Coffee in Japan
JUne 1 - 10, 2021
Ramen, sushi, tempura, sake, whiskey, tea…. COFFEE. Yes, coffee (and pizza, side note) is being mastered and treated like the art that it is in Japan.
"it’s a clear day in tokyo today. You can see Mount Fuji up here. You’ll also notice that Tokyo doesn’t have a lot of tall buildings. It’s because of the monsters"
- Audio Guide at Tokyo Tower
Your Hosts
Rani Cheema
Founder of Cheema’s Travel
Rani grew up immersed in the hotbed of international eats that is New York City, bouncing around Queens & Brooklyn as a kid.
She began her dream career as an art director at the Food Network & Cooking Channel. After an entire life living in NYC, she picked up and moved to Bangladesh, Spain, & then South Korea.
She came back determined to build a business helping all folx explore the world through gastronomy and deeper connections.
KEba Konte
Founder of red bay coffee
Keba Konte, renowned Oakland based artist & successful food entrepreneur. Through Red Bay Coffee, Keba is building a global community through their commitment to sourcing, developing, roasting and delivering the best and most beautiful coffee to the people. Every day they strive to develop beautiful coffees, fair relations, and delicious approaches to living. Keba is focused on creating opportunities within the community at large while fostering single origin, fair trade, direct trade, organic and sustainable coffees. They envision a world in which coffee is a vehicle for inclusion, social and economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and environmental sustainability.
He roasts small batches in their garden coffee roasting lab, affectionately known as the “Coffee Dojo.”
What To Expect
Expect to be completely surprised and UTTERLY moved.
Founder Rani Cheema went to Japan for the 2nd time in 2018 with her coffee aficionado partner. Rani does not like coffee, she is a tea person through and through. Hot tea, iced tea, tea flavored sweets, boba tea…
They went to KOFFEE Mameya. When the owner asked Rani what she would like, Rani replied “Oh, no thank you, I’m more of a tea person.” in which the owner replied “I have a coffee for you.” He handed Rani a small coffee that felt like a psychedelic experience of the taste buds. “As soon as I took that first sip, it felt like the coffee triggered my taste buds from front to back. I could taste all across my tongue and it felt like I would taste the coffee on the roof of my mouth. It was an explosion of
flavors and I cried. I’ve never experienced that.” Rani couldn’t stop drinking coffee during this trip. Now drinks coffee at home but… it’s not the same.
Not only will you taste and smell some of the best coffee in Japan, you’ll also get VIP BTS experiences.
We want you to be able to experience Tokyo, Kyoto, & Osaka as a casual visitor whose been to Japan a few times, who’s looking to hang out with locals, ride bicycles through the backroads and alleys to the next great coffee and food stops.
8 Night Itinerary
Day 1
WELCOME to japan
Welcome to Tokyo! After landing at Tokyo’s Narita or Haneda airport, make your way to our centrally located hotel to begin settling in before a lively welcome dinner. (If you arrive early enough to crave an afternoon coffee, make use of the special short list of specialty coffee shops and old-school cafes we’ll provide to each of our coffee-loving travelers.)
In the early evening, we’ll gather all together for the first time and head out to a fun and delicious welcome dinner near the hotel.
If you really want to get your bearings before the tour begins, and shake off the jet lag a bit more, some travelers may want to consider arriving a day or more early. After dinner tonight, those of us with extra energy can head out to keep exploring Tokyo’s amazing nightlife, and some of us will crash at the hotel from the long journey!
D
Day 2
New Tokyo > Old Tokyo
After breakfast, we’ll head out to stretch our legs on an insightful walk through the backstreets of the iconic Ginza district. Our first stop is a unique specialty roaster and cafe with a sophisticated roasting facility on site, where we’ll get a behind-the-scenes introduction to the roasting process.
After enjoying an immersive and educational tasting, we’ll hop on over to the historic Yanaka neighborhood, which comes alive on weekends. The charming Yanaka is one of our absolute favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo. We’ll stroll through its adorable, old-fashioned shotengai (shopping street), with the chance to sample some local specialties like senbei crackers from generations-old mom-and-pop shops while strolling atmospheric little streets. Yanaka is one of few parts of Tokyo that was not destroyed during WWII, and it’s blessed with a perfect mix of old-school spots and young creatives.
Along with sampling local coffee, we’ll stop in for local craft beers at Yanaka Beer Hall, housed in a gorgeous traditional building, paired with irresistible small plates.
