Comments on: 日本 Japan Take II

By: coops

coops — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:27:06 +0000

I live in Fukuoka, we have a lot of great coffee places as mentioned in the post.
Many people think the Japanese just drink canned coffee from a vending machine.
best of luck

By: Aviva Bowman

Aviva Bowman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:21:08 +0000

Okinawa IS beautiful – and there are several Starbucks shops – at least 4 that I know of. There’s also a coffee farm on the northeast corner of the island, Hiro’s Coffee Farm. It’s a delightful day to sit out in the shade with a full pot of freshly roasted and brewed coffee! There are worthy coffee places here – if you visit again, I’d be happy to advise

By: triptogenetica

triptogenetica — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:56:14 +0000

“You would think it might be annoying having a train run over the cafe every 15-20 minutes, but instead of the rickety clank you’d expect it to sound like, it’s this soft low bass note, with a quiet rumble that gives the place a really unique feel. ”

Unique? You must visit Square Mile coffee roasters in London – or the Monmouth roastery – both are housed in converted railway arches, and that soothing rumble you mention occurs there.

But I’d agree that Greens looks to be the first cafe housed in such a place. I hope the customers enjoy it!

By: John Giannakos

John Giannakos — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:36:52 +0000

Nice, Bear pond looks great. I actually had it bookmarked and completely forgot about it Next time.

As to nearly every shop being stuck in the second wave, yeah, there’s a lot of shops (like every city) that could be doing things a little better. But, though I’m sure you’re saying that light-heartedly, I didn’t see any of those kind of basics being ignored. From the conversations I had and the baristas I watched, I can say confidently that there’s a whole lot of talent in Japan.

By: Jeremy Stothers

Jeremy Stothers — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:16:36 +0000

Nice post! I think (unfortunately) nearly every Japanese cafe is stuck in the second wave… simple things like cleaning out the portafilter between uses and pulling the shot straight into the cup are rarely done, even in cafes with great food and a really pleasant atmosphere.

It’s a bit funny how siphon coffee has become so popular. I blame all those awesome San Fran halogen bars for inspiring people.

Too bad you didn’t get to check out Bear Pond: http://www.bear-pond.com/ maybe if there’s a Japan: round 3, you can stop by. It’s in a super cool little neighborhood in Tokyo. It was reviewed here: http://tokyoespresso.blogspot.com/

By: Dan Yee

Dan Yee — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:07:14 +0000

Awesome write up mate. Totally agree with the service and attention to detail. Unmatched anywhere IMO. Makes me want to go back.

By: Tyron

Tyron — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:45:19 +0000

And to think I almost moved there, would have been awesome to atleast check it out.