Japan's first full-scale maple syrup production has begun in Ikeda, Tokachi, Hokkaido. Sap is collected in an extensive natural forest owned by ニッタ, then heat-concentrated and made into products by わくっとニッタ using Canadian-style methods.
Japan's first full-scale maple syrup production has begun in Ikeda, in Hokkaido's Tokachi region. The production site is located in a forest owned by ニッタ, where the sap is to be heat-concentrated at the factory into amber-colored syrup.
The business is operated by ニッタ's subsidiary, “わくっとニッタ.” Tubes are installed in Japanese maple and mountain maple trees to collect the sap. After collection, the sap is heated and concentrated using specialized machinery.
The production process incorporates methods from Canada, the leading maple syrup producer, and the company has outlined a policy of expanding domestic production by utilizing Tokachi's natural forests.