大善寺（ぶどう寺）

Located in Katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, this is a Shingon Buddhist temple. Legend has it that during the Nara period, the monk Gyoki saw a vision of Yakushi Nyorai (the Medicine Buddha) holding a bunch of grapes in a dream while undergoing ascetic training, which led him to carve and enshrine a statue in that very form. This story is why the temple is affectionately known as the "Grape Temple."

恵林寺

Founded in 1330 with the invitation of the Zen monk Muso Soseki, Erin-ji is a temple of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. It was later revived by the famous Sengoku-period warlord Takeda Shingen as his family's mortuary temple, making it deeply intertwined with the history of the Kai Takeda clan.

勝沼のぶどう畑

Katsunuma in Koshu City is one of Japan's premier regions for grapes and wine. Along the mountain slopes stretch vineyards trained on overhead trellises (tanazukuri), with grapevines spreading directly above your head. This cultivation method is said to have originated back in the early Edo period.

ほうとう

This is a beloved local specialty of Yamanashi Prefecture. Wide, flat noodles made from wheat flour are simmered in a savory miso-based broth along with pumpkin and a variety of other vegetables. Because the noodles are cooked directly in the soup without being boiled first, the broth takes on a rich, pleasantly thick texture.

甲州ワイン

Koshu is a white grape variety native to Japan, grown primarily in Yamanashi Prefecture. Delicious to eat fresh, it is also used to craft fine wine. The area around Katsunuma is especially famous for producing crisp white wines made from Koshu grapes.

枯露柿（ころがき）

These dried persimmons are a winter specialty of Koshu City. Astringent persimmons are peeled and dried, which removes the bitterness and brings out an intense, concentrated sweetness. The white powder on the surface is actually the persimmon's natural sugars crystallizing.