We Don’t Discover Japan From Abroad

Wakaba was founded between two places we call home: Tokyo and Oakland.

As a Japanese-owned importer rooted in both communities, we work directly with independent wineries whose wines reflect their land, their values, and the people behind them. Many of our partners are small producers working on only a few hectares—farming thoughtfully, producing in limited quantities, and developing wines with a character that could not come from anywhere else.

Some are already deeply appreciated within their local communities but remain largely unknown outside Japan. Others have never seriously considered exporting because the process feels complicated and distant. We believe these wineries deserve the opportunity to reach a wider audience without changing who they are or how their stories are told.

Our shared language and familiarity with Japan allow us to build these relationships personally. We can visit the vineyards, sit across the table from the winemakers, and understand their work in their own words. But what matters most is what they are creating: distinctive wines shaped by local climates, native landscapes, careful farming, and an independent spirit.

When we bring their wines to California, our responsibility is not simply to move cases. It is to represent each winery with care.

That means explaining the people and places behind the bottles without flattening them into a trend. It means introducing their wines to restaurants, wine bars, bottle shops, and drinkers who will appreciate what makes them special. And it means ensuring that, after traveling thousands of miles, each wine arrives with its identity and story intact.

Our vision also extends in the other direction. We want people in California to experience the remarkable wines being made by small producers throughout Japan, while introducing people in Japan to independent winemakers from Northern California whom we have come to know through our life here.

Wakaba exists to create lasting relationships between producers and communities on both sides of the Pacific—built on trust, thoughtful representation, and a genuine belief in the wines we share.

Two places. Two communities. One bridge.