Yamanashi Prefecture is blessed with an environment and topography suitable for fruit cultivation, and a wide variety of grapes are grown from summer to fall, including Shinnemuscat and Kyoho grapes. Shimura Grape Research Institute, located in Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi, is not only a grower, but also a father and son who are always trying to develop new grapes and connect the “soil for the future”.

Cultivation of grapes in Yamanashi, the fruit kingdom

Fruit cultivation has flourished in Yamanashi Prefecture since ancient times. The history of grape cultivation goes back as far as the Edo period (1603-1867), when grapes were cultivated as one of the “eight delicacies of Koshu,” the representative fruits of Kai Province. Blessed with well-drained land with long hours of sunshine and a climate with a large temperature difference between day and night, Koshu ranks first in Japan in terms of grape production. Research on cultivation methods and grape variety improvement is also active, and new techniques and varieties are constantly being developed.

One of the leading grape growers in Yamanashi Prefecture is Akio Shimura, representative of Shimura Grape Research Institute, who has a farm in Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, located in the eastern part of the Kofu Basin. While working to improve the grape cultivation he has developed, he has also established his own sales channels while providing technical guidance to growers throughout Japan. He is also engaged in a wide range of initiatives, including his own brand strategy.

Let’s make new grapes!

The name Shimura Grape Research Institute was made famous by its founder and Akio’s father, Tomio Shimura. He is a nationally known leader in viticulture and winemaking. Tomio has developed more than 100 varieties of grapes for both fresh eating and winemaking. He has been involved in the establishment of numerous wineries throughout Japan, and has been awarded honorary doctor of agriculture degrees from several universities in recognition of his achievements in teaching cultivation techniques in Japan and abroad.

After graduating from university, Tomio joined Mann’s Wine Katsunuma Winery in Katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, where he spent 34 years refining his winemaking and viticultural skills. 1986 saw the establishment of Shimura Grape Research Institute, dedicated to the development of new grape varieties suited to Japan’s climate and climate. He introduced many varieties such as “Yuho,” “Queen Seven,” “My Heart,” and “Violet King,” and popularized their cultivation techniques. His new varieties, with their excellent taste and ease of cultivation, quickly became the talk of the town, and he continues to sell seedlings and provide cultivation guidance throughout Japan and abroad, even today under the leadership of his son, Kosei.

The “Black Shock” Spreads to the Grape Industry

My father’s main activities were variety development and consulting, with little focus on commercial cultivation. As the name implies, this farm was a laboratory.”

After taking over from his father, Kosei started the incorporation of Shimura Grape Research Institute in March 2023, and started commercial cultivation of more than 30 varieties in a vast vineyard of about 3.5 hectares. Now, in August, the peak month for sales, they are inundated with inquiries and orders, and by early September, most of the varieties are out of stock.

While many farms are starting to cultivate the Shine Muscat, the farm is focusing on various crosses in order to develop new varieties for the next generation. The new variety “Fuji no Kikki” is the result of their efforts. This is Shimura Institute’s original Black Shine Muscat, a cross between the seedless Shine Muscat, which can be eaten down to the skin, and Wink, which has a beautiful purple-black color, high sugar content, and a refreshing acidity. It has a richer, richer sweetness than the Shine Muscat and a stronger aroma like the Kyoho grape, but with a delicious skin and chunky texture. In a survey conducted by the Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC), it was selected as “the grape I would most like to grow.

Other varieties with the same parentage of the Shine Muscat grape are also gaining popularity, including “Miwahime,” named after a family member and characterized by its red skin, refreshing acidity, and sweetness, and “Yuho,” in which a single grape can grow to the size of a hen’s egg.

Innovations brought by Cheyenne Muscat

The Shine Muscat, the parent of “Fuji no Kira” and other varieties developed by Shimura Grape Research Institute, was introduced about 30 years ago. 1988, the Agricultural Research Institute of Hiroshima Prefecture created a hybrid between “Akitsu 21” and “Hakunan,” and the variety was registered in 2006. The creation of a grape variety that is not only tasty, seedless, and edible down to the skin, but also easy to cultivate, “revolutionized the grape industry,” says Kosei.

