DJWI connects German wine producers directly with professionals in the Japanese wine market. It is not built on a short-term mailing list, but on an organically grown network on both sides: producers, sommeliers, gastronomy, trade, purchasing, media and other market participants who professionally assess, select or communicate wine. The association provides an independent framework in which market knowledge, personal exchange and reliable relationships come together.
DJWI focuses on three areas: reliable market knowledge, direct exchange within the network, and professional presence in relevant market and event contexts.
We make developments in the Japanese wine market easier to understand – from import and consumption data to price observations, regulation and market structures. Public sources are complemented by observations from the market itself. The aim is reliable orientation for members, not the largest possible volume of information.
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DJWI Wine Panels, masterclasses, producer discussions, market and wine trips and the protected members area bring together people with different perspectives. The focus is direct professional exchange, sustainable relationships and a better understanding of the other side of the market.
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Trade fairs, industry events and DJWI formats create a presence in relevant professional contexts. The association brings topics, producers and market developments into the exchange – not to maximise reach, but where market understanding and personal relationships can develop.
Learn more →DJWI is neither a traditional export-promotion body nor a marketing agency. Our approach begins where many market-entry projects remain abstract: with the people who actually know the market. German producers gain direct access to professional perspectives from Japan; Japanese members discover producers and styles that are still barely visible outside Germany.
Long-standing relationships within the Japanese wine sector and continuous exchange with professionals on the ground.
Close access to German wineries, including regionally established producers whose profiles are not yet fully visible internationally.
No chain of intermediaries: producers and Japanese professionals should exchange perspectives directly and develop relationships independently.
The seven founding members share long-standing personal or professional connections to wine and Japan. Their backgrounds combine sommellerie, wine purchasing, gastronomy, wine assessment, entrepreneurship, import and export experience, and intercultural negotiation. Several founders continue to work between the German or European and Japanese markets.
DJWI grew out of this perspective: German wine in Japan is often still perceived through a narrower image than the diversity of contemporary German wine deserves. At the same time, Japanese professionals have strong international comparative expertise. The association aims to bring both sides into more direct contact and create a professionally relevant dialogue beyond established routines.
DJWI is neither an importer nor a sales agency and does not take commission on business relationships between members. Activities and contacts are selected according to professional relevance, not according to which producer or market participant creates the greatest financial benefit for the association.
If a DJWI Wine Panel, trip or introduction later develops into a business relationship, that relationship belongs to the parties involved. This separation creates a setting in which market feedback can remain honest and members can develop their networks independently.
