News
I-House is delighted to host a one-night-only event featuring Akiko Freeman and Eiji Daniel Akaboshi of Freeman Vineyard & Winery—an evening to explore the remarkable stories linking wine, people, and I-House.
Freeman wines, produced on the western edges of California , have been served at some of the most distinguished moments in Japan-US diplomacy, including the White House state dinner for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted by President Barack Obama and the official luncheon at the US State Department during a visit by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The winery’s co founder Akiko Freeman moved to the United States alone when she was 19. After completing her studies, she traveled to many of the world’s leading wine regions before establishing Freeman Vineyard & Winery in 2001 with her husband, Ken. Together with winemaker Eiji Daniel Akaboshi, she has produced a long line of highly acclaimed wines.
Both Akiko and Eiji have a special connection to I-House, being descendants of the Iwasaki and Akaboshi families who once owned the land where I-House now stands. Furthermore, Eiji is also related to Kanae Nagasawa, a pioneering winemaker who found success in the United States during the Meiji era.
This special event will trace the intertwined histories of I-House and the people who went on to craft wine in the United States, taking a deep dive into the thoughts and challenges they faced in creating wines that symbolize the links between two countries.
Of course, the evening would not be complete without a tasting session. Guests will have the rare opportunity to enjoy Freeman wines while hearing directly from the people making them.
Join us for a special evening at I-House, when we celebrate a shared heritage of wine, people, and culture.
- Speaker: Akiko FREEMAN, Eiji Daniel AKABOSHI
- Date: Friday, March 6, 2026, 6:30–8:45 pm (including reception)
- Venue: Iwasaki Koyata Memorial Hall
- Language: Japanese
- Admission:
I-House members and one accompanying guest: 15,000yen/person
*Please present your membership card at the reception desk in front of the venue on the day of the event.
*Fee includes networking reception (light refreshments and beverages).
Start of Registration:
Friday, January 30, 12:00 pm
How to Apply:
Online or by phone.
Online: Apply via the link at the bottom of this page (redirects to an external ticketing site).
Phone: 03-3470-9115
Payment Methods:
For online applicants:
Credit card / debit card / prepaid card / bank transfer / convenience store / ATM
For phone applicants:
Bank transfer
*Any transfer fees incurred via bank transfer or convenience store/ATM are the responsibility of the payer.
Cancellation Policy:
As a rule, cancellations after application cannot be accepted. Please be aware of this policy before applying.
Speaker Profiles
Akiko Freeman
A native to Tokyo, Akiko attributes her love of wine to her grandfather, whose influence imbued her with a lifelong passion for the enigmatic beauty of great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
After earning her master’s degree in Italian Renaissance art history from Stanford in the mid-1990s, Akiko traveled throughout Europe and as far as South Africa to explore the great winemaking regions of the world.
Returning to California in 1997, she worked with Ken to realize their longtime dream of establishing a small, family-run winery dedicated to crafting expressive, cool-climate California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Today Akiko’s gifted palate guides every Freeman wine, every vintage. When she and Ken founded Freeman Vineyard & Winery in 2001, she immersed herself in the world of viticulture and winemaking, and apprenticed herself to renowned winemaker Ed Kurtzman.
Akiko now oversees every aspect of Freeman’s winemaking program, from the organic farming of the estate vineyards and the selection of grower partners to fermentations, racking, lot evaluations and blending.
Her vision and refined palate have positioned Freeman as one of the great benchmarks for cool-climate New World wines, while establishing Akiko as a winemaking talent in her own right.
Eiji Daniel Akaboshi
Eiji Daniel Akaboshi has fond memories of his childhood in Chile, watching his father enjoy wine at the dinner table. Years later, while in college, he had a eureka moment when he realized that he could combine his major in biology with his passion for wine by pursuing a career in winemaking.
After earning a master’s degree in enology from California State University Fresno, he began making wine in Napa and went on to gain experience at additional wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties. He has now spent 17 years as a winemaker.
Eiji first encountered Freeman Winery 10 years ago when he tasted the Freeman Pinot Noir and instantly fell in love with it. Now, a decade later, he has become part of the winemaking team, working alongside Akiko and Ken Freeman.
Eiji feels that fate had something to do with his arrival at Freeman; he is a descendant of Nagasawa Kanae, a Japanese immigrant who began making wine in Sonoma County around the turn of the 19th century and played an important role in the growth of California’s wine industry.
In addition to English, Eiji speaks Spanish and Japanese.
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