Until then, the main grape varieties in Japan were Kyoho (1621 hectares), which had the largest grapes and was excellent in terms of eating quality and sugar content, and Delaware (1627 hectares), which gained popularity as a pioneer in seedlessness through the use of gibberellin treatment. According to statistics from the Japan Federation of Horticultural Cooperative Associations in 2022, the cultivated area has expanded to 1,797 hectares, the largest in Japan.

Do what you can, carefully.

The quality of the grapes differs depending on the grower,” says Akio, who carefully observes the bunches one by one. He says that the grape cultivation process is a continuous process of trial and error, with the emphasis on grape-like aroma and flavor, and harvesting the grapes in their best condition.

The most difficult task is “picking” the grapes, which involves thinning out the grapes in bunches. If left unchecked, the grapes would become too dense and crush each other, preventing the grapes from fully enlarging and adversely affecting the shape and taste of the grapes. Because many farms are growing the grapes, it is important to cultivate them carefully using the knowledge and techniques that have been cultivated over the years,” says Kosei emphatically.

Tinkering with Soil Creates the Future

What I am always focused on is developing varieties on the farm,” says Kosei, whose development is a process of trial and error. When a new variety is developed, it is grafted, and once it has been successfully and stably cultivated, he begins full-fledged seedling production. The process takes about five years.

The goal has remained the same since my father’s time: the development of grape cultivation. Although many varieties have been developed at national research institutes, only a few of them can be grown by farmers in a stable manner in reality. There is a big difference between the environment of a national institute in a laboratory in a test tube and the environment in the field. Therefore, we want to develop grapes that can be grown practically and sustainably through trial and error by our farmers on their farms,” he said.

We would like to share newly discovered techniques and knowledge without holding on to them.” The future of grapes is clear to Kosei and his team, who have been leading the industry for many years.

Sweet grape hospitality

Shimura-Portuguese Laboratory does not sell wholesale, but only through its own direct sales store and online store. During the season, cars with license plates from other prefectures start arriving early in the morning, and long lines form every day. One of the pleasures of the visitors is the Grape Shop Cocolo, a sweets store located inside the facility. In addition to parfaits using various seasonal grape varieties, the shop also offers a wide variety of other grape items such as gelato, juice, and wine.

A popular menu item is the “Parfait with 5 Grapes” (2,600 yen), which includes an abundance of 5 varieties of grapes: Shine Muscat, Fujimutsu, Queen Seven, My Way, and Queen Muscat. The combination of rich vanilla ice cream with balsamic vinegar, crispy fiantine, maple cookie, and mascarpone enhances the sweetness and aroma of the grapes in this luxurious dish.

Shimura Grape Laboratory’s hospitality of “giving visitors the chance to taste Yamanashi grapes on the spot” is one of the reasons why Shimura Grape Laboratory has attracted so many fans.

Spreading “Soil for the Future” throughout the World

Looking around his vast farm, Kosei says, “I would like to continue to promote Yamanashi grapes to the world while continuing development centered on crossbreeding with the Cheinmuscat grape. In recent years, some of his relatives have emerged as potential successors, and he is now focusing on mentoring them for the further development of Shimura Grape Research Institute and the industry. In Japan today, there are many hurdles to registering a trademark for a new variety developed in the private sector. While dealing with such a system, he is determined to “spread the quality and technology of Yamanashi grapes throughout the world, with a view to obtaining patents overseas in the future.

Shimura Grape Research Institute embodies grape production by farmers for farmers. Shimura Grape Research Institute will continue to develop “soil for the future” for the next generation of grapes and their bearers.

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Freshly baked bread

Boulangerie & Cafe Sunny Side opened in 1976, and has continued to be continued to “freshly baked, freshly fried and freshly made” since the beginning. No frozen dough is used, and the bread is made in small batches from early in the morning, making it popular for the very fresh bread. There are 7 locations in Osaka and Hyogo that offer a space to eat, making it ingrained in the local scene.

The main store is located in a shopping center directly connected to the Minami-senri station on the Hankyu Senri line. It is popular with businesspersons who enjoy breakfast or lunch on the terrace, and shoppers who want to enjoy a break, making the store busy from first thing in the morning.

Received Gold Award for curry bread.

