Local guide Satoshi “Chiyo” Chishiro wants visitors to come to Yamanashi for more than just a photo of Mount Fuji or a scramble to its summit. Through personal guided tours, Chiyo endeavors to introduce travelers to the profound impact that the mountain has had on the nature, traditions, and agriculture of the region. For international travelers, one of the most surprising discoveries is that Yamanashi produces some of the best wine in Japan. Visitors in summer will see row upon row of vines heavy with grapes, while winter offers up a stark beauty as the fields slumber patiently, awaiting spring.

Japan is of course most commonly associated with sake, which is made using fermented rice. But the country’s relationship with fermented grapes is no recent affair, having begun at the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912) after Japan opened its borders and began to embrace ideas, technologies, and food from outside, as well as alcoholic beverages like beer and wine. This tour of Katsunuma Winery will illuminate Yamanashi’s history of wine production for you and explore the site’s vineyards, processing facilities, and wine barrel cellar to convey what makes Yamanashi wine so special and unique. The tour culminates in a round of wine tasting in the winery’s stylish tasting room or on its outdoor terrace.

Chiyo’s tour will also take you to the ancient mountainside temple of Daizen-ji in Katsunuma, which overlooks the grapevines of the valleys below. Known as the Temple of the Grapes (Budo-dera), Daizen-ji is home to an unusual statue of Buddha holding a bunch of grapes in his hand, said to have been carved by the temple’s founder based on an image that he witnessed in a dream. Grapes have a longer history in Japan than you might think, having reportedly been introduced in the Nara period (710-794), though their potential for wine-making was not realised for well over a millennium. The tour will also take you through meadows filled with delicate wildflowers as well as Jukai, the Sea of Trees, a forest that grew atop the porous hardened lava left by Mount Fuji’s most recent major eruption in 864.

The idea behind nôtori emerged like so many great ideas do: over a few drinks. Kohei Horiuchi was visiting New Zealand to attend his older brother Moichiro “Mojo” Horiuchi’s wedding and the two brothers soon began reminiscing about Yamanashi. A chef by trade who honed his skills in Japan and France, Kohei wondered whether his talents coupled with his brother’s expertise as a sommelier could do something to showcase the unique charms of their beloved hometown.

The restaurant of nôtori provides a stunning centerpiece to the auberge. Guests are seated along an L-shaped stone counter across from a large picture window that displays the beautiful natural surroundings throughout the seasons. The open-plan kitchen not only allows diners to savor the sights and aromas of their food as it is created, but encourages guests to share stories with the Horiuchi brothers and ask questions about local food and culture as their meals are prepared.

While one of the original ideas behind nôtori was to showcase local ingredients and cooking culture, the Horiuchi brothers decided that a more eclectic approach could result in a more interesting dining experience for their guests. With Kohei having trained and worked in France as well as Japan and Mojo having mastered and plied his trade as a sommelier in New Zealand as well as Tokyo and Hokkaido, the brothers are well placed to add some international flair to the tried and trusted delights of local cuisine.

Fusion really is the word here, but in a much subtler and deeper sense. Rather than simple East-meets-West combinations, meals at nôtori weave together childhood memories made around mom’s table, recollections from their careers and broad travels, and pure creative inspiration. Ingredients vary with the seasons, with over 90% sourced from the local area. Great care is given to every task in the kitchen. Master sommelier Mojo takes pride in his special selection of superb local Yamanashi wines and is alway ready to suggest just the right wine to complement your meal.

While guests are welcome to visit nôtori solely to partake in the restaurant’s carefully crafted meals, the auberge also contains one room where travelers can spend a blissful night in comfort surrounded by natural beauty. While the room is set up for two guests, an extra bed can be prepared to accommodate a third. The glass doors at the foot of the bed look out onto a rustic scene of trees and shrubs that change with the seasons. You can relax outside on the balcony during the warmer months.

As with the food in their restaurant, the Horiuchi brothers have taken great pride in including locally-sourced materials in nôtori’s furnishings and decorations. Local wood from trees cut down during the construction of the auberge is incorporated into the structure of the building and the glassware is made in the Yamanashi region. Locally-made Japanese washi paper is used in creative ways throughout nôtori, adding a sense of homemade artistic inspiration.

Begin your day with an introduction to the lesser-known sights of Mount Fuji with your own local driver-guide. Witness the majesty of red Fuji at sunrise along with the mountain’s reflection on the surrounding lakes in the morning light—a breathtaking scene that will inspire you throughout the day and beyond.

* Visibility of Mount Fuji may vary depending on weather conditions.

Japan is world-famous for the quality and variety of its food, with more and more people from all around the world keen to understand how the country produces such high quality fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish. Two days in Yamanashi with an overnight stay at nôtori with locally-inspired gourmet meals and a private tour with Chiyo through the local flower meadows, forests, and wineries around Mount Fuji is a great way to begin to explore the extraordinary abundance of the region.