Choshi Budoshu Jozojo
銚子葡萄酒醸造所 座古萬蔵商店
Choshi's first winery, born from a century-old fishing-town shop
Choshi Budoshu Jozojo is the first winery in Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, launched in 2023 by Marutoku Shoji — a food ingredients wholesaler founded in 1921 and now run by its fourth-generation head, Takuya Sako, with winemaking led by his father Keiichi. The winery began by vinifying purchased grapes in 2023 and started cultivating its own vineyard in Choshi in April 2025, planting roughly 350 white grape vines. Its wines are conceived as a supporting act for Choshi's generous fishing-town culture — dry, mineral-driven styles shaped by the sea breeze that sweeps the grapes, made to be poured alongside the city's abundant seafood. The flagship line KISSAKI (meaning the tip of a blade, echoing Choshi's cape jutting into the Pacific) uses varieties such as Chardonnay and Merlot, while the more casual 漁師は歌う ("Fishermen Sing") line imagines local fishermen sharing a glass together. Both labels carry the maiwai (万祝) crane motif traditionally painted on fishermen's ceremonial coats.
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Who Is This For?
For those curious about emerging Japanese coastal terroir and wines built to be poured alongside fresh seafood and washoku.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Choshi Budoshu Jozojo located?
- In Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, at the eastern tip of the Boso Peninsula where the Tone River meets the Pacific Ocean.
- When was it founded and by whom?
- It launched in 2023 as the first winery in Choshi, started by Takuya Sako, fourth-generation head of Marutoku Shoji, a food ingredients wholesaler founded in 1921.
- Does the winery grow its own grapes?
- It began by vinifying purchased grapes in 2023, then planted its own vineyard in Choshi in April 2025 with around 350 white grape vines.
- What is the winery's flagship wine?
- KISSAKI, a dry Chardonnay- and Merlot-based wine named for the "blade tip" shape of Choshi's cape, with a milder line called 漁師は歌う ("Fishermen Sing") for everyday drinking.
- What food does it pair well with?
- Its wines are made dry and mineral-driven specifically to pair with Choshi's abundant seafood, such as sashimi and pan-fried white fish with lemon.