Visiting a thousand-year-old "grape temple" in Japan.

This temple is also known as the "grape temple" due to its ancient connections to the country's history of grape cultivation and winemaking. It is also unique in Japan because grapes and wine are offered as gifts, instead of rice wine (sake) as is common at other temples and shrines throughout Japan.

Daizenji, located in the Yamanashi Prefecture about 100 km (60 miles) west of Tokyo, is famous as the home of Mount Fuji and, more recently, as a leading sake-producing region in Japan.

"We offer wine to the gods instead of other offerings," Tesshu Inoue, the 75-year-old head monk, told AFP.

Legend has it that in 718 AD, the then abbot dreamt of the Medicine Buddha appearing with a bunch of grapes in his left hand. Recognizing this as a sign, the abbot began promoting grape cultivation and winemaking among the people of Yamanashi Prefecture, thus giving rise to the grape-growing industry in the region.

Today, the temple still houses a statue of Buddha holding a very large bunch of grapes. Another legend says that the farmer Kageyu Amemiya was the first to start growing grapes in Japan, planting them in this region, but 450 years later, in 1186.

DNA analysis has revealed that koshu – the oldest grape variety grown in the mountains – is a hybrid between a grape species originally cultivated in Europe and a wild Chinese grape. This suggests it may have traveled along the Silk Road on its way to Japan, much like how Buddhism spread throughout Asia.

However, it wasn't until the Meiji era, from 1868 to 1912 – a period marked by a significant interest in the Western world – that wine production truly flourished in Japan. With its fertile land and long history of viticulture, Yamanashi – home to Mount Fuji – has become increasingly renowned and a leading wine-producing region in Japan. The story of Daizenji – the "grape temple" – further enhances the region's appeal.

On the temple's altar, grapes and bottles of wine are offered as gifts. Above them is an ancient cherry wood statue of the Medicine Buddha holding a bunch of grapes, which appeared in the dream of the first abbot. This lacquer sculpture, decorated with gold leaf, is a precious artifact of the temple and is only displayed to the public once every five years. Notably, Daizenji Temple also owns its own brand of grapes and wine.

"Growing grapes and making wine both sow seeds of good fortune," Tesshu Inoue told AFP.

Anh Thi