Harvest Festival in Tochigi a perfect weekend getaway

By Lisa Gay

It’s like hanami in the vineyards. That’s the best way to describe next month’s Harvest Festival at Coco Farm and Winery in Tochigi Prefecture. For 2,000 yen, you get a commemorative glass, a bottle of wine and a corkscrew (or a bottle of juice and a stopper).

“People end up making friends here very easily,” says resident wine consultant Bruce Gutlove. “The way things are worked, everyone is walking around with a bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and a glass. So basically everyone is a walking, self-contained party.”

This is Coco Winery’s 26th annual festival to date. In the first few years, the event was a small affair: a few folding chairs and a crowd of about 800. The only take-home was free boiled potatoes. Now, upwards of 10,000 people a day make the trip to Ashikaga for the food, fun—and, of course, wine.

You may not have heard of Coco, but they’re a bright spot in a country that’s got a well-earned reputation for lousy plonk. And it’s not just their wine that is being talked about—the workers at Coco are an unusual bunch. Nearly all have a mental disability of some sort, but are able to tend the vineyard and make a fantastic wine that helps sustain their community.

This aspect attracted Gutlove to the winery, and no doubt the workers will let off steam and participate in the festivities.

“This isn’t a bucolic autumn day in the vineyards,” he cautions. But since mid-November will be fall’s last hurrah, it’s a good opportunity to get out and have fun before winter forces us all under the kotatsu.

Nov 14-15, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 2,000 yen. Coco Farm and Winery, 611 Tajima-cho, Ashikaga-shi, Tochigi Prefecture. www.cocowine.com

By train: Take the Tobu Isesaki line from Asakusa (1 hour 10 min, 1,940 yen) or Kita-Senju (1 hour, 1,860 yen) to Ashikaga-shi. A shuttle bus will run from the station (300 yen one-way, last bus 4:30 p.m.).

By bus: Direct buses will be running from Tokyo and Saitama to Coco Winery during the festival, departing at 8 and 9 a.m. from Shinjuku-Nishiguchi and Omiya-Nishiguchi stations (5,000 yen round-trip). Call 0284-70-0118 to make a reservation.

This story originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp).

› Login to comment

9 Comments

noborito at 08:44 AM JST - 30th October

This was one of the best tips on this site in months. I want more stories like these.
cleo at 09:21 AM JST - 30th October

The Coco Farm wine is seriously tasty.
sundoor at 02:28 PM JST - 30th October

And it’s not just their wine that is being talked about—the workers at Coco are an unusual bunch. Nearly all have a mental disability of some sort..

The Cooky Coco Bunch? Are they cooky for Cocoa Puffs?
kirakira25 at 02:43 PM JST - 30th October

I would love to go to this but will be 39 weeks pregnant :( ! Maybe if he comes early I can go? Or maybe it would actually be a great way to get him out???! Watch out for a massive gaijin lady staggering around - and not just because of the unbalanced belly and the heels I refuse to give up!
kirakira25 at 02:44 PM JST - 30th October

PS - does anyone think if my waters break there they might give me free wine for life or something???! Just a thought....
cleo at 03:20 PM JST - 30th October

Hate to be a wet blanket, kirakira, but didn't your doctor warn you off the booze during pregnancy and breastfeeding? By all means go and collect your bottle, but keep the cork in until you can celebrate the sprong going onto solids.

Good luck with the birth, by the way!
pawatan at 05:17 PM JST - 30th October

Wow, nice tip! I think I will check it out for sure.
kirakira25 at 06:40 PM JST - 30th October

Hey Cleo,

Yes, of course he did. And by and large I have been a good girl. By and large! I have also been warned off heels, bicycles, belts, Roppongi, driving, sun, pools, overeating, coffee, and instructed by every obaasan on the street that I should be wearing a "Haramaki". But I just have this terrible rebellious streak. It has always been my downfall!

But a party is a party! Maybe I can bring my own Appletize and drink it from the commemorative wine glass? They even do red or white versions!

Thanks for the good luck! Can`t believe I am doing this a third time! In the words of another slightly waacko individual "This Is It!"

BTW - have a FAB Halloween costume this year - I am painting a jack o lantern on my belly with face paint! This should scare the natives!!!
breechan at 03:28 AM JST - 31st October

I went to this in 2007 or 2008 and it was fantastic! Much recommended. Take some warm clothes though. Be prepared to wait in line for the washroom too.

It's a great opportunity for mentally challenged people to socialize and feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment.