The Coffee Hunter: Finding True Flavor Through Origins

Ever wonder why your cup of coffee sometimes tastes sharp, sour, or just plain off—yet other times it’s bright, sweet, and deeply satisfying? The difference often isn’t the roast or your technique, but what happened long before the beans reached your grinder. One man dedicated his life to uncovering those origins.

Kawashima, Japan’s legendary ‘coffee hunter,’ has tasted coffee from vintages spanning 2008 to 2014, stored in a climate-controlled cellar at 18°C. His goal: to let drinkers experience how coffee, like wine, varies by harvest year and origin.

The Coffee Hunter’s Beginnings

Born in 1956 in Shizuoka Prefecture, Kawashima left for El Salvador in 1975 to study coffee cultivation and processing at the national coffee research institute. Over the years, he developed farms in Jamaica, Hawaii, and Indonesia, and even rescued near-extinct coffee varieties on Réunion Island. His deep fieldwork earned him the nickname ‘Coffee Hunter’—a moniker that stuck.

In 2008, he founded Mi Cafeto, a company committed to connecting producers and consumers. He supplies coffee to Japan Airlines and runs Mi Cafeto’s flagship shop in Meguro, Tokyo, where over 100 types of green coffee are stored and roasted to order.

Vintage Coffee and the Coffee Cellar

‘Here’s my coffee cellar,’ Kawashima explains. ‘It’s kept at a constant 18°C. If the temperature changes, security adjusts it immediately—that’s in the contract.’ At Mi Cafeto’s Meguro location, around 100 kinds of green coffee are stored here, then roasted based on customer requests.

‘Have you ever tried coffee labeled with its harvest year? In this cellar, we have beans from 2008 to 2014. This space preserves freshness so people can taste how flavor changes by vintage. Like new rice, newly harvested beans usually make the best coffee—but we extend that window. Even on the same farm, annual harvests vary.’

The idea is to let coffee enthusiasts experience seasonal differences, much like wine. ‘Even from one farm, each year’s crop can taste different. That’s why we store and roast by vintage.’

Why Coffee Tastes Off—and How to Fix It

‘Many dislike the bitterness, sourness, or funky aftertaste in coffee. But that “acid” often comes from over-roasted or stale beans, and the off-flavors from brewing unripe fruit. Coffee is a fruit—if you don’t pick it fully ripe and sort it well, bad flavors appear.’

Kawashima stresses understanding origins. ‘Tasting coffee should mean enjoying its fruit’s natural sweetness and acidity. When people try my coffee, they’re often surprised by that clarity—and that’s my mission: helping more people taste coffee as it should be.’

He adds, ‘I want every price point—from ¥100 to ¥—to be delicious. Build that market, and producing and consuming countries can share a sustainable bond. Imagine casual coffee daily, special coffee for celebrations—just like wine culture.’

Gran Cru Café and Premier Cru Café: The Top Tiers

Kawashima created two exclusive lines: Gran Cru Café and Premier Cru Café, named after Bordeaux wine classifications. ‘Gran Cru makes up just 0.3% of our offerings. Premier Cru is around 2%. Truly great coffee is always rare.’

The selection process is rigorous. ‘We sort beans by size, weight, density, and color. Workers remove defects one by one—empty beans, insect-damaged ones, cracks. For Gran Cru, we even limit harvest timing: only beans picked mid-season, when density and ripeness peak, make the cut. This applies to all our beans.’

These top lots come from specific smallholder farms, like one in Colombia. ‘The farmers had no idea how good their own coffee was. When they tasted it, some cried—they couldn’t believe it came from their trees. That trust lets me push for better processing, even if they resist.’

Processing: The Hidden Key to Quality

‘People think terroir alone defines coffee quality. It matters, but processing is critical. Great farms can produce mediocre coffee if post-harvest steps fail.’

Processing means removing the fruit, drying the seeds, and sorting. ‘First, we sort by size, weight, and density. Then by color. Defects—like insect damage, cracks, or empties—are removed by hand. For Gran Cru, we only use beans from the middle of the harvest, when density is highest.’

Different methods create distinct profiles. ‘In Brazil, natural (sun-dried) processing dominates. Elsewhere in Central and South America, washed (wet) processing is standard. Washed processing became popular in the 19th century in British Caribbean colonies.’

Kawashima’s insights come from decades in the field—not just theory.

Transport: Protecting Freshness Like Fine Wine

‘Most coffee ships in jute bags—but jute breathes, letting oxygen degrade the beans’ oils. I add a special inner bag to slow oxidation.’

He also rejects standard shipping containers. ‘Normal dry containers reach 60°C. That damages coffee. For Gran Cru, I use air freight. Other coffees ship in refrigerated containers, kept at 16°C from farm to roastery.’

‘Even great beans can’t survive bad transport. Many roasters ignore this, but understanding origins means controlling the whole chain.’

Mi Cafeto’s Product Line and Packaging Innovations

Mi Cafeto’s lineup includes Gran Cru Café (top tier), Premier Cru Café (mid-high), and the Coffee Hunter series (entry-level specialty). Gran Cru and Premier Cru coffees are sold in champagne bottles—not for show, but to preserve CO₂.

‘After roasting, beans release CO₂. Most shops vent it through a valve. But CO₂ preserves aroma and freshness. Champagne bottles handle the pressure, so I use them. The Coffee Hunter series uses pressurized PET bottles.’

He demonstrates: ‘Shake this PET bottle upside down, then set it down. The gas goes into the coffee powder, then slowly rises again. That’s how we keep freshness.’

To make good coffee accessible, Mi Cafeto offers:

• Pre-ground coffee
• Sampler Sets with 20g each of three Gran Cru coffees from different farms
• Café Puente drip bags you can brew directly with hot water

‘The best cup is home-ground and freshly brewed. But these options help more people enjoy great coffee easily.’

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a “coffee hunter” in specialty coffee?

A coffee hunter, like Kawashima, is someone who travels to origin countries to find rare or exceptional coffee varieties, often working directly with farmers to discover unique cultivars or farming practices. The term reflects deep fieldwork and a focus on origin discovery.

Why does Kawashima store coffee at 18°C?

Kawashima keeps his coffee cellar at a constant 18°C to preserve green coffee freshness and slow aging. This controlled environment mimics ideal storage conditions to maintain harvest-specific flavors, much like wine cellars do for vintage lots.

What’s 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 finest harvests and farms. Premier Cru Café includes the next 2%, still high-quality but slightly more accessible. Both are named after Bordeaux wine classification tiers for quality.

How does Kawashima improve coffee processing at origin?

Kawashima works directly with farmers to improve sorting, density selection, and defect removal. He educates producers about the importance of ripeness and processing steps, often having them taste their own coffee to understand quality potential.

Why does Kawashima use champagne bottles for coffee?

Champagne bottles are used for Gran Cru Café because they can withstand the internal pressure from roasted coffee’s CO₂ emissions. This preserves aroma and freshness better than standard valves or bags, which allow CO₂—and flavor—to escape.

How does Kawashima ensure quality during coffee transport?

For Gran Cru Café, Kawashima uses air freight. For other coffees, he insists on refrigerated containers kept at 16°C to prevent heat damage during transit. He avoids standard jute bags due to oxidation risks, adding inner protective layers instead.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Vintage & Origin

Try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (Light Roast) for bright citrus and floral notes, a great example of how origin and harvest impact flavor. Pair it with Colombia Huila Supremo (Medium Roast) for balanced caramel and nuttiness, showcasing classic washed processing. For deeper complexity, FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado (Medium-Dark Roast) offers chocolatey, nutty tones from sun-dried beans. Each highlights how terroir and processing shape your cup. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.