About 120 different breads line the shelves daily, from sandwiches to breads that can be eaten as a meal to sweet breads. The choice is almost overwhelming. The most popular is the “rich beef curry bread”. Only a few are fried at a time so that the shelves are always replenished with freshly fried breads. On some days, they can fry up to 50 times in one day. The outside is chewy, a perfect match to the curry filling with large chunks of beef that has stewed for 2 hours. The spiciness is just right to be enjoyed by young and old. Of course, it’s best eaten fresh, but it has a great texture even at room temperature, so many buy more than one to take home with them. Some stores sell up to 1500 during the week and 2600 on the weekends. It was awarded a gold medal at the Curry Bread Grand Prix 2020, western Japan fried curry bread division.

Breads to suit your lifestyle

One of the other reasons the store is so popular is that every bread is quite voluminous filled with delicious fillings, yet are quite affordable. There is a wide range to choose from – “kaku pan” made with quality brown sugar and salt, extra special bread using plenty of butter and fresh cream, bread using brown rice, and French style baguette made from dough that is allowed to rise in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The filling used for the pastries and sandwiches are also made on site. There is a great variety of “cascroutes” which are baguettes filled with ham, vegetables and/or cheese. Continuously developing new products, the shop held a campaign where each of the 7 locations developed their own special flavor of Italian “Maritozzo”. The rum raisin flavor at the main store placed first, with the most number sold, and is now available at all locations.

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MALGA GELATO, located in Noto-cho, Ishikawa Prefecture, is the gelato store of internationally renowned gelato artisan Taizo Shibano.
Actively incorporating high quality local ingredients, he creates gelato every day with a fusion of science and sensibility, with flavors that will thrill the senses.

The best gelato in the world

In Noto Town, located in the northern part of Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula, there is Malga Gelato, the store of gelato maestro Taizo Shibano, who in 2017 became the first Asian to win the world’s top gelato competition.

Mr. Shibano was born in Noto Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, and after graduating from Tokyo University of Agriculture with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, he began his career in his family’s dairy farming business. He began making gelato on his own with the hope that people of all ages would appreciate the taste of local raw milk. Then, in 2000, he opened the “Malga Gelato Noto Main Store,” a gelato store directly operated by the dairy farm in Noto Town. Later, he began participating in gelato competitions in Italy, and came to the conclusion that there is a composition theory behind good gelato. Finally, when he went to the world competition of gelato in Italy in 2017, he became the first Asian to win the world’s top prize.

Science + Imagination for Amazing Taste

Gelato is made by repeatedly mixing milk, sugar, eggs, cream, nuts, chocolate, fresh fruit, and other ingredients, then cooling and hardening the mixture while allowing it to air dry. It is a popular sweet that is simple to make and can be enjoyed at home. However, in the professional world, the ratio of moisture content, solid content, and air content in a delicious gelato is scientifically determined. Within these fixed rules, they use their imagination to create original products by figuring out what ingredients to combine. This is where the gelato maestros show their skills. Knowing this, Mr. Shibano translated thick Italian technical books and studied them. After learning the basics in this way and using his own imagination to create flavors, he won the “Best Italian Craftsman” award two years in a row (2015 and 2016), the Gelato Japan Champion (2015), and in 2017, the overall winner at the Sherbeth Festival 2017 (Palermo, Italy), and the World Champion. He was the overall winner and World Champion.

Mr. Shibano’s gelato is the result of his solid knowledge based on science and his free and flexible imagination. The resulting gelato continues to surprise people in ways they could never have imagined.

A wide variety of flavorful flavors

Mr. Shibano’s gelato is made from local raw milk grown in Noto, a region rich in nature, and other carefully selected local ingredients. His goal is to create gelato that can be felt with all five senses. The company places particular importance on aroma, and while bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients, it also makes full use of several spices, flowers, and extracts to create a complex aroma.

Three of the most popular flavors of Malga Gelato are “Grand Pistachio,” “Noto Salt Pistachio and Orange Vanilla Mascarpone,” and “Pineapple, Apple, and Celery,” Shibano’s creation that won him the world’s top prize.

The “Grand Pistachio” is a mixture of local Okunoto milk and an original pistachio paste roasted at the store. The gentle taste of the milk and the rich pistachio paste are well-balanced, making it an exquisite treat. The “Mascarpone and Orange Vanilla” is a mascarpone gelato with the aroma of orange and vanilla beans, accented with the sourness of berry sauce, creating a rich yet refreshing taste. The “Pineapple-Apple-Celery” is made with cold-pressed ingredients plus lime juice and mint. It is a gem that will shock you with the aroma you feel when you taste its freshness. In addition to these popular flavors, other sweets that make use of local Ishikawa ingredients, such as Kaga-bo hojicha and Kanazawa sweet potato, are also available online for purchase.

