While the French still produce and consume the most wine per capita, Japan is continuing to grow as one of the biggest wine markets in the world — and they’re not afraid to show their passion for the beverage.
It’s one thing to drink wine, but it’s another altogether to have it poured freely into a pool, into your cupped hands, and over your head.
Nonetheless, that’s just what happened at a hot-springs resort in the Japanese city of Hakone as revelers celebrated the wine-filled holiday Beaujolais Nouveau this year.
A spa called Hakone Kowakien Yunessun brought in people to bathe in its hot pools, which staff filled with a mixture of red wine and water. Guests drank freely, both from glasses and their bare hands.
The spa poured about 20 bottles of the special-edition wine for the celebration, divided between the tub and guests’ glasses.