Terasaki coffee from Kofu, Yamanashi, is this month’s #KurasuPartnerRoaster. As a humble owner of a coffee shop much loved by the locals, Terasaki-san has been devoting his passion to coffee and community.
Terasaki-san first lived in Yamanashi where his university is, and while he was ready to jump into the world of coffee after graduation, he could not find a job he wanted. To broaden his mind he decided to study in the UK, and luck came around when he moved back to Yamanashi at the age of 24- he was offered a job as a cafe manager. With no family or relatives to help him in Yamanashi, all he had was youthful optimism and energy. “I didn’t have many customers at the beginning- but as I pushed on, customers became regulars, and they welcomed me into the community like a family. That transition made me very happy”, he reflects on his early days.
In 2007, Terasaki-san was watching the WBC in Tokyo. There, he saw James Hoffmann’s presentation, and was blown away by it. Listening to the concept of terroir and the roasting logic of light roast completely changed his perception of coffee, and the whole new world of coffee opened up for him beyond kissaten and Starbucks.
For this package Terasaki-san selected coffee from Ethiopia and Honduras. A few years ago, Terasaki san visited a farm in Ethiopia, and its lush, soul-nourishing environment reminded him of Yamanashi. He roasted this coffee to capture such a pleasantly unexpected feeling of connection between cities thousands of miles away from each other. The other coffee was grown by Marysabel Caballero san and her husband, Moises Herrera san. They are known for their quality coffee and a sustainable approach, including actively planting new varieties and improving the farm’s soil -their passion and trust in the power of nature also translates to the cup.
The Japanese new age coffee scene is still rapidly growing, and more and more young generations are aspiring to be a barista. “Nowadays you have access to all kinds of information online, but along with that, I encourage the fellow coffee people to keep cherishing their ‘origin’- when they were genuinely moved by a cup of coffee or a cafe for the very first time- and hold on to that raw moment” Terasaki-san says. He believes that the moment someone falls in love with coffee exists without boundary between generations or nationality. “I want to prove to the new generation that the coffee industry is a lovely place”- smiles Terasaki-san, and his inclusive philosophy will surely make Yamanashi one of the promised lands for the future generation.
