JAL, which has bases throughout Japan, has been continuously implementing regional revitalization initiatives (currently the “JAL Furusato Project”), and in August 2020 launched the “JAL Furusato Ambassadors,” cabin crew members selected through an in-house recruitment process who move to the area to promote initiatives in their respective regions. In December of the same year, JAL appointed “JAL Hometown Cheering Troops” who are involved in regional revitalization while serving on board. The aim is to develop products and solve regional issues for hometowns and other regions with which they have connections, utilizing the knowledge they have accumulated as flight attendants.
We spoke with Ms. Chiharu Ishii, a JAL Furusato Ambassador who is involved in promoting the appeal of Arita Mikan Craft Ale at the West Japan Branch Office.
–What can you tell us about your initiatives?
Hello, this is Ishii from Furusato Ambassador West Japan Branch. Do you like craft beer?
We are pleased to introduce “Wakayama Arita Mikan Craft Ale,” an upcycled product made from the juice and rind of Wakayama Arita Mikan oranges.
Arita City in Wakayama Prefecture is famous as “the best mikan producing area in Japan. The mikan oranges grown in the terraced fields, which are bathed in the full blessings of the sun, boast of their freshness and sweetness. During the season, the entire town turns orange, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
Out-of-spec mandarins, or oranges that taste great but are flawed or damaged, account for about 20% of the total production of oranges.
Upcycling activities include the use of juice and peel squeezed from out-of-spec mandarins to reuse what would otherwise be discarded while adding value as a future resource for the region.
–How are you involved in this effort?
Wakayama Arita Mikan Craft Ale” was completed through upcycling activities with the cooperation of a mikan farm in Arita City. We want to make craft beer, which is generally characterized by bitterness, accessible to the younger generation in particular! This is why I was involved in this project.
The finished craft ale has a perfect balance of 20% fruit juice and 3% rind, and is characterized by a pleasant taste with a low bitterness. The taste is refreshing, with the delicious flavor of mandarin orange juice condensed in the mouth, followed by the refreshing aroma of the rind.
If you look closely at the label of Mikan Craft Ale, you will see a rocket and airplane design above a field of mandarin oranges. In fact, Wakayama Prefecture is focusing on the “space industry” as a new industry.
–What are your future plans and prospects?
Wakayama Arita Mikan Craft Ale will be on sale according to the following schedule.
Advance sales: Sold mainly at supermarkets in the Kinki area from February 20, 2026.
Nationwide sales: Scheduled to be rolled out gradually nationwide starting in March 2026.
The label features “Ki-chan,” Wakayama Prefecture’s PR character, along with Arita Mikan! We hope you will pick up a bottle when you see it in stores and enjoy the label, the taste, and the upcycling story.
In addition, Arita’s mandarin oranges have been grown using a method that has been used since the Edo period, and in August 2025, the “stacked stone staircase garden mandarin system in the Arita/Shimotsu area” (terraced fields) was recognized as a World Agricultural Heritage (GIAHS) site.
–What is your message to travelers?
Arita City in Wakayama Prefecture is now tinged with orange. Please visit Arita City during this citrus-scented season.
While tasting Mikan Craft Ale at the site, the town will become even brighter as everyone’s smiles become a tangerine-colored glow as they are exposed to new local initiatives and the bounty of delicious mandarin oranges.
© Source travel watch