Japanese wine: between international recognition and local challenges
- GO TO JAPAN
- Mar 26
- 5 min read
A historic year for Japanese wine
The year 2024 will go down in Japanese wine history. In June, the 2022 Tomi Koshu (登美甲州 2022) produced by Suntory Tomi no Oka Winery (サントリー登美の丘ワイナリー) received the top prize for "Best in Show" at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in London. This is a first for a Japanese wine , and a triumph for the Koshu (甲州) grape variety, recognized as an indigenous variety by the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine) since 2010.
This distinction marks a turning point for the sector: Japanese wine enters the world stage, no longer as a curiosity, but as a credible player in quality.
However, this international recognition still contrasts with a local reality marked by structural limits and major agronomic challenges.
What is “Japanese wine”?
Since 2018, regulatory clarification has made it possible to better distinguish between two types of production:
Japanese wine (日本ワイン): a wine made in Japan from grapes grown on Japanese soil.
Japanese-made wine (国内製造ワイン): a wine produced locally from imported grape must or juice, often concentrated.
These two categories are sometimes grouped under the general term domestic wine (国産ワイン), but they differ fundamentally in their quality, traceability, and consumer perception. Only Japanese wine in the strict sense truly reflects a local terroir and national winemaking expertise.
Stable consumption, fragmented production
According to data from the National Tax Agency (国税庁), wine consumption in Japan reached 363,000 kiloliters in 2023, remaining at a relatively stable level since 2015. However, Japanese wine in the strict sense (i.e., produced from grapes grown in Japan) only accounts for about 4% of this consumption.
At the same time, the number of wineries (ワイナリー) has grown from 280 in 2015 to 493 in 2024 , a sign of genuine entrepreneurial enthusiasm. These new producers are mostly small businesses, driven by an artisanal and regional vision of wine. But supply is struggling to keep up with demand in search of identity markers.
Japan ranks 16th in the world as a wine consumer and second in Asia after China. Demand therefore exists, but it has not yet turned massively towards domestic production.
The difficult cultivation of wine grapes in Japan
The key to this paradoxical situation lies in Japan's agricultural structure. Grapes grown in Japan are primarily intended for fresh consumption. Varieties such as Shine Muscat (シャインマスカット) or Kyoho (巨峰) are highly regarded and generate much higher revenues than grapes grown for winemaking.
For example, Shine Muscat can fetch 1,587 yen/kg (around €9.50), compared to less than 300 yen/kg (around €1.80) for wine grapes. Moreover, yields are lower: around 60% of those of table grapes.
This situation makes investment in wine viticulture unattractive , especially for young farmers. As a result, wineries rely on 80% of purchased grapes (often by contract), and only 18% of volumes come from owned vineyards.
In a country where the average age of farmers exceeds 69, this situation calls into question the long-term viability of the supply of vinifiable grapes.
Japanese Orange Wine: Traditions Revisited
Faced with these constraints, some winemakers are exploring new avenues. This is the case with orange wine (オレンジワイン), a category of white wine vinified with skin maceration, that is, fermented with the skins, like a red wine.
The pioneer of this movement in Japan is Tsuyoshi Kobayashi (小林 剛) , aka "Tsuyopom (つよぽん)", a former designer turned winemaker in the Yamanashi region (山梨県). In 2017, he launched his first Koshu Orange (甲州オレンジ), made from the local Koshu grape variety (甲州). The thick skin and delicate aromas of Koshu lend themselves well to this technique inspired by the Caucasus.
Production remains very confidential: only a few estates in Japan, mainly in Yamanashi (山梨県), Nagano (長野県) and Hokkaidō (北海道), are taking the risk. The know-how is still being developed, the costs high, but these experiments illustrate a desire to innovate while respecting the terroir.
Japanese orange wine could become a signature in its own right, combining modernity, minimalism and a reinterpretation of traditions.
Yamanashi: a model of local development
To address the sector's structural challenges, some regions are taking the lead. Yamanashi Prefecture (山梨県), the historic birthplace of Japanese wine, has implemented ambitious support programs:
Grants for planting wine grape varieties,
Creation of spaces for connecting winegrowers and producers,
Tourist initiatives such as the “Budo no Oka (ぶどうの丘)” center in Kōshū (甲州市), which brings together more than 100 local references.
Today, Yamanashi has 89 wineries , the largest number in the country. Cooperation between local authorities, businesses, and farmers is a model of sustainable territorial development.
Conclusion: a future to cultivate
Young wineries like Domaine Hide, founded in 2010 by Showple, are showing that the next generation is here. By combining ecological practices (grape pomace compost, vine shoot charcoal) and digital tools (crowdfunding, web marketing), these committed winemakers are proving that Japan can foster a clean winemaking model, rooted in local culture and open to the world.
Japan will never rival the wine giants in terms of volume, but it can become a benchmark in terms of quality, originality, and sustainability. To achieve this, several levers must be activated:
Invest in the cultivation of grape varieties intended for winemaking,
Train and support the next generation of farmers,
Create bridges between tourism, wine and local culture,
And above all, continue to tell the story of this rare, delicate wine, rooted in a thousand-year-old tradition and driven by innovation.
Japanese wine is still young, but it already captivates with its uniqueness and sincerity. It embodies an artisanal, responsible, and profoundly Japanese vision of wine—perfectly in tune with contemporary expectations.
Japanese wineries to discover
Suntory Tomi no Oka Winery (登美の丘ワイナリー) – Yamanashi
Awarded in 2024 at the DWWA. Emblematic grape variety: Koshu.
Mercian Castle – Katsunuma, Yamanashi
Website: https://www.chateaumercian.com/
One of the pioneers of modern Japanese wine. Offers tours and tastings.
Hide Estate – Yamanashi
Website: https://domainehide.com/
Small estate committed to sustainable agriculture and innovation.
Takeda Winery – Yamagata
Website: https://www.takeda-winery.jp/
Tradition and respect for the terroir. Famous for its Pinot Noir.
Iconic products
Tomi Koshu 2022 (Suntory)
Grape variety: Koshu (white, native Japanese)
Profile: Dry, mineral, notes of citrus and pear
Award: Best in Show – DWWA 2024
Château Mercian Mariko Vineyard Omnis
Complex red blend (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.)
Aged in oak barrels, highly prized by sommeliers
Want to discover Japan's wine treasures?
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