WELCOME TO TAKASAN

The name Kurambon is taken from a short children's story by Kenji Miyazawa, a much-loved and revered Japanese writer from the early 1900's, titled "Yamanashi (Wild Pear)." In the story, Kurambon is a name repeatedly mentioned by the protagonists, two children crab siblings, but it is a character who never appears in the story and whose identity nor what it symbolizes are ever explained. Nozawa, the fourth-generation owner of Kurambon took the name, inspired by Miyazawa who often deals with themes of humans coexisting with nature. Kurambon was founded in 1913. It prides itself in their close relationships with local grape farms. They put emphasis on wines made with Koshu grapes, a grape varietal that goes back a 1000 years. Instead of wines mechanically made, their aim is to create more natural wines where the grapes' transformation to wine is gently aided by wine makers. The mainhouse of the winery is a 140-year old former silkworm farmhouse transported from Makioka, about 6 miles away from Katsunuma. The mainhouse is open to the public for wine tastings, purchasing wine, and is also a reference room. They have their own vineyard a minute-walk from the winery where they grow Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The vineyard became organic since 2007, with no chemical or insecticides. In the first two years they lost half the crop, but since then through trial and error, they are growing strong, healthy grapes. Most grapes in Japan use the pergola training method, but inspired by the owner's French education, Kurambon uses the Guyot approach (vertical trellis system, which reduces yield but increases quality).

Yamanashi Prefecture is located in the middle of Japan's mainland. A short, 90-minute train ride from Tokyo, with famous lakes and surrounded by mountains, Yamanashi is a popular tourist destination. Mount Fuji's north side is also in Yamanashi, where hundreds and thousands visit to climb to the summit. Kurambon is located in Katsunuma, the biggest wine-producing region in Japan.