Katashimo Winery is located in Kashiwara city, which is Osaka’s best production area of grapes. In addition, the Taihei-ji area was the location of Chishiki-ji temple, which was where Emperor Shomu was inspired to construct the Great Buddha statue in the main hall of Todai-ji temple. There is a sense of history behind all of the old houses of the grape farmers that still stands to this day. The vineyards stretch across the steep slopes, where from the observation deck you can see the cityscape of Osaka, including the Abeno Harukas and the Yamato-gawa river. The grapes grown on their own farm are certified by Osaka prefecture as eco-friendly agricultural products due to their use of organic fertilizers with very little pesticides. The winery storehouse was built during the Taisho era and is registered as a national tangible cultural property. It is also a museum that has an exhibit of winemaking tools (which are registered as cultural property by the city) that were used during the Taisho and Showa eras, and can be viewed when the cafe & bar is open (admission free, open irregularly). From time to time, they offer a reservation-only “Winery Tour” of their factory.