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Japanese Coffee Guide: Best Japanese Coffee Reviewed

japanese coffee guide

Japanese Coffee is some of the most unique coffee in the world. Japanese Coffee was first introduced in the seventeenth century by the Dutch and Portuguese Traders. Coffee is heavily seen as a western product in Japan and was even banned during WWII. 

Coffee differs heavily from Japanese Tea culture, but the Japanese coffee culture is constantly evolving, and they have some of the best coffee worldwide. If you’re interested in buying some Japanese Coffee, here is our list of the Top 5 Japanese Coffee Brands.

Quick Answer: Top 5 Japanese Coffees!

  1. Best Japanese Coffee Drip – UCC Aroma Rich Selection Single Serve Hand Drip Coffee Review
  2. Best Japanese Coffe Brand – UCC – The Blend 117 Instant Coffee Review
  3. Best Japanese Drip Coffee Maker – Hario Glass Technica Syphon Coffee Maker Review
  4. Best Japanese Coffee – Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee Review
  5. Best Japanese Canned Coffee – Boss Coffee Review

1. Best Japanese Coffee Drip – UCC Aroma Rich Selection Single Serve Hand Drip Coffee Review

This by far the best Japanese hand drip coffee and one of the best Japanese coffees on the market. This coffee has taken over Japan as a cultural statement. It is one of the highest quality coffee available in Japan. 

This coffee is a single-serve coffee and leaves a smaller carbon footprint that k-cups, basically they leave little to nothing when it comes to carbon footprints, allowing for a very environmentally friendly Japanese coffee.

This coffee is great for the office and has an amazing strong taste. It is easy to use, and also quite cheap. If you’re looking for some top-quality Japanese Coffee, this is the coffee for you!


2. Best Japanese Coffe Brand – UCC The Blend 117 Instant Coffee Review

Here we have by far the Best Coffee brand UCC, with there freshly brewed instant coffee Japanese coffee beans. If you have been wanting to experience the typical Japanese sumikayi charcoal coffee, this is the one for you. 

This coffee is known for its high quality. This coffee is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, and the balanced flavor profile is sure to satisfy any coffee drinker. The UCC was the first Japanese Coffee brand to set-up farms in Brazil and Jamaica, allowing them to skip the middleman and can deliver these high-quality beans straight to your door, ensuring freshness.

If you are not 100% satisfied with the purchase of your coffee, and if you have purchased within 30 days, they will give you a full refund. Sounds good, right?


3. Best Japanese Drip Coffee Maker – Hario Glass Technica Syphon Coffee Maker Review

Here we have by far the best Japanese drip coffee maker, the Hairo Coffee Maker. The Hairo coffee maker is imported from Japan and worldwide, is one of the most well-known coffee makers. 

The Upper Bowl, Lower Bowl, and even the burner are made from the heat resistant borosilicate glass, which allows, allowing for heat resistant coffee maker. This Japanese Coffee maker is created from the best materials available. The price is also not too bad, but it does produce amazing tasting coffee using the newest technology available.

Overall, this is a top-quality Japanese Coffee maker. If you’re looking to create authentic Japanese Coffee, this is the coffee maker for you!


4. Best Japanese Coffee – Four Sigmatic Mushroom Japanese Coffee Review

Now, this is by far the best tasting Japanese coffee on this list. When me and my team tasted this, it was like heaven in my mouth. A bonus about this coffee is that it only has half the caffeine of normal coffee, and the coffee is shown to support memory, focus, and concentration. When I drank this coffee, I did feel a boost in focus and was able to work with fewer distractions.

The Four Sigmatic Mushroom coffee also supports your immune function and has antioxidant properties allowing for a healthy coffee. This coffee does taste like coffee and DOES NOT taste like mushrooms, as I first thought. It is ready to drink on-the-go in the go and is easy to set up.

This coffee is perfect for gluten-free, vegan, and even paleo diets. Overall this is a healthy and cheap alternative to the other Japanese coffee on this list.


5. Best Japanese Canned Coffee – Boss Coffee Review

Now, if you’ve been apart of the coffee community for a while, you may have heard of a Japanese canned coffee called BOSS Coffee, which is one of the best tasting canned coffee available today.

