The influencers of Japan

Roddy Ropner identifies some of the people who help to shape and drive the Japanese wine market.

Japanese influencers: Akihiko Yamamoto, Yumi Tanabe, Shigeru Hayashi, Junko Watanabe, Professor Kensuke Ebihara, Kenichi Ohashi MW
Japanese influencers: Akihiko Yamamoto, Yumi Tanabe, Shigeru Hayashi, Junko Watanabe, Professor Kensuke Ebihara, Kenichi Ohashi MW

Wine exports to Japan rose steadily in the two decades  leading up to 2018, making it the seventh largest importer worldwide. Since then, however, the market has plateaued. As Japan’s population ages the role of influencers who can boost sales becomes ever more important,and those with the greatest impact are experienced professionals. This is no surprise in a country that is innately conservative, and where quality and expertise are highly valued. Yet Japanese consumers are also willing to embrace new trends. The key influencers combine a keen awareness of Japanese sensibilities with an understanding of international markets.  
 

Multi-talented

Kenichi Ohashi, the sole Master of Wine in Japan, is one of the best-known and busiest figures in the local wine scene. He also holds the title of Master of Sake from the Sake Service Institute and is a global ambassador of sake. Admired for his tasting abilities and work ethic, Ohashi’s influence extends to consumers and professionals. Before becoming an MW in 2015 he was already in demand as a public speaker, due to his success in the Japan Sommelier Association (JSA) competitions, and as one of the few holders of the WSET Diploma. He also published ‘Vin Naturel’ in 2004, a critical assessment of natural wines and one of the first books on the category. It was a catalyst for the natural wine boom which endures to this day. Qualifying as an MW raised his profile considerably, both domestically and overseas. His tastings and lectures are always well attended and his activities receive widespread media coverage.

Recently he has successfully promoted Georgian wines and he also works with Burgundy’s Albert Bichot and Rioja’s C.V.N.E. 

What distinguishes Ohashi are the platforms he manages. He is the third-generation owner of Yamajin, a distributor based in Tochigi Prefecture, with accounts throughout Japan. He is also Chief Buyer of Premium Products for Somersault, Japan’s largest distribution group that consolidates and streamlines buying and logistics for 60 wholesalers. In this role he is responsible for developing private labels and education, and by doing so influences the selection and appreciation of wines among distributors and restaurants across the entire country. He is also the chief consultant for distribution for fast-growing Wine Diamonds, an importer of new-wave Australian wines. His successful endorsement of less mainstream categories is testament to the strength of his influence. Finally, he and Motohiro Okoshi, an acclaimed sommelier and restaurateur, chose the wines for Japan Airlines, which flies 44m passengers per year. 

Deeply knowledgeable

Shigeru Hayashi is a consultant and writer with extensive knowledge of the Italian and Japanese markets. Hayashi notes that he is foremost a businessman, having graduated in Economics and Commerce and enjoyed a 28-year career with Suntory, spending 14 of those years in Milan. However, he was also the first Japanese to earn the Sommelier title from the Italian Sommelier Association in 1995. He wrote the comprehensive ‘Basics of Italian Wines’, first published in 1996 and now in its fourth edition, actively promotes wine consumption with Japanese cuisine to broaden the market,and has published 11 books; his latest, “Matching Italian Wine with Japanese Cuisine”, shows ordinary consumers how to enjoy wine at home. 

Hayashi reports there are 10,000 Italian restaurants in Japan. These make an easy target for suppliers, but Hayashi warns against complacency and notes there are 140,000 non-Italian restaurants that should be marketed to. His consulting company, Solo Italia, works with the Soave Consorzio, and their 2019 campaign extended to 500 restaurants, many of which were not Italian. 

Reporting on wine

Akihiko Yamamoto is an experienced journalist and founder of Wine Report, the country’s only subscription-based wine website. He joined the Yomiuri Shimbun, one of Japan’s most prestigious daily newspapers, in 1993. Initially focused on rock and pop music, he interviewed musicians such as Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. In 2000, he moved to Yomiuri’s digital section and built their wine website. After retiring in 2014, he started Wine Report. 

