Japan: History

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Published 2006

About

Legend has it that grape-growing began at Katsunuma, in Yamanashi prefecture of central Honshu. As the story goes, in the year 718 the Buddha Nyorai passed vines to a holy man by the name of Gyoki, who planted the vines at Katsunuma, where he built the Daizenji Temple.

It was the grape itself, rather than wine, in which the Japanese were initially interested. The monks taught that grapes had medicinal value. The statue of Nyorai, which Gyoki had carved in his honour and which is still housed in the temple today, was named Budo Yakushi (budo meaning grape; and yakushi meaning teacher of medicine) by pilgrims to the temple.

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Japan

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