Tokyo: Japan Wine Country Full Day Tour
- Duration
- 11 Hours
- Prices:
- On request
Today you will join local food and drink expert Fabien Fleury for an adventure to Yamanashi prefecture, Japan's most popular wine country located just outside of Tokyo. Fabien will pick you up at your hotel and will then together you will travel by car to the famous "Budou no Oka" or "Grape Hill" region of Yamanashi.
First stop is Chateau Jun, a winery where you'll enjoy a tour giving you some insight into the cultivation of Japanese grapes. Afterwards, you will enjoy a delicious Japanese lunch nearby.
The next stop on the tour is the beautiful Daizenji Temple. While not only being architecturally beautiful and one of the oldest temple in the area, it is unique in that the Buddha statue enshrined there does not hold a lotus or other common plant associated with Buddhism, but rather a bunch of grapes! A local myth tells the story of how priest Gyoki, who founded this temple, has an apparition of a Buddha holding grapes. Rumour has it that this is how the region came to be known for grape cultivation. Unfortunately the grape-bearing Buddha is only on display once every five years so it is unlikely that you will see him, but rest assured that the temple is very much worth the visit.
The final stop on today's tour is a visit to Maruki Winery, one of the oldest in Japan with a history stretching back to 1877. You will gain some insight into the storage facilities for Japanese wine and will of course have another chance to explore the vineyard (it may be an interesting opportunity to compare the grapes here to those you saw in the morning.) Wine tasting is also included - and we of course encourage you to pick some Japanese wine to take home with you!
At the end of the day, you will be driven back to your hotel. Fabien will part ways with back at your accommodation.
Duration: 11 Hours
Departs: 8 a.m. - Returns: 7 p.m.
From: Tokyo, Hakone or Chiba
