Tomofumi Fujimaru – Fujimaru Winery (Osaka & Tokyo)

Tomofumi Fujimaru is a pioneer of Japan’s urban winery movement and one of the country’s most recognizable advocates for natural, everyday wines. He founded Fujimaru Winery in Osaka in 2013 after years in the wine trade, motivated by a desire to revive his city’s viticultural heritage.
From his rooftop and city-based facilities, Fujimaru vinifies grapes sourced from Osaka, Yamagata, and other regions—favoring growers who farm without herbicides or pesticides. His approach is minimalist: spontaneous fermentation, low sulfur, and gentle handling.
Fujimaru’s vision is to reconnect urban life with agriculture and to create wines that pair seamlessly with Japanese cuisine. His “everyday wine” philosophy has made Fujimaru Winery a model for accessible, community-focused winemaking in Japan’s growing natural wine scene.

The Urban Winery Concept

Fujimaru Winery is a multi-concept business that defies the traditional model of a rural winery next to a vineyard.

• Locations: The primary urban winery, Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery, opened in the heart of Osaka in 2013. A second urban winery, Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Fujimaru Brewery (or Jozosho), operates in Tokyo.

• Winery as a Hub: Both locations are multi-concept spaces that house the winemaking facility on the ground floor, with a restaurant or bar/tasting room upstairs. This setup creates a direct connection between the vineyard, the winemaker, and the consumer.

• The Experience: Visitors can enjoy a meal, often Italian-based but incorporating Japanese ingredients, while viewing the tanks and equipment where the wine is being made.

• Full Chain Control: Fujimaru's enterprise encompasses nearly the full wine chain: he is a vineyard manager, winemaker, négociant, distributor, wine shop proprietor, and restaurateur.

Winemaking Philosophy and Mission

Fujimaru's winemaking is driven by a mission to preserve local heritage and create wines that harmonize with Japanese cuisine.

• Preserving Osaka's Heritage: He started his winemaking project in 2010 to save the region's 120-year history of viticulture, which was rapidly disappearing due to urbanization. He took over abandoned land in Kashiwara, Osaka, to start cultivating grapes.

• Wines for Daily Life: The wines emphasize delicacy rather than flashiness, designed to be drinks that accompany Japanese cuisine and home dining.

• Viticultural Approach: For his owned and contracted vineyards, he generally follows a philosophy of Lutte Raisonnée (sustainable or reasoned struggle), meaning no chemicals are used unless absolutely necessary.

• Natural/Low-Intervention: Many of his wines, particularly the Cuvée Papilles line, are made with low or no added sulfites and utilize techniques like orange wine production and minimal-intervention fermentations.