Missed the previous #UnfinedTravels? Catch up here
We’re back with another chapter of #UnfinedTravels. This time we are headed to Japan, one of the pioneer markets for natural wine globally. Natural wine culture here started over 20 years ago, when wine bar owners had to order directly from the winemakers via post because import was still catching up. The senior natural wine importers here have been in business for over 20 years too, and they earn special respect in the industry for being uncompromised when it comes to wine quality like resting their wines for a few years before releasing and for being the some of the first in spotting young talents early and supporting them since the very start.
To fully understand what natural wine culture here looks like, the best way is definitely to visit Japan and to fully submerge in it. Though we genuinely think that it comes down to the people – when wine is not just a drink but also a life style and life value. This series won’t touch the tourist stuff, just wine and the places we believe would be of interest to the people with a natty heart. Enjoy!
Ramen Toride, 12PM
Right after dropping our luggage, we walked to a local ramen shop around the corner from the hotel. Nothing fancy, packed with the lunch crowd, but the whole operation ran like clockwork. One chef, one person handling everything front of house, and a seafood broth so good you’d feel bad leaving any behind. Come hungry, because you’ll want to finish every last drop.
Takamura Wine & Coffee Roasters, 2PM
We then walked over to Takamura Wine & Coffee Roasters – partly for a coffee to wake up, partly because this place is worth knowing about. They started with a much wider range of products back in 1992, then made a deliberate call in 2013 to go all-in on wine and specialty coffee. Now they carry around 2,200 wine labels, moving roughly 2 million bottles a year, with people coming from all over Japan just to shop here.
Downstairs is for browsing and grabbing a quick glass (or few), while upstairs people camp out with coffee or wine – working, reading, or just hanging. The wine dispensing machine means you can taste rare bottles by the glass that you’d almost never find poured anywhere else. We tasted bottles from several regions like Hokkaido, Nagano, Miyagi (Japan), Piedmont (Italy), and there are many more options for you to try. Very worth spending 2 hours here!
From left to right:
- Domaine Takahiko (Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan) – ‘Yoichi Nobori’ Passetoutgrain 2016
- Yoshiji Vineyards (Fujimi-cho, Nagano, Japan) – Pinot Noir 2024
- Fattoria AL FIORE (Miyagi, Japan) – POS II 2024
- Case Corini (Piedmont, Italy) – Achille 2021
Pasania, 5:30PM
Whenever we’re in Osaka, Pasania is on the list, and this trip we came back with our favorite sommelier Kei Tashiro (a.k.a Tassy). The restaurant started in 1965 as a small okonomiyaki spot, now in its third generation run by siblings Yoshio and Chie Nakagawa & tucked inside Nakanoshima Dai Building. Easy to walk past from the outside, but inside it’s one of the most genuine natural wine spots we’ve been to anywhere.
They’ve been behind natural wine for a long time – way before it was a trend, and still going strong. The list currently leans heavily Japanese, as Yoshio-san is on the mission of raising appreciation for the locally made drops. Around the space you’ll spot bottles signed by winemakers who’ve visited over the years, stacked up by Yo-chan and Chie-chan as little mementos of those visits. This time, Yo-chan pulled a few rare bottles from his cellar to share with us, which felt very special (that petnat from Norakura was absolutely surprising!). Also, one of the best okonimiyaki that you will find in the whole Japan (we might be biased, and most likely we are, but we don’t mind our bias for this case 😂).
*matchbox from the shop since their parents’ times*
From left to right:
- Nora Kura (Hokuto/Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan) – Effervescent 2020 (bottle no. 146/266)
- Vineyard Moos (Kurisawa-cho, Hokkaido, Japan) – Mori to Sora 2024
- Kumezakura Shuzo (Tottori, Japan) – Sake Jaune
Tassy, as the Osaka ambassador for Star Wine List, once wrote:
“Not only for locals but for all the wine lovers in the world, I think Pasania is one of its kind in Osaka. It’s located in Nakanoshima, and their history spans over more than half a century. People come from all over the world to try their combination of local traditional Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) and natural wine. This is also a place where a lot of chefs and sommeliers go to wind down with a glass of wine after they’ve finished their shifts. There is no wine list, but the selection made by Yoshio Nakagawa is excellent. The wines are sourced from all over the world and include both traditional and avant-garde wines, and of course also some Japanese stuff. The staff is knowledgeable and there’s always something on the list to make you thirsty. Welcome to a true paradise of natural wine!”
Yacipoci, 8:30PM
After Pasania, we headed to Yacipoci – a standing bar tucked in a quite corner of Hiranomachi (located in the Chuo Ward of Osaka) and one of the rising stars in the Osaka drinking scene. It’s run by a husband-and-wife team: Naohiro, who came from finance and studied ship design, and Tomoe, who used to train dolphins. We’re pretty sure that mix of backgrounds is exactly why the place feels the way it does – every small detail is thought through, and the room has a real lived-in warmth to it.
We went on a Friday night and after-work dining & drinking were clearly the move here. We were the only big group, while everyone else was at the bar or scattered around the room. There were Naohiro, Tomoe and 2 lovely staffs who ran the whole floor – cooking, pouring, greeting, serving – so busy but everyone was at the most relaxed pace you’ve ever seen – Japanese art of hospitality. The vibe was very lively yet quite grounding. Maybe it was thanks to the vinyl music on request in the background, simple foods made with intention to showcase the local ingredients, all of that topped with extraordinary drops from Domaine Mont, Domaine Takahiko and Domaine Yui. Oh, and that very OG, very oishi burnt basque cheesecake to finish the night with. We had one each and we wished we had bigger stomachs to fit one more!
From left to right:
- Genki Iwasaki (Tochigi Prefecture, Japan) – Muscat Bailey A “Regional” 2025
- Domaine Mont (Hokkaido, Japan) – Dom Gris 2022
- Domaine Takahiko (Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan) – ‘Yoichi Nobori’ Passetoutgrain 2023
- Domaine Yui (Hokkaido, Japan) – T2 Pétillant Blanc Portland 2024
That was a quick 12-hour wine tour in Osaka, we wished we had more time as there are still so many wine places to explore, but that’s for next time. Train to Kyoto awaits at 9am the next day.