Mr. Shibano says that the secret of his impressively delicious gelato is to “knead in a story. The combination of the producer’s attention to the ingredients and the technique used to bring them out in the gelato touches the heartstrings of the person who eats it. In this way, Ishikawa Prefecture offers gelato that no one has ever tasted before.

The key to making gelato that impresses people is to “knead in a story. In other words, we must bring out the rich flavors of the ingredients, which are the result of the producer’s persistence, through the taste of the gelato. We believe that only by doing this can we touch the heartstrings of those who taste our products.

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Semi-self-serve CAFÉ DE H

CAFÉ DE H, which opened in 2019 in a vibrant area of Kanazawa, is a new style of store by world-renowned patissier Hirohiro Tsujiguchi’s LE MUSÉE DE H sweets store in the Hokuriku area. This casual, semi-self-serve style café was born out of the desire to make it easier for customers to enjoy the taste of LE MUSÉE DE H’s sweets.

CAFÉ DE H near Kanazawa’s tourist attractions

Located near Kanazawa’s tourist attractions such as Kenrokuen Garden, museums, and the office district, the café faces the main street connecting Omimachi Market and Korinbo, and has a bright and stylish exterior. The open-plan interior, with its chic color scheme and wood textures, provides a space where customers can enjoy original drinks, sweets, and light meals.

The exquisite “Rigaletto” only available at CAFÉ DE H

One of the most popular items at CAFÉ DE H is the galette, a buckwheat-flour crepe originating in Brittany, which is the restaurant’s specialty. However, this galette is made of an original dough blended with rice flour produced in Ishikawa Prefecture in addition to buckwheat flour, and is named “riz galette. The name “Riz Galette” comes from the French word for rice, “riz. The specialty is the delicious dough that combines the flavorful taste of buckwheat flour with a moist and moist texture. Nakata also praises it as “a superb dish. Each galette is individually baked by a skilled pastry chef and served wrapped with a special ingredient. Some are perfect for lunch or a light meal, such as prosciutto with avocado, juicy sausage, or plump shrimp, while others are a sweet treat filled with fruit and the patisserie’s signature cream. The popular “roasted banana” has a unique flavor with special touches such as caramelizing the entire banana filling. In addition to this exquisite rigalette, many of the menu items make use of local ingredients such as salt from Suzu, Noto milk, and Seiagree healthy eggs.

CAFÉ DE H also offers a wide range of original gifts

The restaurant is equipped with casual and comfortable seating, as well as Wi-Fi and a power supply. All items served in the store can be taken out. In addition to the rigalettes and beverages, the store also offers a variety of easy baked goods that only Cafe de Ashe can provide, including the popular “YUKIZURI,” which is one of LE MUSÉE DE H’s most popular creations.
The café is loved by both workers and tourists in the neighborhood as a relaxing café in a casual atmosphere, and as a store where one can select gifts for loved ones or souvenirs that will please them.

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Cafe bakery popular for its sandwiches

FRANK’S, located near Kintetsu Kosaka Station, is a café-bakery that has been popular for its sandwiches since 1980. In the beginning, the bakery purchased its bread, but in 2012, it began baking homemade bread, and just three years later, in 2015, it represented the Kansai region in the “2nd Bakery Japan Cup,” winning third place in the cooking category from among many other bakeries. The menu offered at that time consisted of three types of sandwiches: “hamburger steak cobbler,” “braised pork belly cobbler,” and “roast beef clubhouse cobbler,” all served on homemade cobbler bread. The judges praised the fluffy and crispy coppé bread with fillings prepared for the sandwiches and seasoned with homemade sauces.
FRANK’S has a showcase of sandwiches, breads, and cakes, as well as a café, but customers are constantly coming and going, and the café is often full, especially in the morning and at lunch time. From “salad sandwiches made with fresh bread,” in which the sweetness and sticky texture of the fresh bread and the taste of the ingredients, such as standard ingredients and vegetables, can be fully appreciated, to “warm filling sandwiches made with thick toast,” which sandwich omelets, thick-sliced beef herre steak, Kurobuta pork loin cutlet, and other items. FRANK’S considers a sandwich to be a “meal,” so not only is it hearty and filling, but it also caters to the gourmet-conscious housewife and college girl. FRANK’S also pays more attention to taste than others, since its main target customers are gourmet-conscious housewives and female college students.

