In December 2024, an unprecedented attempt will be realized on board the Tokaido Shinkansen. An entire carriage will be rented out for the "Specialty Coffee Shinkansen," where Japan's leading baristas will serve specialty coffee on board the train traveling at 280km/h. This dream collaboration between three of Japan's leading baristas has become a reality: Ishitani Takayuki, a three-time Japanese Barista Champion; Yuya Kosakada , head roaster at Raw Sugar Roast ; and Nishio Ippei, CEO of Direct Coffee, a representative of Kyoto's coffee scene.

Behind the scenes of this event, companies from different industries - a coffee maker, a coffee equipment manufacturer, and a railway company - worked closely together to overcome various challenges. We spoke to Takashi Shibuya of Key Coffee Co., Ltd. and Naomune Tajima of Toei Kogyo Co., Ltd., who supported this unprecedented challenge, to find out what went on behind the scenes.

Takashi Shibuya of Key Coffee Co., Ltd. (pictured Shin ) and Naomune Tajima of Toei Kogyo Co., Ltd. (pictured Shin )  

"When I received a request for cooperation from JR Central, I felt that if I could take part in such a fun project, I wanted to actively get involved," Shibuya recalls.

Key Coffee has a track record of selling coffee on board Shinkansen trains, and this relationship of trust was the basis for the call. "Installing an espresso machine was an unprecedented endeavor, so we had to check many things, such as the environment required for installation," says Shibuya.

To provide the espresso machine that Ishitani requested, they asked Toei Kogyo, the manufacturer of the machine, for help. "I felt the weight of the responsibility and couldn't reply right away. After extensive internal investigation, we decided to take on the job," says Tajima.

The preparations were not limited to procuring the machine. Three staff members from JR Central visited the Key Coffee factory and Manabu about the process of commercializing coffee. "We wanted the people who plan and manage the event to deepen their knowledge of coffee and use it to improve the content of the event," said Shibuya.

"At the Manabu Factory Tour, Manabu got to see the coffee roasting process and actually roast beans in a sample roaster, so we could taste the coffee we roasted ourselves. We also had people from JR Central come to an event hosted by SCAJ (Specialty Coffee Association of Japan), so they could get a feel for the coffee industry."

Shibuya-san also Manabu "THE NIIGATA Premium Sake Shinkansen" held in August and was Manabu to manage an event on board the Shinkansen. "There was a sake tasting event in a similar format, so I actually experienced how the staff served the drinks and used that as reference for this event."

Of course, the biggest challenge in this project was fitting the espresso machine and grinder. "The espresso machine and grinder together weigh about 60 kg. There were many issues to be verified, such as preparing a stand that could withstand the shaking of the Shinkansen and dealing with the power supply switching from 50 Hz to 60 Hz," said Tajima. In the end, the power supply was equipped with a battery, and the stand was an original product made by JR Central.

Managing the machine was also an important issue. "It takes about 20 minutes for an espresso machine to reach a usable temperature after it is turned on. If we had turned it on after installing it in the train, it wouldn't be ready in time for the event. For that reason, we started powering it with a battery at Tokyo Station before boarding the train, and installed it in a warmed-up state," says Tajima.

Shibuya also recalled the situation at the time, saying, "We started preparations at around 7 a.m. on the day of the event at the JR Central office in Tokyo Station. I remember that at the general morning assembly held before the event started, we all boosted morale by saying, 'Let's do our best today.'"

Victoria Arduino's Eagle One Prima installed inside a Shinkansen train. Two of these and two grinders were mounted on a specially made stand. Ishitani extracts espresso using the machine.

Before the Shinkansen departed, Tajima and other Toei Kogyo staff worked hard to carry the espresso machine onto the platform. Shibuya recalls, "When I saw the espresso machine on the platform at Tokyo Station, I was really moved, as it reminded me of all the challenges we had overcome together."

The event was attended by 52 people. The audience was diverse, ranging from men and women of all ages. "The Tokaido Shinkansen will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024. One participant said, 'I'm the same age as the Tokaido Shinkansen. I came to this event to celebrate my 60th birthday,' and I was surprised to learn that there are other ways to enjoy the event," said Shibuya.

