Hokkaido SPACE Winery
北海道スペースワイナリー
Japan's first shared winery, where independent winemakers split equipment costs to launch their own labels.
Hokkaido SPACE Winery is Japan's first "share winery" — a facility where multiple independent winemakers each hold their own dedicated production space while sharing common brewing equipment, dramatically lowering the capital cost of starting a winery. It was completed in September 2023 in Naganuma, Hokkaido (Yūbari District), about 20 minutes from New Chitose Airport and 40 minutes from Sapporo, a site chosen for its long-term viticultural potential and its convenience for a facility built around bringing people together. The winery was founded by Naoyuki Maro, representative of JAPAN WineGrowers and owner of the MARO Wines label, who left a career as a pharmaceutical company MR in 2014 to pursue winemaking, trained internationally, and won a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 before launching MARO Wines in 2022. Contract members typically sign 3-year terms (1-year contracts are also available) for a private cellar space plus access to shared brewing equipment and winemaking consultation from the JAPAN WineGrowers team at no extra charge. Winemakers who have used the facility include New Zealand-trained talents Theo Coles and Gavin Tait, alongside Maro's own "KOYAMARO" collaboration with Japanese-New Zealand winemaker Takahiro Koyama. Hokkaido SPACE Winery is a full member of the Sorachi Wine Association.
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Who Is This For?
For wine lovers curious about Japan's newest winemaking model, and for fans of small-batch, entrepreneurial Japanese wine projects from winemakers who trained internationally before setting up in Hokkaido.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes Hokkaido SPACE Winery different from a typical winery?
- It's Japan's first "share winery": instead of one producer owning the whole facility, multiple independent winemakers each contract for their own private production space while sharing the brewing equipment, splitting the high upfront cost of winemaking.
- Where is it located and who founded it?
- It's in Naganuma, Hokkaido — about 20 minutes from New Chitose Airport and 40 minutes from Sapporo — and was completed in September 2023 by Naoyuki Maro, founder of MARO Wines and representative of JAPAN WineGrowers.
- How do the shared contracts work?
- Members typically sign 3-year contracts (1-year terms are also available) for a dedicated private space plus access to shared brewing equipment, along with winemaking consultation from the JAPAN WineGrowers team at no extra charge.
- Which winemakers have used the facility?
- New Zealand-trained winemakers Theo Coles and Gavin Tait have worked there, alongside Naoyuki Maro's own MARO Wines and his "KOYAMARO" collaboration with Japanese-New Zealand winemaker Takahiro Koyama.
- Is Hokkaido SPACE Winery part of a wine association?
- Yes — it is a full (正会員) member of the Sorachi Wine Association (空知ワイン協会).