After a filling lunch, you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to explore this incredible slice of Tokyo, or head to another part of the city to cafe-hop. Each guest will receive a curated short list of the best cafes in the city — from uber-trendy third-wave shops to classic generations-old kissaten — and your hosts will also have even more recommendations on the spot.
We’ll gather in the lobby in the early evening for another fun stroll together, followed by an unforgettable sushi dinner at an unpretentious neighborhood sushi-ya. Expect to have a great rest of the evening.
B,L,D
Day 3
Backstreets of Tokyo
Our Japanese coffee immersion continues this morning. We’ll walk to our nearby station and take the train to another wonderful part of the city. Our destination is one of our absolute favorite coffee shops in the city, where we’ll learn from the best as we take part in a hands-on training with a charming and talented coffee professional.
Our behind-the-scenes experience begins with an initial tasting of the shop’s beautiful beans. Over coffee we’ll meet our instructor, an expert barista who will generously share insights and techniques to help us try and prepare impeccable beverages.
With all our caffeinated energy, we’ll then proceed to our next adventure: an immersive bicycle ride through the backstreets of Tokyo. After meeting our expert cycling guides, we’ll embark on a safe ride through off-the-beaten-path parts of the city, where we’ll get an up-close-and-personal sense of what real daily life is like in ordinary (yet charming) Tokyo districts. As part of our outing we’ll have the chance to stop at one killer neighborhood cafe, and also enjoy a hearty lunch at a casual neighborhood spot.
After lunch you’ll have plenty of great neighborhoods to check out nearby, and coffees to drink throughout the city, with extra recommendations from your guide.
B, L
Day 4
Historic & hip kyoto
After our first stint in Tokyo (don’t worry, we’ll be back!) today we travel by bullet train to the historic-yet- hip Kyoto.
But first, coffee at a tiny, charming coffee shop in Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji district for a quick pick-me-up before embarking on a brief but memorable stroll through the one-and-only Tsukiji Outer Market.
We’ll hotel for check-out and the walk over to Tokyo Station (we’ll be sending suitcases straight to Kyoto via Japan’s wonderful luggage-forwarding service). Tokyo Station is a culinary destination in its own right, and before boarding our bullet train we’ll explore the offerings: throughout the eki (station) we’ll find a mouthwatering variety of bento boxes in all shapes and sizes. No bullet train trip is complete without a bento, and it’s also common to enjoy sake or craft beer (or coffee or tea) on the train.
After picking up our supplies, hop on the shinkansen, for our 2 hour ride though beautiful landscape.
Welcome to Kyoto! Our adventures in the ancient capital begin at a historic tea shop within walking distance of Kyoto Station, where we’ll have the chance to sample top-quality tea, and learn about the stunning tea ware made by local expert craftspeople. Following our welcome to Kyoto, we’ll check-in at our hotel and enjoy a bit of downtime to settle in, then get ready for our evening with drinks at a friendly, fashionable spot specializing in a fresh spin on a classic Japanese drink, the chu-hi. Refreshed, we’ll continue with a lovely stroll in one of the city’s picturesque historical districts before arriving at our dinner destination, a casual Kyoto spot with fantastic small plates featuring vegetables, seafood, and meat.
B, L, D
Day 5
Coffee ceremony
After breakfast at the hotel we’ll venture out to stroll the quiet and gorgeous backstreets of one of Kyoto’s innumerable historical districts. En route to a stylish locals’ favorite cafe, we’ll gain insight into Kyoto’s importance as a historical and cultural center, and get glimpses into normal daily life in the ancient capital as we explore in non-touristy fashion.
Next we’ll head to a charming studio housed in an old-fashioned building to learn about the magic of kintsugi, a simple-yet-elegant approach to repairing broken objects (most commonly pottery and ceramics) with gold finish. Please feel free to bring your fave piece from home that you would like to repair.
Most travelers have heard of Japan’s famous tea ceremony, but today we’ll experience a meditative, and yes caffeinated, coffee ceremony at this serene temple — led by one of the city’s most respected baristas. This is a wonderful chance to slow down, take in our gorgeous temple surroundings, savor incredible coffee prepared with profound attention, and appreciate this magical moment in time.
After a little free time to freshen up, tonight’s dinner will be held at a very special, introduction-only restaurant specializing in top-quality local ingredients from the surrounding area. At a shared common table we’ll enjoy some of the city’s best cuisine and an unforgettable meal.
