MONROE - Green County will be featured in an upcoming television show called "Discover America," which will air in Japan in September. Producer Mitsuo Inagaki and cameraman Masayuki Kikushima were in the area this week.
The series airs on Japanese cable television to a subscriber base of 3.5 million households.
The idea behind the program is to show different faces of America - not just the traditional destinations that Japanese already know.
When the producer contacted the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to express his viewers' interests in Swiss/German heritage, beer, and Harley Davidson motorcycles, Green County was an obvious choice for two of the three. The media value of the program is approximately $30,000. The program is endorsed by Travel Industry Association and the Japan Association of Travel Agents.
Green County Tourism Director Noreen Rueckert organized the itinerary for Wednesday and Thursday to include Minhas Craft Brewery, Edelweiss Creamery, Chalet Cheese, Roth Kase, Brennan's Farm Market, Baumgartner's Cheese Store and Tavern and some typical sights, including cattle grazing on the hillsides.
Huber Beer is available in Japan, as is Maple Leaf Cheese, which Inagaki and Kikushima sampled at Brennan's Farm Market.
Minhas Brewery President Gary Olson said he took the filming crew on a tour through the canning process, where they got shots of the cans being filled and more shots at the end of the line being palletized. They ended with the finished products in the warehouse.
"They were interested in the fact that we shipped beer to Japan in the past year or so and wanted to see the cans. I told them we shipped them all to Japan. But I was able to show them the American version and the Japanese version," Olson said.
Baumgartner co-owner Chris Soukup said the Japanese filming crew didn't stay to eat at his establishment, but took video of the murals and displays on the wall.
"I guess a lot of people mentioned Baumgartner's to them and said they need to stop here. They were just looking for the atmosphere or the ambiance of the place," Soukup said.
Soukup said Baumgartner's was so busy when they stopped that he didn't have much of a chance to talk with them.
Chalet Landhaus provided overnight lodging, and dining arrangements were complimentary through Turner Hall of Monroe and the New Glarus Hotel.
In addition to Monroe, New Glarus and Monticello in Green County, other Wisconsin locations filmed for the show included Milwaukee, Wausau, Madison and Door County.
The series airs on Japanese cable television to a subscriber base of 3.5 million households.
The idea behind the program is to show different faces of America - not just the traditional destinations that Japanese already know.
When the producer contacted the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to express his viewers' interests in Swiss/German heritage, beer, and Harley Davidson motorcycles, Green County was an obvious choice for two of the three. The media value of the program is approximately $30,000. The program is endorsed by Travel Industry Association and the Japan Association of Travel Agents.
Green County Tourism Director Noreen Rueckert organized the itinerary for Wednesday and Thursday to include Minhas Craft Brewery, Edelweiss Creamery, Chalet Cheese, Roth Kase, Brennan's Farm Market, Baumgartner's Cheese Store and Tavern and some typical sights, including cattle grazing on the hillsides.
Huber Beer is available in Japan, as is Maple Leaf Cheese, which Inagaki and Kikushima sampled at Brennan's Farm Market.
Minhas Brewery President Gary Olson said he took the filming crew on a tour through the canning process, where they got shots of the cans being filled and more shots at the end of the line being palletized. They ended with the finished products in the warehouse.
"They were interested in the fact that we shipped beer to Japan in the past year or so and wanted to see the cans. I told them we shipped them all to Japan. But I was able to show them the American version and the Japanese version," Olson said.
Baumgartner co-owner Chris Soukup said the Japanese filming crew didn't stay to eat at his establishment, but took video of the murals and displays on the wall.
"I guess a lot of people mentioned Baumgartner's to them and said they need to stop here. They were just looking for the atmosphere or the ambiance of the place," Soukup said.
Soukup said Baumgartner's was so busy when they stopped that he didn't have much of a chance to talk with them.
Chalet Landhaus provided overnight lodging, and dining arrangements were complimentary through Turner Hall of Monroe and the New Glarus Hotel.
In addition to Monroe, New Glarus and Monticello in Green County, other Wisconsin locations filmed for the show included Milwaukee, Wausau, Madison and Door County.