[Kodansha Co., Ltd.] The monumental wine manga “Shizuku of God” will hold an unprecedented premium event in collaboration with the national treasure Shinshu Zenkoji! Kodansha Co., Ltd. Press release: January 6, 2025 The monumental wine manga “Kami no Shizuku” is holding an unprecedented premium event in collaboration with the national treasure Shinshu Zenkoji! [Dates: Friday, January 24th, Saturday, January 25th, Sunday, January 26th, 2025] Wine encompasses everything – a history that transcends time and space. The ultimate marriage of tradition and culture!
disseminating the charm of Japan’s history, tradition, and culture to inbound tourists, and is carried out through a collaborative system between the public and private sectors, including Nagano Prefecture and local companies. https://img.youtube.com/vi/s_4EKJg6yw8 /sddefault.jpg <Official website> https://jp.zenkoji-wine-tour.com/
Since the serialization began in November 2004, the unique expressions of wine that make full use of images have gained popularity, and the variety of information and accuracy has attracted not only wine lovers but also industry participants such as wine producers. “Shizuku of God” has received a lot of support. Its popularity transcends national borders, and it has become the driving force behind an unprecedented wine boom in South Korea. In April 2008, publication began in France, the home of wine, and achieved unprecedented sales of more than 10,000 copies per volume. Another hot topic is that the international drama “Drops of God,” starring Tomohisa Yamashita and co-produced and distributed by Japan, America, and France, won the drama series category at the 52nd International Emmy Awards this year.
. On the other hand, Shinshu Zenkoji Temple is said to be the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan, and its main hall was designated as a national treasure in 1953. It is a non-sectarian temple, which is rare in Japan, and has gained a deep and wide faith as a spiritual stronghold of the Japanese people. It is said that you should visit Zenkoji Temple once in your life, and many believers and tourists from all over the country come here to visit Zenkoji Temple. Nagano wine is what connects these (seemingly incompatible) two.
The history of wine production in this region goes back about 130 years, and the important grape variety for Nagano wine, “Ryugan,” also known as “Zenkoji grape,” has been cultivated since ancient times. Originally, grapes were grown around Zenkoji Temple as table grapes, and it is not difficult to imagine that Zenkoji Temple would have freed up farmland for the people at a time when food was not plentiful. The climate, traditions, beliefs, and culture of Nagano have been inherited in invisible ways, and many Nagano wines, including Longan, have acquired a spiritual charm over time. By the way, did you know that Nagano is currently a wine producing region that is attracting worldwide attention? The environment is very suitable for growing wine grapes due to the difference in altitude, long sunshine hours, and little rainfall.Also, with the support of the government (Nagano Prefecture), the winery is small but produces high quality and unique wines. is rapidly increasing. It has won many awards at wine competitions not only in Japan but also overseas, and is now known as Japan’s Burgundy (France’s famous wine region). Image
URL: In this event, in addition to a special ceremony and viewing experience at Zenkoji Temple, at the premium dinner held at the temple and shrine, Karuizawa Marriott Hotel Chef Mitsuhiro Umezu will prepare Nagano Prefecture’s world-famous local ingredients and fermented foods for this dinner. Devise original menus using food. Based on the concept of “delivering the best marriage experience of Nagano food and wine,” Nagano Wine Ambassador/Sommelier Junya Hanaoka selected “NAGANO WINE” to match the original menu. In order to achieve the ultimate marriage, we have produced the ultimate dinner menu and wine pairing under the supervision of Mr. Nao Aki, the original author of the manga “Shizuku of God.” At the wine tasting session with chefs, sommeliers, and the original author of “Drops of God,” the sommeliers carefully selected about 30 bottles of NAGANO WINE to match the dishes and, through repeated discussions, chose the perfect “NAGANO WINE” that would go well with each dish on the original menu. We have selected “NAGANO WINE”. The venue is Zenkoji Temple located in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture. Zenkoji Temple has come to be visited by many people who say, “Visit Zenkoji Temple at least once in your life,” and it is still a famous traditional temple that attracts the faith of many people. You will experience a premium dinner at Zenkoji Daikanjin, which is a temple that protects Zenkoji and has a history and tradition where the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa emperors stayed.
The most notable scene in “Kami no Shizuku” is the scene in which the characters in the story imaginatively express the state of mind they feel when they taste a certain wine by comparing it to
landscapes, paintings, music, etc. It’s a feature. For this event, we asked the original author to create a spin-off story that evokes the image of Nagano wine, and the manga artist to draw an illustration based on that story. It compares Nagano wine to Uemura Shoen’s bijinga. It’s transparent and gorgeous, but it’s also understated, and above all, it’s graceful and delicate. Furthermore, it is said that Zenkoji Temple, which was founded 1,400 years ago and is visited by many people regardless of their sect, allows you to feel the grace and the profoundness brought about by the passage of time. It is said that historical places have a magical power that expands human imagination. Please be sure to pay attention to the special experience event that transcends time and space through the collaboration between “Shizuku of God” and Zenkoji Temple. [Event information] ■Event name: A special tour of the National Treasure Zenkoji Temple with commentary from the chief priest, and experience “NAGANO WINE” x “Fermented Foods” at Zenkoji Temple with “Shizuku of God” Premium Dinner ■Official website: https://jp.zenkoji-wine-tour.com/ ■Date: Friday, January 24th, Saturday, January 25th, Sunday, January 26th, 2025 ■Venue: Zenkoji Temple (40-i, Nagano Motozen-cho, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture) Kodansha Co., Ltd. [Contact information regarding this matter] Kodansha IP Business Department Yoichi Ishimoto Telephone: 03-5395-1013 / 090-8684-1061 Mail: y-ishimoto@kodansha.co.jp