The Coffee Hunter: Kazuaki Kawashima’s Quest for Authentic Flavor

Ever wonder why your cup of coffee sometimes tastes flat, overly bitter, or just plain off—and whether it’s the bean, the roast, or something else entirely? Kazuaki Kawashima has spent his life chasing answers to those questions. A self-described “coffee hunter,” he’s traveled deep into coffee-growing regions across the globe to find and preserve the truest flavors coffee can offer.

The short answer? Real coffee flavor starts at origin—with ripe fruit selection, careful processing, climate-controlled storage, and transport methods that protect freshness. And Kawashima has built an entire brand, Mi Cafeto, around delivering that experience, including rare vintages from 2008 to 2014.

A Life Among Coffee Trees

Kazuaki Kawashima was born in 1956 in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In 1975, he moved alone to El Salvador to study coffee cultivation and selection at the national coffee research institute. Over the following decades, he helped develop farms in Jamaica, Hawaii, and Indonesia, and played a role in saving nearly extinct coffee varieties in Réunion. In 2008, he founded Mi Cafeto Co., Ltd., earning the nickname “Coffee Hunter.” His work even extends to supplying coffee for Japan Airlines’ in-flight service, connecting producers and consumers globally.

The Coffee Vault & Vintage Beans

“This is my coffee cellar,” Kawashima says, referring to a climate-controlled storage space at Mi Cafeto’s Omotesando location in Tokyo. The room is kept at a constant 18°C, with security on call to adjust conditions immediately if needed. Inside, around 100 types of green coffee beans are vacuum-sealed and stored. “We keep harvests from 2008 to 2014 here,” he explains. The goal? To preserve freshness and allow customers to taste how coffee changes by vintage—just like wine. “Even from the same farm, each year’s crop can vary,” Kawashima says.

Why ‘Coffee Hunter’?

The nickname stuck after Kawashima ventured into Madagascar’s rainforests to locate rare, nearly extinct coffee tree varieties. Locals began calling him “Coffee Hunter,” a moniker he embraced. Through his expeditions, he discovered that even within a single farm, one exceptional tree could produce remarkably unique fruit—inspiring his Gran Cru Café and Premier Cru Café lines. But it all stems from one core belief: “Coffee is a fruit.”

Coffee Is Fruit: Ripeness & Processing Matter Most

“Most complaints about coffee—bitterness, sourness, off-flavors—come down to unripe beans or poor processing,” Kawashima says. The sourness people blame on the bean itself? Often, it’s oxidation from stale or over-roasted coffee. “If you don’t pick fully ripe fruit and sort carefully, you get bad flavors,” he explains. That’s why he constantly emphasizes understanding origin. “Tasting coffee should mean enjoying its natural sweetness and acidity. That’s when people fall in love with coffee—and start drinking more of it.”

Gran Cru Café & Premier Cru Café: Rarity by Design

Kawashima created Gran Cru Café and Premier Cru Café using the same classification logic as Bordeaux wine estates. Gran Cru Café makes up just 0.3% of Mi Cafeto’s offerings; Premier Cru Café, around 2%. “Truly great coffee is rare,” he says. Both lines are packaged in champagne bottles—not for luxury, but to preserve carbon dioxide, which helps maintain freshness and aroma. Regular bags release CO₂, causing flavor loss. “I chose champagne bottles because they can handle the pressure,” he adds. The coffee hunter series uses pressurized PET bottles for similar protection.

The Journey from Farm to Cup

Kawashima works with producers in Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Jamaica, Tanzania, and Hawaii. But he’s troubled by how little many Japanese roasters know about origin. “Even on great farms, not every lot tastes good. Factors like sunlight, wind, rain, and soil all affect the crop,” he says. He separates beans into grades—like estate-specific 1st and 2nd lots—and insists on rigorous post-harvest processing. “Pre-processing is key. Even excellent beans can become average coffee if sorting is sloppy.”

