Choshi, Chiba
銚子
Japan's newest coastal wine region, born from a fishing and soy-sauce town.
Choshi is a coastal city at the easternmost point of Chiba Prefecture, historically known as one of Japan's leading fishing ports where the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents meet, and as a center of soy sauce brewing since the Edo period. In November 2023, the city welcomed its first winery, Choshi Budoshu Jozojo (run by the long-established Zakomanzo Shoten), marking the birth of Choshi as a wine region. The winery leans on the town's cooling sea breezes and its deep fermentation heritage, crafting wines explicitly designed to pair with Choshi's abundant seafood and to revive the conviviality of its fishing-town culture.
Best for: Wine lovers curious about Japan's newest emerging regions and seafood-focused wine styles.
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Producers
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Food Pairings
Built for Choshi's own seafood: oysters and fried fish with the Chardonnay-based KISSAKI, sashimi and citrus-dressed white fish with the Sauvignon Blanc-based Ryoshi wa Utau, and grilled tuna or simmered kinmedai with the Merlot.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Choshi a well-established wine region?
- No — Choshi is a brand-new wine region. Its first winery, Choshi Budoshu Jozojo, opened in November 2023.
- What characterizes the climate of Choshi for winemaking?
- Choshi sits at the easternmost tip of Chiba, where cooling sea breezes off the Pacific, driven by the meeting of the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents, moderate the growing conditions.
- What wines does Choshi produce?
- Choshi Budoshu Jozojo makes the Chardonnay-based KISSAKI and the Sauvignon Blanc-based Ryoshi wa Utau, both crafted to pair with local seafood, plus a Merlot red.
- Why is Choshi historically significant for brewing and fermentation?
- Choshi has been one of Japan's leading soy sauce brewing towns since the Edo period, and that centuries-old fermentation expertise now extends into the town's winemaking.