Five years ago, Japanese wine was still considered a novelty, and finding it in Tokyo required a fair amount of searching. These days, most shops carry at least a few varieties and some have entire shelves dedicated to domestic wine. Popular magazines now run features on local producers and ways to match the wines with food. Japanese wine, it seems, is officially now in vogue.
"The quality of Japanese wine has improved dramatically because the younger generation of producers who have studied winemaking in Europe are making unique wines with grapes suited to the climate of Japan," says Minori Goto, from Hasegawa Saketen, the Tokyo-based retailer specializing in domestic liquors — one of the first to offer a wide selection of local wines.
Increasingly, small wineries are helping diversify the market, and larger makers are putting more effort into their vineyards and vinification techniques.