30 editor picks across Japan.
30 wine bars worth the trip across Japan, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Japan guides.
A Shimanouchi urban winery pouring its own Osaka-made bottles and other Japanese wine by the glass, with Italian plates coming out of the kitchen.
OrderHouse Yamabudo wine, Natural Koshu white, Fermented cheese platter
Nikka Whisky's flagship Hokkaido bar in Susukino, pouring rare expressions of Taketsuru, Yoichi and Miyagikyo from the company's own cellar.
TipReservations via the Nikka site; the Yoichi single-cask flights need a week's notice.
A sommelier-led natural wine bar 10 minutes from Maruyama Park station. Calming wooden interior with washi-paper walls; Hokkaido and French growers feature.
TipReservations recommended; counter seats look across into the kitchen.
Ahiru Store in Tokyo's Tomigaya is sommelier Teruhiko Saito's natural-wine counter, sister Wakako's bread on the side. The 12-seat room queues from 18:00.
TipNo reservations after 18:30; arrive at 18:00 for the second seating or before opening for the first.
Winestand Waltz in Tokyo's Ebisu-Nishi is the cellar-bar that built Tokyo's natural-wine ritual. Standing-counter only, 30 by-the-glass pours, no reservation.
TipNo reservations. Walk-in standing room only; arrive by 19:00 for a counter spot.
Israeli-born Yoram Ofer's koshu sake bar in a Nakagyo machiya in Kyoto. The most-cited aged-sake list in the country, served at a six-seat counter.
A Higashi-Shinsaibashi wine bar with over 300 labels, built on Champagne and Burgundy and extending to South African and Australian bottles.
OrderGeorgian orange wine, Beaujolais natural, Charcuterie board
A Susukino sake bar stocking nearly 300 Hokkaido-produced sake bottles. Otokoyama, Kunimare and Chitosetsuru are the everyday pours; cellar bottles too.
TipFlight of three Hokkaido junmais is the easy intro; closed Sundays.
Komorebino in Gion's Hanami Kaikan pours 200 carefully chosen natural wines from Japan, France and Italy with a list rotating to 24 seasonal Japanese terms.
TipCounter seating with the sommelier is the only way to taste the off-list Japanese bottles; reserve a week ahead.
A Tanukikoji wine-and-cocktail bar working under the concept cocktails as liquid cuisine. Hokkaido-foraged ingredients across both glassware.
TipCounter only; reservations via phone strongly recommended Glass-pour list rotates monthly.
Wineshop Flow in Tokyo's Hatagaya is a cellar-bar behind the station, blond timber with a porthole-shaped cellar door. Natural wines and natural sake.
TipDrop in for a glass and a bottle to take home; the small plates are Japanese-seasonal, perfect for two.
I.N.U.wines is a pioneer of Kyushu's natural-wine scene, with a shop and tasting bar inside the KUOHKA food complex in Canal City Hakata's basement.
TipBottles can travel inside the KUOHKA complex. Walk-in and reservation both work.
Yoramu in Nakagyo in Kyoto is Yoram Ofer's eight-seat aged-sake counter, koshu flights from across Japan, small Israeli-Japanese plates, a hidden alley find.
TipReserve by phone; the koshu flight changes weekly. Closed Sunday through Tuesday.
A Higashi-Shinsaibashi record bar of some 2,000 vinyl LPs across Brazilian, jazz and soul, where the owner also pours wine from grapes he grows himself.
OrderHouse Osaka vineyard wine, Whisky highball, Bar snack set
A small Susukino sake counter pouring exclusively Hokkaido sake. Twenty-plus producers by the glass, the kitchen leaning on sashimi and grilled fish.
TipCounter only; the staff speak basic English and will tailor flights.
A Susukino whisky bar with a one-piece wooden counter and an exceptional Japanese whisky inventory. The Suntory bottle bar in the city's neon spine.
TipCounter only; reservations preferred for Friday and Saturday seats.
