Japan being the third largest importer of coffee, celebrates a vibrant coffee culture. The Japanization of coffee began in 1877 when the beans were first brought in as a western drink. Much since that time coffee has become an indispensable part of the daily life of Japanese people. It is in Japan that there are coffee purists who promote consumption of the beverage in its exclusive natural essence.
The day commences with a strong “cuppa café” that provides the much needed zeal for working long office hours. Every street and every junction in Japan will have coffee stalls. What is more fascinating is the themes of the kissa ten (coffee shops). Music café clubs, cultural coffee hubs, cafeterias promotion art and reading are some of the prominent to catch attention. The ethnic decors or the cozy open air coffee pubs are intrinsically decorated with Japanese curates which is in a way an expression of the fact that coffee drinking is much of a social habit. These places with their lip smacking café delicacies offer generous reason to motivate fun and joy over cups of coffee.
Discussing Japanese coffee culture and not mentioning Tokyo will be a grave offence. It was in Tokyo that the first coffee shop; the Paris way was established. This drew enough attention to spread the fire across the country. Picking up the pace other cities and villages started experimenting different types of possible recipes and developed potential varieties through percolated techniques. This method distinctively distinguished Japanese brewed up coffee from the Moroccan and the Italian styles. Another famous Japanese preparation is the iced coffee – Kyoto style. While the flavours of the coffee derives inspiration from the ones already in existence the spicy, the fruity and chocolaty ones, the methods of preparing coffee the Japanese styles requires intensive labor and perseverance.
In the wake of promoting the ethnicity of coffee, it can be concluded that the Japanese have traversed a long way from treating it as an herbal stimulant to a matter of taste and delicacy.
