherished in Tokachi, one of Japan’s leading agricultural regions and one of Hokkaido’s leading food-producing regions,and to cultivate the next generation of sake professionals in partnership with Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
We hope to welcome more visitors to Tokachi, a region celebrated for its food, and plan to develop new styles of brewery tours alongside experiences centered on sake and local cuisine.
Japan’s First
A Sake Brewery on a University Campus.
Our brewing water is medium-hard water from the Satsunai River system, which originates in the Hidaka Mountains and has repeatedly been recognized as one of Japan’s clearest rivers.
We use three varieties of Hokkaido-grown sake rice—Suisei, Ginpu, and Kitashizuku—grown by farmers we know and trust.
With respect for the farmers who trust us and for Tokachi’s pure natural water,we brew sake that is loved by the local community and becomes part of the region.
Brewing the Character of the Land
“Tokachi Bare” was revived in 2012 through the Tokachi Sake Culture Revival Project, founded with the goal of bringing back the sake-brewing culture that had once disappeared from the region. With the establishment of Hekiungura, “Tokachi Bare” became a truly Tokachi-made sake, including its brewing, beginning in the fall of 2022.
Sake produced at Hekiungura through the “Sake Brewing Project,” where university students gain hands-on experience at the brewery, is sold exclusively in the region as “Chikudai Sake.” A portion of the proceeds is donated to the university for educational and research purposes.
This is another small step toward making sake that is loved by the community and revitalizing the region.
Loved by the Local Community
A Local Sake, Available Only Here.
Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine traces its roots to the Obihiro Higher Veterinary School founded in 1941,and developed through successive institutions before becoming the university it is today.
With a campus in the heart of the vast Tokachi Plain, it promotes practical educational research in veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, and agriculture.
In 2022, Otaru University of Commerce and Kitami Institute of Technology joined Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine under a single management structure, forming the Hokkaido National Higher Education and Research System to further strengthen education and research and contribute to the development of Hokkaido and the global community.
上川大雪酒造 X
上川大雪酒造 note