Oita
大分
Home to Ajimu and Kuju, Japan's award-winning wineries.
About Oita
- Producers listed
- 5
- Most wineries in
- 宇佐市・竹田市
- Founded 2010 or later
- 25%
- 1 of 4 with a known founding year
Oita Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu, has emerged as one of Japan's most acclaimed wine regions, anchored by two standout producers: Ajimu Budoshu Kobo, a five-star winery in the Japan Winery Awards that has held Japan's top rating for four consecutive years since 2019, and Kuju Winery, a four-star producer growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on a 6-hectare highland vineyard at roughly 850 meters elevation at the foot of the Kuju mountain range. Ajimu Budoshu Kobo, founded in 1971, crafts about 22 wines using only grapes grown in Ajimu Town, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Merlot, emphasizing the individuality of each varietal. Oita's diverse microclimates — the warm basin of Ajimu and the cool, elevated plateau of Kuju — allow both internationally recognized and Japan-grown varieties to thrive, producing wines with clean acidity and a distinct sense of place.
Best for
Wine lovers seeking Japan's top-rated wineries and scenic highland vineyard tours.
Food Pairings
Pairs well with Oita specialties such as Seki-aji and Seki-saba mackerel, Bungo beef, toriten (fried chicken), and dashi-based hot pot dishes.
Winery Map of Oita
Of the Oita wineries on Vinami, we show the 5 whose locations we have verified.
Wineries by Municipality
- 宇佐市2
- Ajimu Chiisana Wine KoubouFounded 2010
- Ajimu WineryFounded 2001
- 竹田市2
- Kuju WineryFounded 2003
- Takakura BudouenFounded 2004
- 由布市1
Addresses and founding years are verified against each winery's official website and public information from local governments and industry bodies. Sources are listed on each producer's page.
Producers
安心院・小さなワイン工房
Ajimu Chiisana Wine Koubou
Ajimu Chiisana Wine Koubou ("Ajimu Small Wine Workshop") is a micro-winery in Ajimu-machi, Usa City, Oita Prefecture, operated by the agricultural cooperative Hyakusho Ikki. Founded in 2010 as part of Japan's first 'House Wine Special Zone,' it was created to protect local vineyards from abandonment amid an aging farming population, using grapes unsuited for table consumption. Winemaking is handled solely by Takuya Wada, who employs gentle, low-intervention techniques such as basket pressing and gravity-flow (siphon) extraction to preserve the delicate character of 100% Ajimu-grown grapes. The wines are typically unfiltered, and bottle labels feature original artwork by painter Mikio Ban, with cuvée names inspired by the animals that visit the vineyard. It is an independent producer, distinct from the larger Ajimu Winery (Sanwa Shurui/iichiko) that is also based in the Ajimu area.
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hyakusho-ikki.wixsite.com/chiisana-wine-koubou安心院葡萄酒工房
Ajimu Winery
Founded in 1971 by Sanwa Shurui — the Oita-based maker best known for the shochu brand iichiko — Ajimu Winery (Ajimu Budoushu Koubou) is one of Japan's most decorated wineries, based in the fog-shrouded Ajimu basin of Usa City, Oita Prefecture. The estate farms roughly 16 hectares of its own vineyards across some 20 varieties, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Koshu, and Merlot, exploiting the basin's dramatic day-night temperature swings to build acidity and concentration in the fruit. Under a winemaking team trained at UC Davis and in Oregon, the winery favors variety-by-variety, vintage-adapted techniques over a fixed production formula. Its traditional-method sparkling wine has become a flagship, winning Gold at the Japan Wine Competition multiple times, Silver at Decanter World Wine Awards, and Japan's first-ever medal (Silver) at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships in 2021.
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www.ajimu-winery.co.jp/久住ワイナリー
Kuju Winery
Kuju Winery is Kyushu's pioneering high-altitude winery, established in 2002 on the Kuju Highlands of Oita Prefecture within the Aso-Kuju National Park. Perched at 850-900 meters above sea level — the highest self-owned vineyard in Kyushu — the winery cultivates 6 hectares of European varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Schonburger on volcanic ash soils shaped by the iconic Kuju Mountain Range. Since winemaker Koji Tsuchimochi took over in 2018, the winery has leapt from a tourism-oriented producer to a national competition force, earning gold medals at the Japan Wine Competition (including a 2024 category top award for Delaware Gemini), and rising to a 4-star Japan Winery Award in 2025. The winery philosophy centers on clean, world-standard wines: only estate-grown grapes, meticulous sanitation, and an unwavering commitment to elegance over power.
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kuju-winery.co.jp/高倉ぶどう園
Takakura Budouen
Takakura Budouen is a micro-winery in Taketa City, Oita Prefecture, run alongside a farm-stay guesthouse called Budou no Ie Keidoan. Founded by a former precision-equipment engineer who left corporate life to take up viticulture, the estate coined the term 'nano-winery' (ナノワイナリー) to describe its ultra-small-scale, hands-on approach to winemaking. The vineyard is planted primarily to Shokoshi, a mountain-grape hybrid bred for disease resistance and high sugar-acid balance, and the owners handle cultivation and vinification themselves. Visitors staying at Keidoan can experience the vineyard and taste the estate's wine directly from the family that makes it.
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www.oct-net.ne.jp/k-46/由布院ワイナリー
Yufuin Winery
Yufuin Winery is a boutique Japanese winery in the hot-spring resort town of Yufuin, Oita Prefecture, founded when a local hotel owner's experimental planting of Chardonnay vines produced unexpectedly good results. What began as a small hobby project grew, with cooperation from the town of Yufuin, into a full winery with roughly 6.5 hectares of estate vineyards. Yufuin Winery grows Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc on-site and crafts wine by hand — crushing, pressing, and stirring every batch manually — aiming to make every bottle from Yufuin-grown fruit. The wide diurnal temperature swings of the Yufuin basin, together with well-drained land bordering the area's rice paddies, give the wines an aromatic, light yet structured character. The winery was recognized in the 2026 Japan Winery Award. Visitors can taste wines for free at the brick-style winery building and browse an on-site bottle shop stocked with original wines, craft beer, and local specialties.
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www.yufuin-winery.jp/
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the most famous winery in Oita?
- Ajimu Budoshu Kobo is Oita's most celebrated winery, holding the top five-star rating in the Japan Winery Awards for four consecutive years since 2019.
- What makes Kuju Winery distinctive?
- Kuju Winery grows Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other European varieties on a 6-hectare highland vineyard at about 850 meters at the foot of the Kuju mountain range, producing dry, sweet, rosé, and sparkling wines in a cool, scenic setting.
- What grape varieties are grown in Oita?
- Oita wineries cultivate both international varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Merlot, and cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, reflecting the region's mix of basin and highland microclimates.
- Is Oita a good destination for wine tourism beginners?
- Yes — both Ajimu Budoshu Kobo and Kuju Winery offer vineyard walks, tastings, and on-site shops or restaurants, making them approachable first stops for visitors new to Japanese wine.