Japan's First Grape Sanctuary Opening Soon in Nagano

Indirectly thanks to a recent road trip, I learned that Japan's first grape sanctuary is set to open in Tomi City in Nagano this month, August 2026. Initially, in August, it is a pre-open with the grand opening planned for September.

I did not know prior to that road trip that Tomi City is one of the true origins of Japan's large-berry (Kyoho) grape culture. The region’s altitude, sunshine, and well‑drained soil create ideal conditions for grapes, and farmers here have been cultivating Kyoho since before the war, refining techniques that later spread across Japan. It is the perfect place for a grape 'sanctuary'. 

The sanctuary is the brainchild of a former engineer who claims his life was changed after tasting a Tomi City grape. So much so, he moved to Tomi and became a grape farmer and started work on the "sanctuary". It is a multi-function facility designed to 'share the taste, emotion, and culture of seeded Kyoho grapes with the world'. It sounds like a very interesting facility and a great excuse for me to revisit Tomi City.