Japanese wine is gaining momentum. As of 2024, there were 493 wineries in Japan, jumping from 238 in 2008—more than doubled in 16 years, according to the Japanese government. The wineries are now in 46 prefectures out of the total 47, indicating that each prefecture has potential for wine production.

Some American importers have already noticed the rapid development of Japanese wine. One of them is Direct Import Vines (D-I Wine) https://www.d-i.wine/, a natural wine importer in New York,

“What we love about Japan’s wine is how it reflects the country’s deep dedication to craft, precision and subtlety. The same meticulous attention to detail that defines Japanese cuisine and design shows up in the vineyards and cellars, with winemakers carefully coaxing out dedicated, expressive flavors from native grapes like Koshu and Muscat Bailey A,” says D-I Wine’s founder Bretton Taylor.