B, L, D
Day 6
Free Day
A full day free to keep exploring (there are endless options to see, do, drink, and eat), or savor a day of doing nothing to take time to absorb all you’ve experienced over the past several days.
Kyoto itself merits extensive exploration, and we’ll have suggestions for your free time today in terms of neighborhoods to wander, sites worth seeing, as well as recommended shops, restaurants, and — of course — cafes.
There are also some excellent day trips within reach, including castles, fishing villages, cities such as Hiroshima, and more. We’ll be happy to include a short list of day trip possibilities, though above all we would suggest taking it slow and focusing on Kyoto, which is so rich.
One suggested day trip for a truly unique coffee experience. The other reason we added this day is so that you have the option to take your own 2 hour adventure to the outskirts of Osaka for a 25 year aged barrel coffee at MÜNCH.
B
Day 7
Sake in Osaka
Today we’ll visit Kansai’s other most famous city: Osaka. Even though it’s located so near Kyoto, it’s hard to imagine a place more different than the ancient capital! A massive metropolis best known for its amazing street food and outgoing people, Osaka is the perfect place to spend a day eating and drinking.
We’ll hop on the train to Osaka, and on arrival we’ll walk to our first stop: one of the city’s most renowned specialty cafes. Here we’ll get an introduction to Osaka’s dynamic third-wave coffee scene, then head out to explore on foot and sample some of the city’s legendary street food.
Japan’s street food game is not as widespread as some other countries in the region, but Osaka is an exception! People in Osaka love to eat, and while the city has plenty of Michelin stars, much of Osaka’s charm is in its ultra-casual specialties: takoyaki, kushikatsu, okonomiyaki, and more.
We’ll stroll through lively streets (avoiding touristy areas), sampling street snacks and also learning about nihonshu (sake) with a local sake professional. Our sake guide will take us to a couple of local nihonshu shops, where we can taste premium sake paired with small plates of casual drinking food.
In the late afternoon we’ll make our way back to Kyoto by rail for an evening at leisure. Tomorrow is a travel day, and while the temptation to party with fun Osakans is hard to resist, it’s probably wise to avoid too late a night!
B, L
Day 8
Last full day
A final morning in Kyoto before we make our way back to Tokyo. After breakfast, we’ll visit one last great local coffee shop before making our way to Kyoto Station for the shinkansen (bullet train) back to Tokyo.
In true local style, we’ll arrive early enough to spend a little time perusing the bentos on offer. By now you know, bento shopping is part of the Japanese rail experience!
Since we are offering luggage forwarding to the hotel, you’ll have the chance to leave the group and enjoy some downtime before our farewell dinner, or follow us back to the hotel to relax or explore the surrounding area.
In the early evening, we’ll gather in the lobby and venture out to our celebratory farewell dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in the city!
B, L, D
Day 9
farewell
We look forward to you joining one of our other adventures and meeting again, maybe in Egypt or somewhere in Europe in 2022?
Is This Trip Right For You?
If you've read this far then, most likely, yes. Since this is a very small group who I'm allowing to travel with me and Keba, I must make sure this trip is perfect for you.
While this Japan itinerary is for coffee aficionados. If you’ve never been to Japan and want to experience it for the first time through the eyes of and experiences of locals, than join us!
This is a slow paced, chill adventure that is coffee fueled, so… semi chill. Connecting to the culture through Japan’s native people and long time expats.
PLEASE NOTE - Each speaker is a working professional, maker, creator, and human who have agreed to this project. They don’t always work with travelers and “tourists”. However, life happens and we have to respect our speakers wishes if they need to cancel for personal reasons. People aren’t like museums with clear open and closing times.
Our guide was meant to be a speaker during the trip but loved the itinerary so much she wanted to guide the whole thing, this is very exciting because she is the best and she is able to unlock even more doors through her relationships.
Not So Fine Print
This adventure is programmed as a group departure for 10 travelers. Programs and events may change slightly according to weather or the impact of Covid-19. Last date to book July 15, 2021.
Booking: $600 non-refundable* deposit is due to hold spot. You must email rani@cheemastravel.com or call 212-340-0274 to book. Please read Terms & Conditions.
Inclusions: All meals mentioned, private accommodations at independent boutique properties, domestic transfers, tastings, entry fees, taxes, gratuities, and complimentary planning for your free days.
Exclusions: International air, mandatory travel insurance, items not mentioned on itinerary, and anything done on personal time.
