LOS ANGELES (Kyodo) The U.S. West Coast has long been a popular destination for Japanese tourists, but a growing interest in California wines is creating a new travel market that vintners are beginning to exploit.

Japanese imports of U.S. wine were valued at more than $82 million in 2005, with roughly 90 percent of the total coming from California. The trade has increased steadily since 2003 and Japan is now American winemakers' third-best customer in the world.

However, average annual wine consumption in Japan remains relatively low and is largely restricted to metropolitan areas.