How Coffee Came to Japan: From Dejima to Kissaten
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Today Japan is one of the world’s great coffee nations, home to meticulous pour-over bars, retro kissaten and vending machines stocked with hot canned coffee. Yet coffee took a remarkably slow road there. Here is how coffee came to Japan: it arrived through Dutch traders confined to Dejima, a small artificial island in Nagasaki harbor, during the Edo period, and for more than two centuries it stayed a curiosity. Only after Japan opened up in the Meiji era did coffee houses appear, starting with Tokyo’s Kahiichakan in 1888.
This timeline follows coffee from Dejima to the first cafés, through wartime shortages, to the canned coffee and chains of modern Japan.
Key takeaways
- Coffee most likely reached Japan through the Dutch trading post on Dejima, Nagasaki, in the 17th or early 18th century.
- For most of the Edo period, coffee drinking was limited to people in contact with Dutch traders.
- Japan’s first true coffee house, Kahiichakan, opened in Ueno, Tokyo, in 1888 and closed after about five years.
- Coffee imports were halted during World War II and resumed in 1950; canned coffee followed in the 1960s.
In this article
- Dejima: coffee’s first door into Japan
- Meiji Japan and the first coffee house
- The kissaten era
- War, recovery and canned coffee
- Timeline
- FAQ
Dejima: how coffee came to Japan through a tiny island
From the 1630s, the Tokugawa shogunate tightly restricted contact with foreigners. The Dutch East India Company was allowed to trade only from Dejima, a fan-shaped artificial island in Nagasaki harbor. Dutch merchants drank coffee, and that is how it first entered the country. Accounts differ on the exact date: some histories place its arrival in the 17th century, while others date it to around 1700.
For a long time, coffee drinking stayed largely limited to the interpreters, officials and visitors who dealt with the Dutch. Japan already had a deep tea culture, and the bitter black drink did not win many converts. The German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold, who worked at Dejima in the 19th century, is credited with recommending coffee in writing, though historians question how much that changed habits.
Why coffee was slow to catch on
- Limited contact: under the restricted trade system, very few Japanese ever met the Dutch or tasted their drinks.
- A strong tea culture: green tea already filled the social role coffee played in Europe.
- An unfamiliar taste: a bitter, dark brew was an acquired taste with no local tradition behind it.
- No supply: coffee was not grown in Japan, so every bean had to be imported.
The Dutch connection is a recurring theme in coffee history; it was also the Dutch who spread coffee cultivation in Java, as we explain in the history of coffee.
Meiji Japan and the first coffee house
After Japan reopened to the world in the 1850s and 1860s, Western food and drink became fashionable in the cities. A tea shop called Houkoudou began selling coffee beans and offering tastings, which some writers describe as Japan’s first coffee café.
In 1888, Kahiichakan (可否茶館, also romanized Kahisakan) opened in Ueno, Tokyo. It is widely considered Japan’s first true coffee house. It was ahead of its time and went bankrupt after about five years, but its opening date is still celebrated: Japan marks Coffee Shop Day on April 13.
The Brazil connection
Between 1908 and 1924, roughly 35,000 Japanese emigrated to Brazil, many to work on coffee plantations. Some later returned home with a taste for coffee, helping link Japan to the world’s largest producer.
The kissaten era
During the Taisho era (1912–1926), coffee shops boomed in Japanese cities, and many also served alcohol. In 1929, tighter rules led to the jun-kissa, a “pure” coffee shop serving no alcohol. These kissaten became places to read, listen to music and linger, with carefully brewed coffee at their center.
The kissaten tradition, with its siphons, flannel drip and hand-poured cups, is a story in itself; read our full guide to Japanese kissaten.
War, recovery and canned coffee
World War II cut Japan off from coffee: imports were halted and the café boom collapsed. Imports resumed in 1950, and the industry grew quickly. Japan imported about 15,000 tonnes of coffee in 1960, and today imports are many times larger.
The birth of canned coffee
Japan’s most distinctive contribution may be canned coffee. Sources credit Miura Yoshitake of Miller Coffee with developing a canned coffee in 1965, while UCC, founded by Tadao Ueshima (often called the father of coffee in Japan), launched its mass-produced canned milk coffee in 1969. Sold hot and cold from vending machines, canned coffee became part of everyday life.
Chains and the modern scene
Doutor opened the first Japanese coffee chain in 1980, and Starbucks arrived in Ginza, Tokyo, in 1996. Alongside the chains, convenience stores now brew fresh cups to order; see Japanese konbini coffee. Japan has also exported brewing ideas back to the world, from Japanese iced coffee to Kyoto cold drip.
How coffee came to Japan: timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1630s onward | Dutch trade restricted to Dejima, Nagasaki |
| 17th century to c. 1700 | Coffee arrives with Dutch traders (dates vary by source) |
| 1735 | First recorded tea shop opens in Higashiyama, Kyoto; coffee shops don’t follow |
| Meiji era | Houkoudou tea shop sells coffee beans and tastings |
| 1888 | Kahiichakan, Japan’s first true coffee house, opens in Ueno, Tokyo |
| 1908–1924 | About 35,000 Japanese emigrate to Brazil, many to coffee farms |
| 1912–1926 | Taisho-era coffee shop boom |
| 1929 | Rules lead to alcohol-free jun-kissa |
| 1933 | Tadao Ueshima founds his coffee company in Kobe (later UCC) |
| World War II | Coffee imports halted |
| 1950 | Imports resume |
| 1965–1969 | Canned coffee developed and mass-produced |
| 1980 | Doutor opens Japan’s first coffee chain |
| 1996 | First Starbucks in Japan opens in Ginza |
Bring a taste of Japan home
Japan’s story is also a tea story, and its roasted teas are a lovely bridge between the two worlds. Our Hojicha is stone-milled roasted green tea with toasted cereal notes, perfect for a latte, and Matcha is made for traditional whisking. For a kissaten-style cup of coffee, brew a dark roast slowly by hand: French Roast gives a bold, smoky-sweet cup with low acidity.
How coffee came to Japan FAQ
When did coffee come to Japan?
Through Dutch traders on Dejima during the Edo period; sources date its arrival between the 17th century and around 1700.
What was the first coffee shop in Japan?
Kahiichakan, which opened in Ueno, Tokyo, in 1888.
Who invented canned coffee?
Miura Yoshitake of Miller Coffee developed one in 1965, and UCC mass-produced canned coffee from 1969.
What is a kissaten?
A traditional Japanese coffee shop, known for hand-brewed coffee, quiet interiors and unhurried service.
Sources
- Wikipedia. Coffee in Japan. en.wikipedia.org.
- Unseen Japan. Coffee in Japan: A Short, Tasty History, 2021. unseen-japan.com.
Facts checked in October 2026.
Keep reading: Japanese kissaten · Before the Coffee Gets Cold · Tea