Sorting, Selection & Ripening Windows

At harvest, Kawashima’s team sorts beans by size, weight, density, and color. Defects—like insect damage, cracks, or empties—are removed by hand. For Gran Cru Café, only beans picked during peak ripeness are used. “Earlier or later picks are less dense and flavorful,” he says. This attention to detail applies to all his purchases. “The middle of the harvest window gives the best beans,” he adds.

Natural vs. Washed: Processing Methods Explained

“Coffee is like wine, but the systems differ,” Kawashima notes. Natural (sun-dried) processing, common in Brazil, enhances fruity notes. Washed (wet) processing, standard in Central America, highlights clarity. Kawashima explains: “After removing the fruit, beans are dried. Natural processing leaves some fruit on, boosting sweetness. Washed removes it for a cleaner profile.” He also highlights transport challenges: “Coffee oxidizes in regular jute bags. I use inner liners to slow that. And I avoid hot containers—my Gran Cru beans always ship air freight or in refrigerated containers at 16°C.”

Building Trust with Farmers

Kawashima visits farms worldwide and shares brewed samples with growers. “Many have never tasted their own coffee. When they realize how good it can be, they’re amazed,” he says. That relationship led to breakthroughs—like a Colombian smallholder’s beans, which became part of Gran Cru Café. “When pre-processing falls short, I tell them: ‘We can’t accept this.’ Our trust lets us push for better.”

Mi Cafeto’s Product Range

Mi Cafeto offers several tiers: Gran Cru Café (top 0.3%), Premier Cru Café (~2%), and the more accessible Coffee Hunter series. Gran Cru and Premier Cru coffees are sold in champagne bottles to preserve CO₂. The Coffee Hunter line uses sturdy PET bottles. Kawashima also designs sampler sets with 20g portions from three farms, and Café Puente drip bags for easy brewing. “I want everyone to enjoy great coffee at home,” he says.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a coffee hunter?

A coffee hunter is someone who travels to origin countries to find rare or exceptional coffee varieties, often working closely with farmers to discover unique trees or processing methods. Kazuaki Kawashima earned the title after locating nearly extinct coffee plants in Madagascar and sourcing distinctive beans from single farms worldwide.

What is the difference between Gran Cru Café and Premier Cru Café?

Gran Cru Café represents the top 0.3% of Mi Cafeto’s offerings, selected from the best harvests and farms. Premier Cru Café includes around 2% of their beans, also high quality but slightly more accessible. Both are named using wine classification terms to reflect rarity and quality.

How does Kawashima preserve coffee freshness during transport?

Kawashima avoids standard jute bags, using inner liners to limit oxygen exposure. For Gran Cru Café, he ships beans by air or in refrigerated containers set to 16°C. He also packages them in champagne bottles to retain carbon dioxide, which protects aroma and freshness—unlike regular bags that vent CO₂.

Why does coffee flavor change by harvest year?

Like wine, coffee flavor varies annually based on growing conditions such as rainfall, temperature, and sunlight. Kawashima stores multiple vintages (2008–2014) to let customers taste these differences, emphasizing that even beans from the same farm can have unique profiles each year.

What is the role of post-harvest processing in coffee quality?

Post-harvest processing—including sorting, removing defective beans, and proper drying—affects flavor significantly. Kawashima insists on meticulous sorting, using only dense, ripe beans and discarding underripe or damaged ones to ensure a clean, sweet cup.

How can I learn to taste vintage or single-origin differences in coffee?

Try Mi Cafeto’s Sampler Set, which includes small portions from different farms, or ask your roaster for vintage-dated beans. Look for detailed processing info and origin stories—just like wine, coffee reveals more when you understand its background.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans for Coffee Hunters

FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera offers bright, complex fruitiness with notes of blueberry and citrus—perfect for exploring single-origin clarity. Their Panama Humbera presents creamy body with tropical fruit and almond tones, ideal for appreciating washed-process finesse. For natural-process lovers, the Kenya Little Tomato delivers juicy tomato-like acidity with sweet berry depth. All three highlight the kind of origin-specific character Kazuaki Kawashima champions. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.