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Think of Japanese wine and Westerners automatically think sake.

However, sake is the generic term for alcohol in Japan. What is widely known as sake are actually rice wines called nihonshu. Plum wine or umeshu, a wine made from Japanese plums which are called ume, is also a popular drink.

Wines made from grapes grown in the Yamanashi Prefecture (a pleasant day trip from Tokyo) is home to some 90 vineyards & wineries producing a variety of wines that continue to enjoy growing popularity in the urban centers of Japan...

More about Japanese wineries around the Web:

Alcoholic Beverages in Japan - An illustrated guide to alcohol and drinking etiquette in Japan...very nice coverage of polite behavior in Japanese social settings. There are also links to other excellent resources.

The Joy of Sake - Along with showcasing international expositions, this site has a good section of information on Sake, including the fact that many of the biggest Japanese Sake producers have operating wineries in America's Napa Valley. The site is easy to navigate and very pretty, worth a visit just for the graphics.

Exciting, New, Chilled Sakés - This articles discusses the question of whether Sake is really wine, the best way to serve sake and other sake info. Reviews of some top labels available in restaurants and liquor stores and links to Amazon.com for a selection of books are some of the resources you'll find here.

If You Knew Sake - Japanese sake made by old fashioned, prewar methods without adding sugar or other additives to speed up the process, is winning advocates in other Asian markets. This boutique sake is known as jizake and bars that specialize in the premium blends are finding a niche among wine drinkers.

Hotei Wines - A curious mix of Japan and California, this site is put together by a group that lives in Japan, but imports wine from other countries. There is coverage of the wine industry in Japan. The link to a story on Bruce Gutlove, a Californian transplant, gives a glimpse into the crossbreeding of Japanese culture and modern wine growing techniques.

Vineyards in Asia - Japan, India, China, Indonesia - This database of Vineyards & Wineries, Wine Sellers, Wine Info, Wine Media and Wine Organizations links to many of the regions wine related sites. There is no indication of language and you'll find that quite a few offer no English translation. A few are in English or offer English versions.

also see -> Japan tourist attractions | How to make sushi