wine festival

'katsunuma bodou matsuri' katsunuma grape festival:
late and with little money i headed off to what i heard was an all-you-can-drink wine festival.


already nightfall, i somehow made it to the right town by train. had heard something about fire on a hill and asked the taxi driver about it "ok we're here!" he said as i stepped out to find a closed, abandoned temple.

broke and dejected, i started the long, cold walk back to the station.
then suddenly as i saw a small party in the distance and when i stopped to take a photo was invited to join in by some nice japanese grampas who actually owned the winery!


i was saved! all the homemade wine and food i could take!


drinking wine under a roof of fresh grapes!



preparing homemade soba noodles!


fire in shape of a tori gate is lit to pray for a bountiful harvest.
and then... here they come!




i was luckly offered to share a cab the rest of the way back to the station and made great friends with everyone and was invited to come back next year. i'll definately be there!