Love is about accepting the unexpected and continuing to create with someone. - Mr. Ogasawara, PAPA◯FARM

Katano, Osaka.

In this land where grape farmers gather, Mr. Ogasawara of <PAPA◯FARM> has put down new roots.

Born in Hokkaido, he worked in the apparel industry in Tokyo before moving to Osaka upon getting married.

At that time, wanting to start something new, he stumbled upon an agricultural training program, which became his gateway into grape farming.

"I don't think I would have gone into farming if not for that."

For Mr. Ogasawara, who says this, his choices are less about planning and more about the result of going with the flow.

It’s not that I do it because it’s fun

Surprisingly, Mr. Ogasawara says this:

"Honestly, grape cultivation isn't exactly incredibly fun."

Days spent silently facing the fields alone. There isn't an earth-shattering sense of inspiration every single time.

When it comes to the grapes themselves, he says that if you do things properly, the results are consistently decent—they don't really swing between "This is amazing!" and "This is completely terrible!"

Even so, he has never wanted to quit.

"There are tough times, but I can't imagine a future that is 'less fun' than this one."

What’s more interesting is the moment of "creating with someone"

Mr. Ogasawara says he finds more excitement in creating something together with someone else than in the grapes themselves.

As grapes turn into wine or mead, becoming alcohol and passing through people's hands, the same grapes take on entirely different expressions.

"Things that are like products of coincidence are the most interesting."

That is something that could never be created by himself alone.

Embracing failures and irreversible changes

In both agriculture and winemaking, once something happens, it cannot be undone.

If you thin out too many clusters, there's no going back.

Even if fermentation goes too far, it cannot be reversed.

The weather and insects also refuse to do as you please.

"But, accepting that and thinking 'then what shall we do?' is the fun of craftsmanship."

Instead of aiming for perfection, he moves forward alongside the reality of what has happened.

In that, there is a sense closer to trust than to resignation toward nature.

A love for opening up to the community

Mr. Ogasawara envisions a future where he brews wine near his fields and creates a setup where small batches of wine can be made for each of the local grape farmers.

He wants to create a place for those who can no longer continue farming due to old age, building a model where the entire Katano region can thrive.

Though it is a grand ideal, it is an extension of Mr. Ogasawara's sentiment that he "loves creating things with others."

Love is embracing an unexpected future with joy

For Mr. Ogasawara, love means knowing that things won't go as planned and continuing anyway.

It means finding joy in the unexpected changes that arise from connecting with others.

Growing grapes, connecting with people, and opening up to the community.