In this article, we’ll explain to our readers why Japan is believed to have developed a unique coffee culture.
The Origins of Coffee Culture in Japan
The first coffee beans were brought to Japan by merchants in the 1700s. However, the first café didn’t open until 1888 — and it lasted only five years due to the lack of a local coffee-drinking culture.
At the beginning of the 20th century, around 40,000 Japanese emigrated to Brazil to work on coffee plantations. When they returned home, they brought back the habit of coffee consumption — a cultural shift that has since been seen as an alternative to Japan’s deeply rooted tea traditions.
The first enduring coffee shop opened in 1933.
During World War II, the government banned coffee imports and discouraged its consumption among citizens, as Japan was at war with the U.S. and in general conflict with the Western world. Tea dominated during this time.
But in the 1960s and 1970s, the Japanese coffee market began to grow again. Japan was actively reorienting its economy and culture toward the West, turning 180 degrees in its political and economic development.
Modern Coffee Culture in Japan
Since the 1970s, coffee has been considered a "Western" drink in Japan — and is still treated as something foreign. Even though there are now over 1,000 Starbucks locations and thousands of other cafés and chains across Japan, many Japanese people visit them with the same awe and excitement as they would Disneyland — not necessarily for the coffee itself, but for the atmosphere and the sense of touching Western culture.
This mirrors the enthusiasm Ukrainians felt when the first McDonald’s opened in Kyiv (on Lukiivska metro station in 1997).
In contrast, tea in Japan is about unity — exemplified by the tea ceremony, a long, nuanced process that brings people together to talk and resolve matters.
Coffee, by contrast, is almost the opposite:
1. Fresh Brewed Coffee
This is the drink of businesspeople and the middle class. They drink it alone, in cafés or offices, often working on laptops. It’s expensive and considered elite, regardless of whether it’s mass-market or specialty grade.
2. Instant Coffee
This is the drink of youth. It’s cheap, mainstream, and easy to drink on the go from a plastic cup.
While businesspeople rarely talk over coffee (they still prefer tea for discussions — it's tradition), young people do gather over a “quick cup” to share their thoughts and concerns.
Since the 1960s–70s, such conversations have often taken on an anti-establishment tone. Over instant coffee, youth discuss political and social issues, feminism, and even revolutionary ideas. In short — it’s the drink of rebels.
An Individualistic, Class-Based Coffee Culture
Whereas tea unites people, coffee in Japan divides. It’s an individualistic, class-defining beverage — and this is reinforced by the formats of different cafés.
For example, in many major Western-style chains (and large local cafés), smoking is banned. But in some places, it’s allowed — and these spots attract regulars who enjoy pairing a cigarette with their coffee, reading a newspaper, and expressing their individuality or class identity.
Interestingly, about 40% of Japanese coffee drinkers consume it at home.
Western Influence & Marketing Efforts
Western countries have long tried to “soften” Japan’s strict class associations with coffee — believing that doing so would boost the drink’s popularity and bring Japanese society closer together.
To that end, famous actors like Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Selleck have appeared in Japanese coffee commercials.
But as we all know, Japan is unique in many ways — especially with its long, deeply layered history that almost demands class distinction.
And without this class structure, the foundations of Japanese society would be at risk.
That’s why, for the foreseeable future, coffee in Japan will remain a rebellious, Western drink.
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