National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Jan 16, 2021
Stories that cater to the soul, the intellect and the stomach
by Mark Schreiber
Examining the challenges facing Soka Gakkai, a new teen comic book hero and coffee franchises nationwide amid the pandemic.
Style & Design | ON: DESIGN Dec 26, 2020
Cow design collaborations to steer 2021 in the right direction
by Mio Yamada
“On Design” looks to 2021, the Year of the Ox (or cow, depending on who you ask), with a few design collaborations featuring the auspicious bovine.
Food & Drink | DESSERT WATCH Aug 15, 2020
Stay peachy keen and cool with Starbucks’ Juicy Peach Frappuccino
by Patrick St. Michel
Trying to enjoy an icy treat before it melts during summer can be tricky. But sometimes a little melting is actually a good thing.
National / Social Issues Jul 22, 2020
Sign of the times: Helping deaf people get by in Japan
by Andrew McKirdy
Attempts are being made to enhance the visibility and availability of sign language across the nation.
Business / Social Issues Jun 24, 2020
Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. said Wednesday it will open its first store in the country with sign language ability for hearing impaired customers. ...
Business May 26, 2020
Starbucks to restart in-store services in Tokyo; travel agencies to resume in June
Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. said Tuesday it will restart the use of seats in stages starting Wednesday in Tokyo and four other prefectures where the coronavirus state of emergency was lifted Monday. At present, the company only offers takeout services at some 500 outlets in ...
Business May 19, 2020
Starbucks to reopen 850 outlets in Japan as coronavirus measures eased
Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. said Tuesday it will restart operations at some 850 outlets in Japan that had been shut to prevent a further spread of the new coronavirus. At Starbucks shops in eight of the country's 47 prefectures still subject to the government's coronavirus ...
Business Jan 29, 2020
Starbucks shuts half of its China stores amid virus outbreak
by Leslie Patton
Starbucks Corp. has closed more than half of its mainland China locations because of a viral outbreak that has disrupted lives in the coffee chain's most important growth market. The news cast gloom over what otherwise would have been an upbeat earnings report. Same-store sales, ...
Food & Drink | DESSERT WATCH Oct 19, 2019
Don't dread the red of Starbucks's new Halloween Masquerade Party lineup
by Patrick St. Michel
Starbucks Coffee Japan's new trio of treats brings the Halloween spirit with blood-red berries.
Food & Drink | THE HIGH GROUNDS Mar 9, 2019
Starbucks' Reserve Roastery Tokyo is a 'coffee wonderland'
by Claire Williamson
Starbucks' 3,000-square-meter Reserve Roastery Tokyo goes above and beyond in embracing local Japanese design and aesthetics, not to mention an unwavering commitment to coffee.
Business / Corporate Feb 27, 2019
Starbucks Corp. said Wednesday it is opening a four-story, high-end roastery in central Tokyo featuring a bar and lounge, its fifth such outlet worldwide. The Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo is set to open Thursday in the capital's trendy Nakameguro district. Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, well-known ...
Food & Drink | DESSERT WATCH Jan 12, 2019
Simplicity rules in Starbucks' seasonal sesame creations
by Patrick St. Michel
Starbucks Japan's "Japan Wonder Project" offers a nice snapshot of the nation's soft-power campaigns in general. This campaign, which has been going on for over a year now, celebrates Japanese flavors. The range is mostly consumed, though, by Japanese people, already familiar with the ...