Style & Design | ON: DESIGN Aug 6, 2017

Keeping design pure and simple

by Mio Yamada

Why make life complicated, when the simplest of designs can be even more effective?

World / Science & Health Jul 11, 2017

Coffee lovers rejoice, as three cups a day may keep the doctor away

Coffee addicts and aficionados often say drinking the bitter brew makes life worth living, but the habit may also help them live longer, according to two major international studies Monday. Experts cautioned, however, that the U.S. and European reports, published in the Annals of Internal ...

National | KANSAI PERSPECTIVE Apr 23, 2017

In collaboration with Starbucks, Kobe brews a renewable energy source

by Eric Johnston

Coffee drinkers in Kobe who are wondering what they can do to help the environment and support local renewable energy projects might consider heading to a Starbucks. Last December, as part of a local effort to increase alternative energy sources, the city teamed up with ...

Food & Drink | KNOWING KISSATEN Jan 27, 2017

Chatei Hatou: A pilgrimage site for traditional coffee

by James Hadfield

When Starbucks arrived in Japan in 1996, it should have spelled trouble for Doutor, the dowdy coffee chain that had dominated the market since the 1980s. In fact, the opposite happened: by cultivating demand for gourmet coffee, Starbucks actually revived the fortunes of its ...

Food & Drink | KYOTO RESTAURANTS Dec 9, 2016

Togenkyo: A return to Japan's traditional coffee-shop style

by J.J. O'Donoghue

Togenkyo is a cafe curated to the nth degree. Being so self-conscious, even self-indulgent, could be a turn off, but Togenkyo has its charms. Opened in 2010, the overriding design theme is retro: the tables have little stands for old-school lighters and coffee is brewed ...

Asia Pacific / Crime & Legal Oct 27, 2016

Indonesian handed 20 years in 'poisoned coffee' murder

An Indonesian woman was jailed for 20 years Thursday for murdering a friend from an Australian college with poisoned coffee in a "sadistic" fashion, capping a sensational trial that has gripped the country. Jessica Kumala Wongso, 28, who is also an Australian permanent resident, was ...

Travel | PHOTO ESSAY Oct 22, 2016

Coffee from another age: The last 'kissaten' of Yanesen

by Lance Henderstein

Shigeo Ota spends six days a week behind the counter of his cafe, Aroma, watching TV and waiting for customers who rarely come. The cafe is in Komagome, a town in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward, close the quiet neighborhoods of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi (collectively ...

Food & Drink Oct 14, 2016

Japan perks up to serious coffee

Need a pick-me-up? Try a lychee-flavored coffee infused with jasmine, or a "Chardonnay" espresso served in a wine glass — whatever your taste, Japan's swashbuckling baristas are bringing some serious sex appeal to the drink. In a country famous for its tea, the Japanese are ...

World / Science & Health Oct 9, 2016

Coffee growers face changing climate and tastes

Three decades ago, Costa Rica outlawed cultivation of the robusta coffee bean in order to promote production of arabica, the variety prized by high-end roasters around the world. Now, however, with warmer temperatures and disease threatening arabica production, the world's 14th largest coffee producer is ...

Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Jul 22, 2016

Bahnhof: Specialty coffee, crafted by certified 'meisters'

by J.J. O'Donoghue

One of the first and only sentences I mastered in three years of (not) learning German was "Wo ist der Bahnhof?" ("Where is the station?") I never thought I'd have a chance to put this into practice in Japan, but my hopes were raised ...