- Ikeda, Hokkaidō
nihongo|Ikeda|池田町|Ikeda-chō is a town located in Nakagawa District, Tokachi,
Hokkaidō ,Japan .The Tokachi region is the coldest area in Japan, reaching -20 C in the long winters of Hokkaidō. Although the snowfall is considerably less than the western coast of Hokkaidō, the freezing conditions maintain good skating conditions. Speed skating is a popular sport in Tokachi, and Ikeda is known for its championship high school ice skating team. Ikeda's main export is wine. The extreme weather conditions, sometimes a wide difference in a single day, is thought to be the reason for the sweet flavor of the grapes and the many other vegetables grown in the Tokachi region.
Tourist attractions in Ikeda include Happiness Dairy, a local ice creamery and fromage producer. The Wine Castle boasts a five star restaurant and a ferris wheel set on the highest hill overlooking the town. The Wine Festival in October draws several thousand participants from across Hokkaidō and is considered one of the best festivals on the island. Free tours of the winery are given daily.
Ikeda has a train station that connects to the Kushiro bound express train, as well as the local service train through the eastern region, only 30 minutes from Obihiro. Ikeda is considered a rural town, however, it shares the modern construction and progressive atmosphere that distinguishes Hokkaidō from the ancient island cultures of the rest of Japan. Many people speak some level of English and foreigners are well accepted by the local residents. The community center offers traditional martial arts classes as well as computer education classes and modern hip-hop dance classes.
As of
2008 , the town has an estimatedpopulation of 8,132 and a density of 22.47 persons per km². The total area is 371.91 km².It is the sister city of
Penticton, British Columbia ,Canada . Every year an exchange program is offered and either Ikeda citizens spend a week in Penticton, or Penticton students are invited to Ikeda, and allowed to spend a day attending class at the local schools.Notable people from Ikeda
*
Miwa Yoshida External links
* [http://www.town.ikeda.hokkaido.jp/ Official website] in Japanese
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