By 2012, Japan must cut down on its annual emissions of greenhouse gases by 6% from 1990 levels. However, greenhouse emissions increased by 6.4% in 2006. More effective responses to reduce greenhouse gases are required. Attention is currently focused on. increasing the use of renewable energy, and wind energy has received a lot of attention. The national target for wind power capacity in the year 20 10 is 3000 MW; however, there are many barriers to the development of wind energy. Japan's climate differs from that of the European Union countries. It often experiences typhoons and lightning strikes because of its meteorological characteristics. Wind has a stronger turbulence level due to the complex terrain. Furthermore, power fluctuation of wind causes power system problems because of issues related to the grid connection. Many endeovours have been made to find the best solutions for these problems. This paper reviews the wind energy activities in Japan, including wind resources, market trends, environment, prospects and research and development. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.