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Karuizawa · Japan

Maruyama Coffee

Maruyama Coffee roasts in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture.

Since 1991 · Kentaro Maruyama

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Overview

Maruyama Coffee was founded in April 1991 when 23-year-old Kentaro Maruyama opened a small coffee operation at the Hiiragi cafe inside a Karuizawa bed-and-breakfast in Nagano. Over the next decade he taught himself jikabaisen home-roasting, then pivoted in the early 2000s after attending US specialty events: he became one of the first Japanese roasters to bid at Cup of Excellence auctions and the company has since produced the first Asian winner of the World Barista Championship — Hidenori Izaki in 2014.

Known for

  • Hidenori Izaki winning the 2014 World Barista Championship — the first Asian world champion
  • Five consecutive Japan Barista Championship titles starting 2009 (Mie Nakahara, Miki Suzuki, Izaki and successors)
  • Aggressive Cup of Excellence buying — including a record ¥73,000/kg Costa Rica COE lot and the first Ethiopia COE #1
  • French press as the signature in-cafe brewing method
  • Probat L12 production roaster plus a 70kg drum at the Komoro factory

Why it matters

Maruyama is the rare Japanese specialty operation whose international auction buying and barista development pipeline have shaped the trajectory of Asian specialty coffee. Kentaro Maruyama is reported to have cupped more Cup of Excellence coffees than any single buyer in the world, and his commitment to sourcing visibility helped establish the credibility of Japanese specialty roasters with origin-side producers.

Production

head roaster
Transitioned from Kentaro Maruyama to next-generation roasters; current head roaster name not publicly disclosed
roaster machine
Probat L12 plus a 70kg smart drum roaster
filter equipment
French press (signature service method)
roastery location
Komoro factory, Nagano Prefecture (relocated from Karuizawa)

Café

1154-10 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Nagano Prefecture (Main Store)

Recognitions

  • Hidenori Izaki — World Barista Champion (2014), first Asian winner
  • Japan Barista Championship — five consecutive titles starting 2009
  • Cup of Excellence Costa Rica — 1st place purchase at record ¥73,000/kg
  • Cup of Excellence Ethiopia — 1st place at inaugural auction
  • Cup of Excellence Guatemala — purchased El Inferto #1 at unprecedented price

Sources

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