Japan's Oldest Surviving Winery
In 1877, Tatsunori Tsuchiya, founder of Maruki Winery, became the first Japanese person to travel to France to learn winemaking techniques.
There he was deeply impressed by French viticulture and winemaking, as well as the marriage of wine and French cuisine. He devoted himself tirelessly to learning cultivation and vinification methods.
After returning to Japan, he committed himself to Japanese wine made from Koshu, a grape variety native to Japan, and personally worked to open vineyards in Katsunuma and study grape cultivation.
“If French wine pairs with French cuisine, there is no reason Koshu grapes should not pair with Japanese cuisine.” This conviction drove his dedication to the grape.
Sustained by that belief, Maruki Winery continued making wine through many hardships, including major floods and periods of social turmoil.
