Shine on, sweet muscat

By Yasushi Wada / Yomiuri Shimbun Photographer

A bunch of Shine Muscat grapes hangs from a vine in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture.

Bunches of Shine Muscat grapes, covered with bags to protect them from insects and disease, wait to be plucked.

Yasumasa Sasaki uses a sugar content meter to check the sweetness of a single grape.

Shine Muscat grapes packaged and labeled with the Hareo brand name, which means "sunny king"

Jelly desserts made with Shine Muscat grapes are available at Tokyo Midtown in Minato Ward, Tokyo.

Muscat from Kurashiki

KURASHIKI, Okayama--Shine Muscat, a variety of grape first cultivated in Japan, is gaining luster as production of the premium-grade fruit expands throughout the nation.

Since the Shine Muscat species was officially registered as a grape cultivar in 2006, the large, sweet, seedless grape with an edible skin has grown in popularity and is now produced in Kagawa, Nagano, Okayama, Shimane, Yamagata, Yamanashi and other prefectures.

Yasumasa Sasaki grows Shine Muscat and other varieties of muscat at his vineyard in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. The prefecture also produces about 90 percent of the nation's Muscat of Alexandria, a yellow-green variety that is perhaps the most widely known in Japan.

He said Shine Muscat grapes are usually shipped from July to September.

"Strong vines give delicious grapes. To make the vines strong, we need to nurture strong roots by combining soft soil with compost," Sasaki said.

Indeed, strolling through his vineyard feels just like walking on a thick carpet.

"Pruning small grapes produces full bunches of well-shaped fruit," Sasaki said. "Muscat grape farmers in Okayama [Prefecture] have finely honed skills in this regard. They raise Shine Muscat grapes that are not only tasty but also look beautiful."

In Tokyo department stores, a bunch of top-quality Shine Muscat grapes sells for 5,000 yen to 10,000 yen.

"They make a good gift, too," Sasaki added.

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