The way of Japanese coffee

From Tokyo’s classic Café de l’ambre, where centenarian master Sekiguchi Ichiro still roasts the beans, to sleek specialty coffee shops and retro-cool kissaten (traditional coffee houses), Japan is home to one of the world’s most exciting coffee cultures. This may come as a surprise to the uninitiated, who assume green tea is the chief caffeinated beverage, but Japan is among the world’s largest importers of coffee. The Japanese are experts in manual brewing techniques, such as siphon and pour over (a.k.a. hand drip). Here’s what available on our sunny shores.

Kurasu

Kurasu which means 'to live' in Japanese is a specialty coffee cafe from Japan. Having opened its first outlet in Kyoto in 2016, the coffeehouse was so well-received that it propelled an overseas branch in Singapore in 2018. The coffee beans are roasted in Kurasu Fushimi. The house blend, for example, consists of two types of coffee beans from Brazil and Guatemala. “Another part of what we do in Kurasu is featuring different coffee roasters through our subscription service. Coffees can be roasted very differently. Over here we embrace every single style out there, be it a much heavier bodied coffee from a dark roast to an elegant tea-like coffee from a light roast,” says Angelo Tan, branch manager of Kurasu Singapore.

Okada Coffee & Sweets

Originated from Kumamoto Kyushu in 1943, this Japanese coffee spot is helmed by third-generation owner Okada Yoshiko. It has six shops in Kumamoto – Singapore’s the only overseas outlet. Okada has created its own blend of coffee, which combines seven different types of beans from different parts of the world, including, Brazil, Columbia , Sumatra, Africa. You get a full-bodied brew with a sweet and clean finish. Best served at 85°C.