Mixed juice unique to Osaka is also available.

When I asked the waitress what kind of sandwiches she recommended, she told me that the roasted ham and egg salad and fried prawns were popular. Although these sandwiches are orthodox, the aroma and flavor of the handmade fillings on the homemade bread fills your mouth and makes you feel luxurious. In addition, the set salad is well prepared and has a delicious dressing. In addition to coffee, tea, orange juice, cola, and other beverages, mixed juice is also available, which is typical of Osaka. Incidentally, “mixed juice” in Osaka is a mixture of milk, bananas and other fruits, canned mandarin oranges, sugar, and other ingredients mixed together in a blender, and is the soul food of the Osaka people. The cheeseburger, which was created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the restaurant’s founding and offers the true flavor of meat, and gratins are also said to be very popular.

In November 2020, FRANK’S sister store “Frank’s Higobashi” will open. Located in the apparel store “VODKA connecting people,” the store has been selling sandwiches in-store since 2019, but has added a kitchen and started operating as a café, offering a selection of the most popular menu items from the main store They are now offering a selection of the most popular menu items from the main store.

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Lord and Great Tea Master

The 7th lord of the Matsue clan, Fumai Matsudaira, was a central figure for Matsue becoming a town of tea culture. He is locally referred to in a friendly manner as “Fumai-ko” (Prince Fumai) or “Fumai-san” to this day. Fumai is actually his tea master name, the real name was Harusato Dewanomori Matsudaira.
Fumai-ko was very talented in the art of tea, and established the very unique “Fumai School”. He was a student of “Sado” (the way of tea ceremony) before becoming a lord of the Matsue clan, was initiated into the “Sekishuryukri school”, and studied in other schools, before finally reaching a new field with “Fumairyu”.

Fumai school continues to the present day

Tea ceremony in the Fumai school style can be experienced at “Kasentei Yuraku”. Guests staying at the inn can enjoy tea and tea sweets served in a tea room facing a Japanese garden. In an orderly tea room where guests may feel the need to keep good posture, warm hospitality awaits.
Kasentei Yuraku also has a library with books and photographs of the culture of Izumo and the history of Shimane. Guests can educate themselves while having coffee.
It is recommended for stimulating your interest in Shimane.

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A relaxing break for tea

The teahouse at Seiseian is a highly recommended to visit while touring Hagi. Entering the gate of the hermitage by passing under the open-air tea ceremony umbrella, the preserved residence of the Kikuyake family, merchants under the patronage of Choshu clan, can be seen across from Seiseian. This is already charming, but there is additional ambience to be enjoyed by having tasty matcha served in a Hagi-yaki bowl accompanied by Japanese sweets in the teahouse looking out at the Japanese garden. The tea bowls are quite special as well. They are the works of first-class artists such as Kouraizaemon Saka. If you’re lucky, you can enjoy tea with a bowl made by a Living National Treasure. This should wipe away any exhaustion from strolling the streets. Nakata was truly soothed by having tea made by “sado” (tea ceremony) instructor Takiko Morita.

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A break while touring the island

Abiding spirit from ancient times, at Taketomijima, surrounded by red roof tiles and white sand, time seems to flow slowly. This island has been designated as an Important Traditional Buildings Preservation District by the nation in 1987. Authorization is necessary when building a new house, and it must be a single-story house with red tiles. Since the island is made of coral reef, the roads are covered with white sands of crushed corals. Islanders clean up the road every morning, and if the sand becomes decreased, they bring new sand from the beach, so the roads are always kept in beautiful condition. To admire the island which is so beautifully kept, Nakata decided to hop on the ferry boat from Ishigakijima.
On arrival at the island, everyone heads to the village first. If you go past the rental bike and rental motorbike shops to the sea or to the inns, you will find ”Ganjuya” cafe on the way. It looks more like someone’s house, but it is a stylish cafe with tables set up inside and in the garden. It is nice to see they have many variations of sweets such as the famous Blue Seal ice cream, shaved ice, and the parlor’s original cakes and sundaes.
As written in the Staff Diary of this trip, Nakata enjoyed vanilla ice cream and herbal tea here.
There are many magazines, so it is a good idea to have a nice rest while touring around the island.

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