Fuglen Tokyo in Tokyo's Tomigaya flips at 19:00 from Norwegian cafe to natural wine and cocktail bar. The vintage Scandinavian furniture stays the same.
TipWeekday late seating after 21:00 is the calmest window. Cocktails are champion-level under bartender Halvor Digernes.
Senrogiwa in Tokyo's Ebisu-Minami is an izakaya-DJ-bar hybrid above the tracks near Garden Place. Natural wines, yakiton skewers, 90s vinyl on the decks.
TipSaturday nights tilt DJ-set late; arrive by 19:00 for the dinner-shaped first seating.
Apero in Aoyama in Tokyo is the Dupeperier family wine bar opened 2014, natural French selection shortlisted by Simon Bianco, family-recipe bistro plates.
TipReserve via the official site for the counter; bottle list rotates seasonally.
Le Cabaret Vin in Tokyo's Yoyogi is sommelier-couple Suzuki's natural-wine bar near Shinjuku. Twenty by-the-glass pours, candle-lit standing-and-sitting room.
TipClosed Mondays. Walk-in friendly; arrive before 20:00 for counter seats.
Bistro Rojiura in Tokyo's Sangenjaya is the back-alley wine bar pouring natural Beaujolais and Loire. Long communal counter and Japanese-French bistro plates.
TipClosed Mondays. The pate en croute and the Beaujolais cru flight are the canonical pair.
Hermitage in Daimyo is a French bistro off the main street with a natural-wine cellar and chemical-free cooking. Organic vegetables and a healthier kitchen.
TipReserve through Tabelog or by phone. Counter and four tables. Closed Sundays.
Carbo runs an Italian and Spanish leaning natural-wine bar in Imaizumi with pasta-forward small plates. Meat and Wine Fukuoka participant. Priced at ¥¥¥.
TipReserve through Tabelog. Counter and two tables.
A Sapporo wine bar with a Hokkaido-leaning natural-wine list and a charcuterie program built around Hokkaido pork and lamb. Easy walk from Sapporo Station.
TipAround 40 bottles by the glass; ask for a Hokkaido vintage in the natural section.
Shibuya Cheese Stand in Tokyo's Okushibu makes mozzarella and burrata on-site each morning and pours Italian wines to match. The wine flight is the order.
TipThe 5pm fresh mozzarella batch is the one to time it for. Reserve online to avoid the wait.
Casime is a Daimyo gastropub at the entrance of Keyaki Street with craft beers, natural wines and a wood-fired Mediterranean Middle Eastern kitchen.
TipWalk-in and reservation. Wine flight is the entry order. English menu, English-speaking manager.
A Higobashi counter bar where a sommelier owner pairs natural wine with handmade pasta and Italian small plates in one small, permanently busy room.
OrderBiodynamic French rouge, Obanzai pairing set, Skin-contact white
A Kitayama natural wine bar set into a former pharmacy. Biodynamic French and Hokkaido pours, plus a cheese board of Hokkaido fromage producers.
TipClosed Tuesdays; bookings via Tabelog for Friday and Saturday only.
A Maruyama room marrying Hokkaido wagyu yakiniku with a curated Hokkaido and Burgundy list. Counter and table seating with a charcoal-grill centrepiece.
TipBook the shin-shin and Hokkaido pinot pairing; reservations through Tabelog.
A standing natural wine bar in Tenma near Tenmabashi station, pouring bottles from French natural producers by the glass off a compact daily list.
OrderNatural French rouge, Skin-contact white, House nibbles
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Discover the flavors of Hokkaido on a guided tour of Sapporo's Nijo Market. Taste fresh seafood, enjoy a sushi brunch, and explore local specialties and history.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Sapporo’s beer scene with a local guide. Taste 10 craft beers across 3 breweries, discover the stories behind the brews, and enjoy a stress-free evening.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover Sapporo's culinary delights on a guided food tour. Enjoy a full dinner course with fresh seafood, BBQ lamb, and dessert, and sip on 3 or more drinks.