Coffee Travels With Kevin: Japan, March 2026
Written By Kevin Whalen
I was fortunate to travel to Japan in March, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I knew that Japan is known for a very rich coffee culture, so I wanted to experience some of the coffee shops, especially the specialty coffee shops.
I learned how to order different drinks in Japanese (Ten'nai-yō no hottokōhī o onegaishimasu for hot coffee for here, ten'nai de, hotto no kapuchino, o emu saizu, de hitotsu onegaishimasu for one medium hot cappuccino for here).
It didn’t matter. Some of the coffee people could actually understand my feeble attempts to speak Japanese, but they all knew “coffee English,” as one barista phrased it, to take coffee orders. Multi-language picture menus were usually available too.
I was surprised that I had to specify hot coffee or cappuccino each time I ordered (hotto, there are other words for “hot,” but “hotto” was easier to remember). I think in the US and Europe, it’s assumed to be hot unless you specify iced, so that was a learning experience.
The Japanese coffee shops that I had seen in Europe were tiny - so tiny that I walked past some multiple times while looking for them in Glasgow, Lisbon, and Copenhagen. In Japan, it’s mixed - some are tiny with a few seats but some are larger, more social spaces like we see in the US and Europe.
And there are lots of Starbucks. There are also Tully’s, a chain started in the Pacific Northwest to compete with Starbucks that went out of business in the US in about 2018 - yet it thrives in Japan with over 600 shops. The Tully’s shops look similar to Starbucks shops but also offer a broader variety of drinks suited to Japanese customers (Matcha tea is BIG here). And Tully’s drinks are served in Tom & Jerry cups (as in the cartoon characters).
I wanted the Japanese experience, where selective sourcing and precision brewing were key. One thing I quickly learned is that in Japanese coffee shops, restaurants, even fast food places, you are provided an oshibori, which is a wet towel in a little packet (I think it’s just moistened with water to freshen up, so not like a sanitizing wipe but nice nonetheless). You use this to gently wipe your hands before enjoying your drink or meal, then fold it back up and place it neatly on the tray (if you have a drip or dribble, it’s handy for cleaning up a bit too). It’s only for your hands, not for wiping your face and neck.
Good Coffee Farms Cafe
One of my favorite coffee places was Good Coffee Farms Cafe in Tokyo.
“Sustainable coffee made by bicycles” - what’s not to like? Bicycles power the pulping process, and this company works with farmers and coops in Guatemala, Colombia, and Brazil to produce their coffees. From what I can tell, not all of the coffee is de-pulped with bicycles, but still, it’s a good idea.
Good Farms was located in a busy business area of Tokyo with a lot of high-end and not so high-end malls and shops (seriously, I’ve never seen such retail store density).
You order by screen, which has to be a lifesaver for any business supporting multiple (tourist) languages. It’s all fresh ground and brewed, and you choose your coffee beans (you can even make your own blend or go with half decaf).
I bought some coffee from Good Farms, and it included a card with the Guatemalan farmer. I’ve always been dubious of the labeled flavor notes - blueberry, milk chocolate, wine. Hmmm.
As per Tokyo usual, Good Farms was super friendly hospitality in a very clean store. Latte art with a very full heart. Or possibly an apple. Either way, nice, fun. I had a piece of thick toast with butter.
