Sharing each cluster of grapes with others.
Grapes are like a miniature festival of shared joy!
I visited right in the midst of the harvest!
This event was all about getting more people to try fresh-picked grapes,
and about bringing grapes direct to others, in the truest sense of the word.
This year’s festival was no difference, and had that mindset of shared happiness front and center.
It was right in the midst of a three-day weekend. It was a bit rainy, but people seemed unconcerned, with a huge turnout.
Not only were grapes offered as samples, but there were quizzes to guess the number of grapes in a box, and sweets on offer...
This was truly an event all about grapes!
Lots of regulars who come out each year!
Unfortunately, it was rainy from morning on...
I was a bit worried about the turnout, but when I reached the venue, I realized my worries were unfounded.
The entrance was already brimming with lots of guests waiting to get in. The wide variety of delicious and fresh grapes offered at low prices was enough to bring people out in droves, the rain notwithstanding.
People came in raincoats, ponchos, and boots, fully tricked out for the rain. It was almost like attending an outdoor festival! Everyone expectantly waited for the doors to open.
Being able to try so many different types of grape is the perfect way to find your favorite.
The event organizers also distributed grapes to the guests waiting to get in -- how nice! Are they pondering which grapes to pick up? Or have they already zoomed in on their target?
Once the doors were announced open, people briskly zoomed in and fanned out towards their favorite grapes.
“These are very sweet this year!”
“We recommend the grapes with seeds!”
The booths called out to patrons with these and other calls.
“Before writing your article, try these, try these!”
What could I do? I had to start eating.
Grinning, I dug right in.
There were rich Kyoho Grapes, Nagano Purples, Shine Muscats...
I tried all these, and more.
The Kyoho Grapes are a rarer kind that are seldom seen in shops today.
The fruit around the seeds is somewhat tart, with a gradation in the flavor.
It was so delicious, I found myself unwittingly asking for one more.
“Hahaha! Delicious, right? Sure, here you go.”
These interactions were super fun.
The grape festival is a classic family event!
The venue had lots of families and couples, as well as local seniors.
“Where did you come from?” I asked one group. They said they had come from Tokyo.
We look forward to it every year. It’s become a regular event for us. We’re going to the hot springs after this to relax!”
The kids could be seen stuffing their mouths full of grapes!
This family spanned two generations, and the son and his spouse, who work in Tokushima, had come home to celebrate.
His wife was really getting into the swing of the seasonal events in Shinshu.
Everyone held up large grape bunches for a pose.
There were locals, couples from Tokyo and Miyagi, and more.
It seems people’s love of grapes is boundless!
Everyone seemed to be having a blast at the booths.
The grape festival featured numerous booths for guests to have fun at.
The shaved ice area featured sauces in the different flavors of grape. This was a unique shaved ice available only here!
The children loved the monumental shaved ice that was piled as high as their heads!
This is a real challenge!
Just how many grapes are in this bunch?
Guess the right number and you get a luxury bunch of Shinshu grapes! I decided to try it myself!
The basket contains many kinds of grapes, and you have to guess the grand total.
They each are different sizes and have different cluster formations... it’s a lot tougher than it looks.
I thought about the grapes I had seen on my journey and used that as a guide. May my vote count!
Everyone seemed to be putting some serious effort into it.
The JIMOTO Pocky booth was also all smiles!
There was also a JIMOTO Pocky booth dedicated Shinshu Kyoho Grapes!
Members of Glico distributed samples, hoping to get attendees to try the flavor for themselves.
I helped out, drawing a handheld sign and joining the team.
This product is chock-full of the delicious flavor of the local Kyoho Grapes. Just in time for the season, we wanted to bring it to a wider audience.
My destination was Shichimi Koyokan, a hot springs hotel in the Shinshu Takayama Onsenkyo region, in which there are numerous different hot springs.
When I asked people at the event what their plans were afterward, they all said the same thing: “There are lots of nice hot springs around town, so we are going there.”
Apparently, it’s become a regular route to go from the grape festival to the springs.
In that case, I should follow suit! I made my way up the mountain.
My destination was Shichimi Koyokan, a hot springs hotel in the Shinshu Takayama Onsenkyo region, in which there are numerous different hot springs.
This is a quiet hotel nestled among nature.
Not only are the hot springs popular, but the area is known for being the home of wild tanuki raccoons.
During my reporting, I happened to look outside and see...
Cute little eyes looking back at me!
The waters are dense and white, high in sulfur content.
They warm up your body from the inside out and give your skin a soft hand.
In fall, you can use the outdoor baths and gaze at all of the foliage.
The name of this hotel is inspired by that image of autumn foliage.
I promised myself I would come again in the foliage season.
Apparently, the event began as a way of conveying delicious local flavors to people they cared about.
The grape festival is really a din of activity. I spoke with the chairman of the JA Nagano Sudaka Block division, a charming man who was all smiles and told me about the history of the event and what it means to convey.
This is the fifth year for the event. It got its start by locals as a way of sharing their local products with relatives and persons they cared about living outside of the prefecture, a kind of “care package of grapes.”
The quality and delicious flavor of these local products slowly made its way to people across the nation, and this drew growing interest from all corners in the grapes. Today, people come from all over to attend the event.
Rethinking the value of local production
“People come truly from far and wide, which gives us real motivation to put on the grape festival!” How nice to hear.
In addition to getting ahold of fresh grapes, another great thing about the event is interacting directly with producers.
One major value is the way Nagano’s grapes link people to each other, fostering interactions like “Try these grapes I worked so hard to make!” and “I’ve been looking forward to these!”
In this report, we delved into all aspects of grapes, from their cultivation through to harvesting, and looked at the people, climate, and area. This gives you a sense that behind each and every grape is the vast nature of Nagano and the smiling faces of the hardworking growers on the farm.
In that way, the Shinshu Kyoho Grape JIMOTO Pocky is chock-full of the passion of local Nagano residents.
Now transformed into Pocky, the delicious Kyoho Grapes are bringing Nagano-style happiness far and wide. I hope more people will share these happy moments with each other.
I encourage you to visit the area yourself, grab a stick of Pocky, and see how the Nagano locals are all smiles and full of passion for Kyoho Grapes.
The grape festival was super exciting! I definitely made sure to get some souvenirs to take home!
Through these three installments, I’ve developed an even greater fondness for Nagano and its Kyoho Grapes.
When I see them in the supermarket, I just can’t help but smile.
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