This is ready to drink coffee, allowing you to take with you to work or anywhere, and crack it open and have a beautiful energy booster right there. This is a low-calorie coffee, only consisting of 10 calories per can, and has 0 grams of sugar. A negative is that this is the original energy drink, which means it contains a lot of caffeine. But if you’re searching for a substitute for soft drinks, this is a perfect alternative. 

Overall this is an amazing tasting coffee and is a great on-the-go energy booster!


Japanese Coffee Buyers Guide

coffee milk japan

What’s The History of Japanese Coffee?

Japanese Coffee has a deep and interesting history. Coffee had first arrived via Dutch Traders in the 1700s. The Japanese people at first weren’t interested in the product as they saw it as a Western product, and they stuck with the traditional Japanese Tea.

But as time went on, the first coffee shop opened in 1888 and was called Kahiichakan. Still, it only lasted 5 years before going bankrupt, showing the Japanese dislike for the product. During Wolrd War II, coffee imports to Japan were banned as they saw it as a Western product.

After World War II, the coffee ban was lifted. A man who is now known as the “Father of Coffee in Japan” re-introduced the product to the Japanese public as a canned coffee, making it easy to consume. In 1960, Japan started to import 15,000 tonnes, these days they import much more, around 440,000 tonnes. 

Coffee in Japan today is quite popular, but still does not triumph the popularity of tea in the country. The coffee culture in Japan is heavily influenced by the Western coffee culture, with chains such as Starbucks and McDonald’s McCafe dominating the coffee industry within the country. People still do dislike coffee as they see it as a Western tradition, and they feel it as an invasion of Japanese culture. Today Japan ranks 4th in the world in coffee consumption, meaning many people have embraced it.

Where Can You Buy Japanese Coffee?

Now, this a good question, where can you buy Japanese Coffee. It is quite hard to find Japanese coffee at your local coffee shop or at retail stores as it is quite a niche. Your best bet is to take the online route. We obviously have listed 5 top quality Japanese Coffee Brands, above. Still, if somehow none of those fit your needs, there are other online stores.

We have places such as Kyoto and other coffee makers and coffee bean producers. It’s only a google search away!

What does Japanese coffee taste like?

You might be wondering what Japanese coffee tastes like. Well, Japanese coffee is one of the most neutral tasting coffees, allowing it to fit any taste bud. Japanese Coffee comes in many different types you have the normal Starbucks Coffee which does not differ much from its Western counterpart, but then you have . Still, thentional Japanese Coffee from convenience stores, these taste very rich and they use top-qu. Theyns for that beautiful flavor. 

Coffee In Japan

Well, Coffee in Japan can now be found basically on every street. Japanese people love coffee. There are the normal chains such as Starbucks and McDonald’s McCafe. Which serves your normal coffee at normal prices.

 There are also convenience stores, which host everything you could want to buy, They also serve coffee usually at a low price, like very cheap coming in at around $1 USD (100 YEN) for a whole coffee. There are also dedicated coffee shops, where you can sit down and enjoy a retro coffee shop atmosphere. Still, these shops cost much more for there coffee coming in at around $4 – USD 8 for a coffee (400-800 Yen). 

So if you are thinking about visiting Japan and are interested in trying a Coffee in Japan, we recommend staying away from the normal McCafe and trying something new. The coffee really is amazing, and they put there own unique taste on coffee.

Where Does Japanese Coffee Grow?

Well, since Japan is unable to grow there own Coffee beans due to bad climates, they have farms based in Brazil and Jamaica. Many of the brands farm their coffee and import it straight to Japan, reducing cost. Over 35,000 Japanese workers have migrated to go work on these farms and provide the Japanese people with high-quality coffee, which is quite commendable. 

Conclusion 

We hope this was able to help you learn more about Japanese Coffee, and if you were looking to buy some Japanese Coffee, we hope this was able to help you find the right Japanese Coffee. Thank you for reading a CozyCoffee article, and we hope you enjoy a CozyCoffee!

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About David Dewitt

Hi, my name is David and I come from Columbus, Ohio. I am a amateur photographer, and a coffee lover. I love to write, and don't mind me a cup of joe!