If you search for “Japanese beverages” online, the top results are usually sake, matcha and Japanese whisky. But what about wine?
It may soon be included.
As of 2025, there were 551 wineries in Japan, jumping from 238 in 2008—a 2.3-fold increase in a mere 17 years, according to the Japanese government.
It is not just the impressive growth rate. Japanese producers have increasingly earned prestigious medals at prominent global competitions, such as the Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine Challenge.
Due to the rapid evolution of Japanese wine, resources are scarce for those looking to learn more about it.
Nick Rowan, a WSET-certified wine specialist from Northern Ireland and a former English teacher in rural Japan, was frustrated with the situation and decided to self-publish a book on the topic in December 2025, titled Japanese Wine.
The 438-page book catalogues 725 producers and 130 grape varieties (over 80 of which are native to Japan) to showcase the uniqueness and diversity of Japanese wine, along with hundreds of restaurants, retailers and festivals dedicated to Japanese wine.
Japanese Wine: A Snapshot
What are the basics of Japanese wine and its latest status? Rowan points to several characteristics that distinguish Japanese wine today.
- Unique and Challenging Climate
Unlike the popular wine-producing regions like France and California, Japan’s hot, humid summers, along with an annual rainy season and typhoons, present significant challenges for viticulture. How has Japan managed to produce quality wine?
“There are various, often labor-intensive countermeasures that producers are using to manage these challenges. For example, growers painstakingly cover individual grape bunches with bags by hand to protect them from rain. Many vineyards grow the grapes high off the ground to keep them away from the ground-level humidity and increase airflow.”
Initially, Japanese winemakers attempted to emulate classic French fine wines. However, the specific demands of the Japanese climate have necessitated growers to develop their own distinct styles. Rowan summarizes how they have been shifting their focus:
“The style of Japanese wine has been diversifying. The initial goals of replicating Bordeaux and Burgundy are still alive and well. Then, natural wines entered the market. Thanks to a few key players in the industry, there has been a search for the identity of Japanese wine, something that reflects the land, the culture and the people, not aiming to replicate well-established international wines.”
In Japan, wine is produced not only from widely popular European grapes (Vitis vinifera) but also from American grapes (Vitis labrusca), like Niagara and Concord, to match the Japanese climate. White grape Koshu (European origin) and red grape Muscat Bailey A (hybrid of European and American origins), have long been synonymous with Japanese wine.
Rowan says, “Both Koshu and Muscat Bailey A are being refined to elevate their flavor expressions these days. International varieties, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot, have been the major focus of wineries, but there are increasingly more diverse types of grapes grown right now. Growers have started to pay attention to less obvious grapes like Albarino and Petite Manseng, as well as varieties native to Italy, Hungary, and Croatia. New hybrid grapes have been developed as well.”
American grapes often carry so-called “Foxy” flavor. It is described as candy, soda or standard commercial grape juice. It is naturally derived from the chemical “methyl anthranilate”, which in fact is used to flavor these products.
“The foxiness tends to be shunned in the global market, but some people appreciate it as a fruity and easy-to-drink flavor in Japan. Muscat Bailey A, for instance, can have the foxy flavor. Producers handle the foxiness differently to balance with other flavor components of wine. Some aim to reduce it to appeal to the global market through various techniques like barrel aging,“ he says.
There are wineries in every 47 Prefectures in Japan, except for Shiga Prefecture (a winery is expected to open there soon). In addition to the well-established wine regions like Yamanashi and Nagano, the northern island of Hokkaido, has become a major production powerhouse, thanks to climate change.
Also, the regulatory reforms have accelerated the development of the Japanese wine industry.
“The Japanese land laws used to set a minimum amount of farmland to operate, which made it extremely difficult for small wineries to acquire land to start a business. However, in 2023, the laws abolished the minimum area requirement to allow small-scale farming, such as wineries and breweries. Also, ‘Special Wine Zones’ have been created since 2003, lowering the entry barriers to opening a winery,” says Rowan.
“Now, there is a wide variety of wineries across the country, from industrial-scale operations and family estates to urban micro-wineries, even vineyards on Tokyo rooftops. As a result, wine regions with their own distinct character have emerged and the government established the Geographical Identification (GI) system to recognize and protect regional identities.”
There are five GI protected wine regions: Yamanashi, Hokkaido, Nagano, Yamagata and Osaka.
Future Trajectory
Japanese wine is evolving rapidly, with significant developments across the industry.
Reflecting this growth, the domestic consumption of Japanese wine has also increased. According to the Japanese government data, between 2006 and 2023, the consumption of imported wine in Japan rose by 64% due to the greater availability of affordable wines, such as Chilean wines, indicating consumers’ strong interest in drinking wine. During the same period (which saw a boom in domestic wine production), Japanese wine consumption rose by 27%.
In other words, Japanese wine has strong growth potential in the domestic market.
As for the global market, Japanese wine is still hard to find. It accounted for only 1.4% of total Japanese alcohol exports in 2025, with the top destinations being China, the U.S. and Hong Kong, but there seems to be increased interest in Japanese wine overseas. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/japanese-wine-industry-popularity
How does Rowan envision the future of Japanese wine?
“I think it is going to remain very niche. I do not think there is going to be any blockbusters like the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the Californian Cabernet Sauvignon or the Australian Chardonnay. Despite recent regulatory reforms, scaling up production remains difficult because vineyard holdings are often fragmented into multiple small plots, which reduces operational efficiency.”
Plus, Japan’s limited amount of flat land can be a barrier for large scale production. It is only 27% versus 73% in France, for instance.
“But I think it is also going to remain vibrant,” he says.
Rowan points out an uncommon Japanese mindset that could enhance the niche, quality-driven Japanese wine culture.
“Food is commoditized around the world. In the U.K., you get apples and they are just a commodity. Maybe peaches from a certain region in the U.S. are absolutely delicious, but how many people know the actual grower of that produce. Now, if you go to Japan, there are farmers who make the most amazing strawberries. They are not just known, they are the superstars. The winemakers who make wine from famous growers will put their names on their labels to say, ‘Look, this is a really special agricultural product.’ I don’t know anywhere else in the world where individual growers are so well-recognized with deep appreciation.”
He adds: “I like to think of the Japanese wine industry as the early Rolling Stones in the 1960s. Not yet polished, not filling stadiums, perhaps not yet as big as other artists at the time. Yet who would not envy anyone who saw those first gigs? Experiencing Japanese wine today is very much like that.”
