Daizenji Taisekiji Temple — Grapes and Autumn Temple

Daizenji Taisekiji Temple, nestled in the Katsunuma wine valley, has an unusual claim: it houses a 1,200-year-old wooden statue of Yakushi Nyorai (Medicine Buddha) holding a bunch of grapes instead of the traditional medicine jar. This unique iconography links the temple to Katsunuma's ancient grape cultivation history — grapes have been grown in this valley since the 8th century, predating Western wine techniques by over a thousand years. The temple has become a pilgrimage site for wine industry workers who pray for good harvests.

The temple grounds feature a massive wisteria trellis (estimated 1,200 years old, matching the temple's founding) that blooms in late April, creating a purple canopy over the entire courtyard. Autumn brings equally spectacular foliage — the temple's Japanese maple trees (over 100 specimens) turn crimson in mid-November, and the temple operates a small café serving grape juice and grape-based sweets during the grape harvest season (September–October).