TOKYO - This year's first shipment of Beaujolais Nouveau wine arrived in Japan from France on Wednesday, ahead of its release on Nov. 20. The company plans to import a total of about 335,000 liters of the wine, down about 2 percent from the previous year. Beaujolais Nouveau plays an important role in spreading wine culture," said Keiko Yoshio, who is in charge of wine business at Suntory, after a shipment of wine arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport. Beaujolais Nouveau is released on the third Thursday of November every year. Another shipment arrived at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture on Wednesday morning, and further shipments are expected to reach across the country later.