For Yozo Otsuki, coffee and daily life are inevitably intertwined.

While he was growing up, each of his parents ran their own jazz kissaten (old-school coffee shops) in Kyoto — his father's was a typical jazz kissa, while his mother's was more of an artistic gallery and kissa combination — so he grew up amid the scents and accoutrements of coffee.

And, the name of his company — Kurasu — is a romanized rendition of the Japanese word for "to live," or "lifestyle." It is a multifaceted business, one that combines an online shop specializing in Japanese coffee equipment and brewing accessories, a monthly coffee subscription service featuring domestic partner roasters, brick-and-mortar cafes in Kyoto and Singapore and, opening in Kyoto in December, its own roastery.