On October 21, 2026, a joint launch press conference for the Japanese wine co-creation project "Discover, Japan Wine" was held in Marunouchi, Tokyo.
The project was established by three companies: Suntory Spirits Ltd., Manns Wines Co., Ltd., and Mercian Corporation. Transcending corporate boundaries, these representative Japanese wine producers aim to expand new Japanese wine drinkers within the domestic market.
The slogan is "A True Encounter with Your First Japanese Wine."
Over the three-year period from 2026 to 2028, the project will create opportunities to discover and enjoy Japanese wine through urban events, collaborations with restaurants, winery tourism, and more.
The Number of Wineries Increases While Consumption Stagnates
Under the theme "Changes and Challenges in the Japanese Wine Market," Hironori Kobayashi, Head of the Chateau Mercian Business Division at Mercian Corporation, explained the current state of the Japanese wine market that forms the background of this project's launch.
According to the presentation, the number of domestic wineries has increased by more than 200 over the past 10 years, reaching 519 in 2025. Japanese wine export volumes have also grown roughly 3.5 times over the past decade.
On the other hand, domestic market sales volume peaked around 2016 and has remained stagnant, trending downward in recent years.
The number of Japanese wine purchasers has also decreased from approximately 3.05 million people in 2020 to approximately 2.16 million people in 2025.
At the press conference, it was pointed out as a challenge that, while the quality of Japanese wine and its domestic and international acclaim are advancing, opportunities for consumers to discover its appeal and actually taste it have not expanded sufficiently.
Therefore, the three companies set a shared goal of not only engaging enthusiasts who have long enjoyed Japanese wine, but also increasing touchpoints with consumers who pick it up for the first time.
As a concrete target, they aim to expand the inflow of new Japanese wine purchasers to 150% compared to 2025 by 2028.
Starting from Marunouchi, Cultivating a Japanese Nouveau Culture in 2027
The project will generate new encounters with Japanese wine from three perspectives: "Urban Areas," "Restaurants," and "Producing Regions."
In the first year, 2026, the project will participate in "Marunouchi Japanese Wine Weeks 2026," organized by Mitsubishi Estate. Through restaurants and events in Marunouchi, it will provide opportunities to experience Japanese wine to a broad audience, including business professionals, neighborhood visitors, and inbound tourists.
In addition, winery events from each company will be rolled out in November. Alongside the "Manns Wine Festa Katsunuma" (November 3), the "Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Marche" and the "Tomi No Oka Winery Harvest Thanksgiving Festival" (November 7–8) are scheduled to be held.
In the second year, 2027, the goal will be to foster a culture of enjoying Japanese nouveau as an autumn seasonal tradition.
Furthermore, plans include collaborations with diverse cultures such as music, art, wellness, food, and travel, as well as promoting Japanese wine through restaurants.
In the third year, 2028, the aim will be to build systems for continuously enjoying Japanese wine through winery tourism that deepens ties between production areas and local communities.
From Co-creation by Three Companies to an Industry-Wide Effort
The challenges faced by the Japanese wine market cannot be resolved by the efforts of a single company alone. That is why it is immensely significant that Suntory, Manns Wines, and Mercian—three companies that have led the industry—have joined hands beyond their competitive boundaries to take action toward overcoming these issues.
At the same time, the initiatives of these three companies alone will not be enough to increase new Japanese wine drinkers and revitalize the entire market. Going forward, attention should be paid to how this circle of co-creation expands to other wineries, restaurants, distributors, and producing regions.
We hope this project will serve as a major first step toward the entire industry contemplating the future of Japanese wine and creating new touchpoints with drinkers.
