"We like to think of ourselves as winegrowers, not winemakers. We offer the support that is needed for the grapes to develop naturally. We do the same for our students"
COCO Farm and Winery is situated in Ahikaga, about an hour by train outside of Tokyo. Built upon the above philosophy, it provides lodging, care and employment for over 100 adults with mental disabilities ranging from autism to down syndrome. In the process, they produce some highly complex and very tasty wines that are unique to Japan. The winery:s vintner, Bruce Gutlove, originally came to the vineyard 15 years ago with the intention of staying just six months as a consultant and has been there ever since.
Much credit must be given to Gutlove for his experimentation and unorthodox methods seeing as the conditions for wine making in Japan could never be considered ideal. But as one sits back and sips a Kusho grape varietal and takes in the positive energy that emanates from every corner of the vineyard, one cannot help but consider that the quality of the end product is a result of the integrity and compassion that goes into making each bottle.
COCO Farm and Winery is situated in Ahikaga, about an hour by train outside of Tokyo. Built upon the above philosophy, it provides lodging, care and employment for over 100 adults with mental disabilities ranging from autism to down syndrome. In the process, they produce some highly complex and very tasty wines that are unique to Japan. The winery:s vintner, Bruce Gutlove, originally came to the vineyard 15 years ago with the intention of staying just six months as a consultant and has been there ever since.
Much credit must be given to Gutlove for his experimentation and unorthodox methods seeing as the conditions for wine making in Japan could never be considered ideal. But as one sits back and sips a Kusho grape varietal and takes in the positive energy that emanates from every corner of the vineyard, one cannot help but consider that the quality of the end product is a result of the integrity and compassion that goes into making each bottle.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Hysteric Happy and Smile
"Maybe what she was feeling now was what her civics program had called culture shock. She felt like everything, every little detail of Tokyo, was just different enough to create a kind of pressure, something that built up against her eyes, as though they'd grown tired of having to notice all the differences: the little sidewalk tree that was dressed up in a sort of woven basket, the neon-avocado color of a payphone, a serious looking girl with round glasses and a gray sweatshirt that said *free vagina*. She'd been keeping her eyes extra-wide to take all these thing in like they'd be processed eventually, but now her eyes were tired and the differences were starting to back up."
-William Gibson
Idoru
-William Gibson
Idoru
Labels: Asia, Tuned to a Dead Channel
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Sumo Goes Global
This past Sunday saw six time champion yokozuna Asashoryu from Mongolia beat the Bulgarian sekiwake Kotooshu in a playoff bout to win the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament. The number of foreigners in this traditional Japanese sport has been increasing rapidly over the years with 12 of the current 42 wrestlers in the top makuuchi division being non-Japanese. There is even talk of making it an Olympic sport. Interestingly, when you speak to the locals about sumo they respond with a look of indifference, telling you it is an old man`s sport and doesn't have the same appeal as baseball or basketball. As the sport grows more global, it would indeed seem that the only younger people watching the sport are us gaijin.
This past Sunday saw six time champion yokozuna Asashoryu from Mongolia beat the Bulgarian sekiwake Kotooshu in a playoff bout to win the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament. The number of foreigners in this traditional Japanese sport has been increasing rapidly over the years with 12 of the current 42 wrestlers in the top makuuchi division being non-Japanese. There is even talk of making it an Olympic sport. Interestingly, when you speak to the locals about sumo they respond with a look of indifference, telling you it is an old man`s sport and doesn't have the same appeal as baseball or basketball. As the sport grows more global, it would indeed seem that the only younger people watching the sport are us gaijin.
Labels: Asia
Friday, September 16, 2005
Returning to Asia
We are in the final hours before our flight to Beijing. Plans to blog while on the trip are foggy at best. I may try to fire off a few quick impressions of the digital skylines and cybernetic crowds but I will have to see how it all plays out. As a last blog entry, I leave you with photographer Michael Wolf's website, a series of photographs and collected posters that best represent the contents of my dreams over these last days before my imminent departure. Mata ne.
We are in the final hours before our flight to Beijing. Plans to blog while on the trip are foggy at best. I may try to fire off a few quick impressions of the digital skylines and cybernetic crowds but I will have to see how it all plays out. As a last blog entry, I leave you with photographer Michael Wolf's website, a series of photographs and collected posters that best represent the contents of my dreams over these last days before my imminent departure. Mata ne.
Labels: Asia, Travel, World at Large
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Dining out in China
If anyone has any recommendations for restaurants that we should be checking out while in Shanghai, it would be great to hear from you. At the moment, the plan is to check out Cloud Nine for the view at the very least. The other restaurant that caught my eye is Tou Ming Si Kao which looks like something straight out of a Wong Kar Wai movie. As for Beijing, we will probably take most of our meals at the night market. Mmmm...deep fried scorpion.
If anyone has any recommendations for restaurants that we should be checking out while in Shanghai, it would be great to hear from you. At the moment, the plan is to check out Cloud Nine for the view at the very least. The other restaurant that caught my eye is Tou Ming Si Kao which looks like something straight out of a Wong Kar Wai movie. As for Beijing, we will probably take most of our meals at the night market. Mmmm...deep fried scorpion.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
How to Bow
Jane and I are heading to Asia this Friday so we have been busy doing a ton of reading and research not mention brushing up on our etiquette skills. This site, how-to-bow.com is quirky and bizarre and deadly accurate when it comes to Japanese do's and don'ts. (via Coudal)
Jane and I are heading to Asia this Friday so we have been busy doing a ton of reading and research not mention brushing up on our etiquette skills. This site, how-to-bow.com is quirky and bizarre and deadly accurate when it comes to Japanese do's and don'ts. (via Coudal)Labels: Asia
Saturday, September 10, 2005
New Franz Ferdinand Leaked
It seems a few tracks have leaked out into the blogosphere from Franz Ferdinand's highly anticipated sophomore effort due out October 4th. The video for their first single "Do You Want To" can be viewed here.
It seems a few tracks have leaked out into the blogosphere from Franz Ferdinand's highly anticipated sophomore effort due out October 4th. The video for their first single "Do You Want To" can be viewed here.
Labels: Music
