Tamio Ogata, 53, runs a 55-hectare vineyard here on a plateau about 600 meters above sea level. Former engineer Tamio Ogata happily looks over the fully grown grapes in his vineyard in the town of Tobu, Nagano Prefecture. Born in Yokohama, Ogata spent about 30 years as an employee of a major steelmaker until the end of 1998. He quit when the company was in the middle of restructuring as a result of the prolonged recession.