Yamanashi Winery Day Trip 2026: Katsunuma Itinerary, Transport and Wine Tasting Guide

Last updated: 2026-11-04 · About 10 min read

This Yamanashi winery day trip guide covers how to get from Tokyo to Katsunuma, how to fit in Budou no Oka and a winery tour, the new wine festival held every November 3, and 3 private car routes where the whole group can drink.

Can you drive yourself to a winery tasting?

No. If you want to taste, you can't drive, and in Japan even a small amount of alcohol means you can't get behind the wheel. With a rental car, the driver just watches everyone else drink, and Château Mercian Katsunuma's tour page says drivers and cyclists get non-alcoholic sparkling wine and water instead. With a private car, a sober driver takes the wheel so the whole group can taste, and any bottles you buy go straight in the car.

What is there to see in Katsunuma? Budou no Oka, Château Mercian and Miyakoen

Katsunuma, in Koshu City, Yamanashi, is the birthplace of Japanese wine, and the Koshu City Tourism Association counts 45 wineries in the city. For a first visit, tasting at Budou no Oka, a Château Mercian winery tour and Miyakoen make a good day, though the wineries are spread out among the vineyards and you need transport between them.

Koshu City Katsunuma Budou no Oka

Stay: about 1.5 hours

Budou no Oka sits on the hill across from Katsunuma-Budokyo Station. In the underground cellar, ¥2,200 buys a "tastevin" tasting cup for about 150 Koshu-recommended wines; the cellar is open 9:00–17:30. The 3rd-floor view restaurant serves lunch 11:30–15:00 (last order 14:30), and there's a barbecue garden too. The Tenku no Yu hot spring is closed for renovation and is due to reopen in spring 2027; everything else is open as usual.

Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery

Stay: about 1.5 hours

There's a walk-in tasting counter that needs no booking, a shop and a wine museum, plus winery tours by reservation if you want to see how the wine is made. The shop is open 10:00–16:30, the tasting counter 10:00–16:00 (last order) and the museum 9:30–16:30, so you can still have a glass even without a tour booking.

Miyakoen

Stay: about 40 minutes

Japan's first private winery, Dai Nihon Yamanashi Budoshu Gaisha, was founded in Katsunuma in 1877, which is why the area is called the birthplace of Japanese wine. Miyakoen is the winery and tourist vineyard that took over its brewing equipment, and today it's a museum with old photos and early wine labels, a good stop to learn Katsunuma's story before you start tasting.

Do you need to book a Château Mercian winery tour, and how much is it?

Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery runs two tours, each for up to 10 people and booking required; only people aged 20 and over can sign up.

Both tours cover the wine museum, the Iwaimura vineyard, the production facilities and the underground cellar, finishing with a tasting. If there's space you can join on the day at the Wine Gallery, but once it's full you can't, so book your date first and plan the rest of the day around it. The winery closes over the New Year holidays and has irregular closures in winter, so for a winter visit, lock in your tour booking early.

How do you get from Tokyo to Katsunuma, and how do you get around?

By train, you change once at Otsuki: the Azusa or Kaiji limited express from Shinjuku takes about 60 minutes to Otsuki, then the Chuo Main Line takes about 25 minutes to Katsunuma-Budokyo. You can also take the Kaiji to Enzan Station, or a highway bus from Shinjuku Nishiguchi.

The Koshu Wine Liner bus between Koshu City and Shinjuku is currently suspended.

From Katsunuma-Budokyo Station

You can see Budou no Oka as soon as you leave the station; it's about a 15–20 minute walk, but the hill is steep up and down, or about 5 minutes by taxi. Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery is about 8 minutes from the station by taxi. Koshu City's "Katsunuma area bus" runs a Budo course and a Wine course past Budou no Oka, the station, Miyakoen and the wineries, at ¥300 a ride. In other words, going by train means calling a taxi or waiting for a bus every time you move to the next winery; the Koshu City Tourism Association lists Koshu Taxi, Katsunuma Kanko Taxi and YK Enzan Taxi.

How should you plan a Katsunuma winery day?

Going by each venue's opening hours, a tour in the morning, lunch at midday and tasting in the afternoon flows best:

• Morning: Join a tour at Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery, or have a glass at the tasting counter if you couldn't book (opens 10:00).
• Midday: Lunch at the Budou no Oka view restaurant, last order 14:30.
• Afternoon: Take your time in the Budou no Oka cellar with the tasting cup, pick your bottles before it closes at 17:30, then head back to Tokyo.

For more of Katsunuma's history, add Miyakoen in the morning. By train you'll need to arrange a ride between each stop, so to skip the waiting, take a look at the private car routes below.

When is the Katsunuma New Wine Festival?

The Katsunuma Shinshu Wine Matsuri is held every year on November 3 at Katsunuma Budou no Oka, with the city's wineries pouring that year's new wine. The 2026 festival ran 10:00–16:00 with 17 wineries taking part, and paid tasting cost ¥3,000 for an original glass and 10 tasting tickets. Glasses and tickets went on sale at 8:30, glass sales ended at 15:00, and extra tickets were available, so early November is the best time to visit Katsunuma for new wine.

Is Katsunuma cold in autumn and winter?

In a typical November, Katsunuma averages 9.8°C, with daytime highs of 16.1°C and lows of 4.8°C; December averages 4.5°C with lows of -0.6°C. Mornings and evenings are much cooler than midday, and the underground cellar is chilly, so bring a jacket in autumn and winter.

Which private car routes can you choose?

All 3 routes below are one-day private car trips with pick-up and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel, planned around the opening hours above. The driver doesn't drink, so the whole group can taste and your bottles ride in the car, and you can adjust the order with the driver.

Have this ready when you ask about a private car on LINE

• Your hotel (name or address)
• Date of use
• Number of people and luggage (strollers, large bags)
• Your planned itinerary

For a faster, more accurate quote, please send all of the above in one message on LINE.

Where should you stay?

A private car picks you up and drops you off at your hotel in Tokyo, so any area works. If you go by train or bus, staying around Shinjuku is easiest, since the Azusa, Kaiji and highway buses all leave from there. To spend another day in Katsunuma, Budou no Oka has its own hotel: check-in from 15:00, check-out by 10:00, with bookings by phone.

Summary: what to watch for and how to plan a Yamanashi winery day trip

Things to watch for

If you want to taste, you can't drive. By train you change at Otsuki, and between wineries you'll be calling taxis or waiting for the city bus; the walk up to Budou no Oka is steep. Château Mercian's tours take only 10 people and there are irregular winter closures, so book first, then plan.

How to plan the day

A Château Mercian tour or Miyakoen in the morning, lunch at Budou no Oka, then tasting in the cellar in the afternoon, with your bottles chosen before 17:30. If you're there on November 3, give the whole day to the New Wine Festival.

Why we suggest a private car

The hassles of a winery day are someone always having to stay sober, arranging rides between wineries, and lugging bottles through train changes. A private car picks you up at your Tokyo hotel, the driver stays sober so everyone can taste, your wine rides back to the hotel in the car, and older relatives don't have to climb the hill. See the 3 private car routes above, or message us on LINE to plan your day.

Yamanashi winery day trip FAQ