Japan imported slightly less wine in 2025 but paid more for it overall, reflecting both currency pressures and a continuing consumer preference for higher-quality wines, according to newly released customs data.
According to full-year trade data recently released by Japanese customs and compiled by Vino Joy News, the country imported 234,418,037 litres of wine in 2025, a 2.29% decrease from 2024. However, the total import value rose 1.47% year-on-year to ¥252,584,739,000 (about $1.68 billion).
Although imports showed the classic pattern of falling volume but rising value, the magnitude of change remained modest, with both movements within three percentage points. This suggests that Japan’s wine market remains highly stable in both scale and demand structure.
With a population of 124 million, Japan continues to be Asia’s largest wine import market, with both import volume and value slightly exceeding those of mainland China, the region’s second-largest market.
The divergence between volume and value reflects two overlapping forces: the market’s longstanding preference for premium wines and the prolonged depreciation of the Japanese yen, which has pushed up the cost of imports.
Akiko Ohara, general manager of Messe Düsseldorf Japan and organiser of ProWine Tokyo, one of the country’s largest wine trade events, shared a similar assessment.
“The recent trend of reduced import volume but increased import value is primarily due to the prolonged weakening of JPY. Still, the increase in value indicates that consumers are unwilling to compromise on wine quality despite rising prices.”
Champagne strengthens France’s dominance
Few Asian markets embrace Champagne quite like Japan.
In 2025, Japan imported ¥105,610,721,000 (US$704 million) worth of sparkling wine, approaching the ¥136,857,014,000 (US$912 million) imported in bottled still wines.
French sparkling wines accounted for ¥89,090,775,000, representing 65.10% of the sparkling wine category. The average import price reached ¥5,590.14 per litre (US$37.27), highlighting the continued strength of Champagne in the market.
Driven in part by Champagne’s momentum, France remained Japan’s largest wine supplier by value, with imports reaching ¥149,505,134,000 (US$997 million) — far ahead of Italy, the second-largest supplier, at ¥31,591,029,000 (US$211 million).
France also leads Japan’s premium wine segment. The average import price of French wine reached ¥2,887.28 per litre (US$19.25), the highest among the top ten supplying countries. The United States ranked second at ¥1,470.18 per litre (US$9.80), followed by New Zealand at ¥1,196.41 per litre (US$7.98).
Chile dominates by volume
However, the picture changes when imports are measured by volume rather than value.
France ranked second by volume at 51,780,625 litres, while Chile took the top position with 62,942,398 litres.
Ohara noted that Chile has held the leading position by volume since 2015.
“Chile has become No.1 import volume in 2015. Its strong character and affordability gave a strong impact and quickly adopted into the market.”
She said Chilean wines have gradually become embedded in everyday consumption in Japan.
“With its “cheap and not too bad” image, Chilean wines have stationed itself as a “daily necessity,” and now you can see Frontera in every convenience store in Japan. Small canned wines are even at 300 JPY, making it an easy entrance for non-wine drinkers.”
At the same time, she noted that the market has begun to show signs of premiumisation, with some consumers gradually trading up.
“Yet again, the recent market shows a rise in unit price as more consumers seek higher quality. Sales share of bottles over ¥1,000, the share for Chile was 12.4% in 2020, but increased to 16.8% in 2023. Considering 70% of imported Chilean wines are sold below ¥1,000, this must be a good sign for future expansion.”
White wine gains ground
Among Japan’s top ten wine suppliers, six countries recorded declines in both volume and value, although most decreases remained within single-digit percentages. Only South Africa experienced double-digit declines in both categories.
New Zealand and Portugal stood out as the only two countries among the top ten to achieve growth in both volume and value.
New Zealand — known for its white wines — recorded 13.68% growth in import volume and 3.50% growth in value, while Portugal posted stronger gains of 14.06% and 17.62% respectively.
According to Ohara, the growing popularity of white wine is closely linked to its compatibility with Japanese cuisine.
“It is true that the white wine exports are growing. One thing can be that drinking wine has become more casual, pairing with everyday Japanese cuisine. Koshu on the OIV list is known to bring out Umami of sashimi / sushi, and soy sauce-based dishes.”
She added that changing lifestyle habits are also influencing consumption patterns.
“Another factor is the health-consciousness. White wine is known for its high antibacterial properties and its balanced content of organic acids and minerals. Also, white wine has lower carbohydrate and calorie. With its refreshing taste, it appeals to those who prefer a healthy diet.”
Challenges
Despite its stability, Japan’s wine market still faces several structural challenges, with the weak yen topping the list.
Ohara noted that rising global wine prices have made many premium wines less accessible to consumers.
Over the past 15 to 20 years, retail prices for Bordeaux wines have roughly doubled, while Burgundy prices have tripled, putting pressure on wine enthusiasts.
She also pointed out that overall alcohol consumption in Japan has been declining, a trend similar to that seen in other developed markets.
“Like other countries, Japan has seen a continuous decline in total alcohol consumption. While even sake consumption is falling, wine consumption alone has shown a steady increase, reaching 1.4 times the level of ten years ago. However, annual per capita consumption remains at just 2.9 liters, indicating ample room for further growth, though at a slow pace.”
For Ohara, curiosity and openness to discovery remain defining characteristics of Japanese consumers.
“Something new, something beyond one’s knowledge is always most welcomed with interest. Unknown indigenous wine varieties not only stimulate taste buds but our intellectual curiosity. We are happy that our ProWine Tokyo is offering the best platform for this.”
ProWine Tokyo is one of Japan’s largest international wine and spirits trade fairs and a key Asian extension of the globally recognised ProWein exhibition brand.
As part of the ProWein global network, the exhibition maintains a strong international profile. At its most recent edition, 190 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions participated, with around 87% coming from overseas.
The exhibition features a broad range of categories including wine, spirits, Japanese sake, shochu, craft beverages and low- and no-alcohol drinks.
In 2025, ProWine Tokyo attracted around 5,500 trade visitors, while the combined attendance with the concurrent food and beverage exhibition reached 56,685, highlighting the event’s growing influence in Japan’s drinks trade.
Discover more from Vino Joy News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