Yamamoto posts daily and covers a mixture of current affairs, reviews of regions he has visited, and comparative tastings. He emphasizes that he is a wine journalist and the Wine Report includes an international perspective on the market, which can be lacking from the Japanese media’s coverage. A topic of interest that is popular with his subscribers is fake wines. This is a worldwide issue but many local buyers are unaware of the extent of the problem. In addition, he writes for leading Japanese language magazines Vinotheque, and Wine Kingdom, which both have a consumer focus, and Sommelier, published by the JSA. Yamamoto has also helped to demystify wine for novices with his book “The First and Last Wine Guide for Beginners.” First published in 2014, it has sold 80,000 copies, with the digital edition continuing to sell over 5,000 copies a year. 

Female focused

Yumi Tanabe is founder of both Yumi Tanabe’s Wine School and the Sakura Japan Women’s Wine Awards. Her father established Tokachi winery in Hokkaido when she was child, yet her real appreciation for the subject came while attending wine classes at Cornell’s Graduate school. After returning home, she started her school in 1992. As the Liquor Tax law changed, more companies entered the market, staff needed wine education and Tanabe filled the gap.

Her textbook ‘Yumi Tanabe’s Wine Book’ is known as ‘The Bible’ for those sitting the JSA exams and over 10,000 students have passed through the school. When Tanabe established the Sakura Awards in 2013 her intention was threefold: first, to create a platform to increase consumption from its current level of 3.5 litres  per capita to five litres;second, to focus on wines that are suitable for pairing with Japanese cuisine; third, to advance the position of women in business. To this end, all 560 judges for the Sakura Awards are women. In a country where women are responsible for the majority of wine purchases, this is a shrewd move. The growing influence of the awards is shown by the increased number of entries: over 4,000 in 2020, up from 2,000 in 2014, and by the number of retailers using the awards to promote their wines. Nearly 100 partners, including wine specialists Cave de Relax and Enoteca as well as national retailers AEON and Ito Yokado, hold promotions after the winners are announced.

Domestic wines and fine wines

Professor Kensuke Ebihara played an important role in the creation of recent laws relating to Japan wine, defined as wine made from domestically grown grapes, and Geographical Indications (GIs). Ebihara is Professor of Law at the Department of Global Legal Studies at Tokyo’s prestigious Meiji Gakuin University, and a board member of the International Wine Law Association. In 2015 he was asked to advise the National Tax Agency on establishing the law for Japan wine. Coming into force in 2018, it distinguishes wine made from domestically grown grapes from that produced from imported must or wine. Although this category represents only 4% of domestic production it has a strong domestic following. Furthermore, Ebihara was entrusted by the Yamanashi Prefectural Government to advise on the establishment of Geographic Indications (GIs). This led to creation of Yamanashi GI in 2013; and subsequently Hokkaido GI in 2018, with more expected to follow. Ebihara equates the existing GIs to the broad-based IGPs in the EU but hopes to see more tightly defined GIs, akin to the protected designation of origin (PDO), in the future. Given the popularity of Japanese sake and whisky, Japan wine is likely to follow suit, and as demand grows the establishment of Japan wine and GIs will help the market develop. 

Writing about wine

Junko Watanabe is a wine specialist and consultant to Zachys Japan auction house and is also the author of a best-selling book on fine wines. Watanabe started working at Christie’s New York in 2001, and returned to Japan in 2009, after leaving Christie’s.She took up her position with Zachys in 2015, where her responsibilities included finding new buyers and looking for consignors. While there is still huge interest in Burgundy and Champagne, Japanese clients are no longer the force they were in the 1990s. However, there is still a big enough market for Zachys to hold ‘satellite’ auctions in Tokyo, supporting their live auctions in Hong Kong. 

There is, however, little information in Japanese about the fine wine market. In 2018 Watanabe published her book “Wine for Enrichment” which was instant success, selling 75,000 copies. Subtitled ‘For the Worldwide Business Elite’ it was marketed under business and economics, not under wine and food. Watanabe followed up with another book, “Expensive Wine” which tells the back stories of collectible wines. Her single-minded focus on the fine wine market, two decades of experience, and her instinct to target a new set of clients make her a key influencer for this niche, but valuable, sector. 

As the Japanese market matures, brands and regions need to distinguish themselvesand influencers play a crucial role in bringing wines to the attention of consumers and professionals. The most effective influencers in Japan are those with established credentials, and in-depth knowledge of their chosen fields.  

Roddy Ropner

This article first appeared in Issue 1, 2020 of Meininger's Wine Business International magazine, available by subscription in print or digital.

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