"I poured the coffee into the cups on the deck of car 16. A passenger in the next car caught the aroma of the coffee and called out to me, 'That smells good. What are you doing?' If you suddenly smell espresso on the Shinkansen, you're sure to be amused and interested."

At first, the participants simply drank coffee made by the barista, but as the event progressed they became more and more excited.

The crowd was especially excited by Ishitani's demonstration of making a cafe latte. Ishitani poured the milk right in front of each customer. The participants were amazed at the luxurious experience. "The cheers when Ishitani appeared were impressive. Everyone was holding up their cell phones to take pictures. It was an unprecedented sight of a cafe Hikaru being made on a Shin train traveling at 280km/h. I felt that it was very worthwhile to have someone make it right in front of me," said Shibuya.

"What made me happiest was seeing the smiles on our customers' faces," said Tajima. "It might be interesting to try this on other trains as well. I'd like to use this experience to take on new challenges," he said, showing his enthusiasm.

Shibuya also recalled, "When passengers got off the train at Kyoto Station, they said to me, 'That was really fun.' It was fun solving each problem one by one, such as installing the machine and dealing with the power supply, and I was really moved by the enthusiasm of everyone at JR Central who worked on the event with us."

The JR Central team also served the coffee on board the trains themselves, but Shibuya revealed some behind-the-scenes information that they had thoroughly practiced pouring the coffee beforehand.

"The team that planned the event, led by Akatsuka from JR Central, had incredible planning and execution skills. I was happy to be able to be part of such an enthusiastic team. If I have the opportunity, I'd like to work on a new project with the baristas and everyone else," he said, expressing his hopes for the future.

By the way, Shibuya-san revealed about his relationship with Ishiya-san, "I've had contact with him since he came to a cafe in Omotesando nearly 20 years ago. I was happy to have the opportunity to work with him this time."

The Specialty Coffee Shinkansen was created by professionals from various industries who overcame each challenge one by one. Its success became a challenge that showed new possibilities for Japanese coffee culture.

Finally, we asked Shibuya-san of Key Coffee about their efforts in specialty coffee. At this Shinkansen event, Key Coffee's "Toarco Toraja" was distributed to participants as a souvenir.

"This year marks the 47th year since the release of TOARCO TORAJA. Even before terms like SDGs and CSR gained attention, we had been working with local producers on the 'Toraja Project', developing farms and building production systems in partnership with the local community. As Key Coffee, we promote the appeal and enjoyment of coffee in various ways, mainly through TOARCO TORAJA," says Shibuya.

Key Coffee is a long-established company that has been in business for 105 years. "We are carrying out various initiatives aimed at preserving the coffee culture. We hope that by participating in such events, we can reach out to people who we have not had contact with before, as well as younger generations."

You can also experience roasting at Locksmith Coffee. The name of the shop comes from the fact that it is located in front of the headquarters of Key Coffee.

Shibuya also touched on the diversity of ways to enjoy coffee. "In front of Key Coffee's headquarters, we have a directly managed store called 'Jomaeya Coffee' where you can experience roasting coffee. While coffee lovers enjoy coffee in a variety of ways, such as going around cafes or practicing latte art at home, it's rare to get the chance to experience roasting coffee. Under the guidance of a roaster, you can roast coffee to your liking, so I would definitely recommend giving it a try."

Regarding CROWD ROASTER 's service that focuses on its roasters, Shibuya commented, "It's great that the service conveys how the taste of the same beans can change depending on the roaster's different personalities. The roasting process is something that customers don't usually have much to do with, so I think it's important to offer an opportunity for it to be experienced."

"I was impressed by the energy of seeing famous baristas and roasters at the talk show at CROWD ROASTER booth at SCAJ. It seems like the coffee industry will be revitalized and some interesting things will happen. I hope we can continue to work together in the future," he said, expressing his hopes for the new collaboration.

The Specialty Coffee Shinkansen was made possible by overcoming a variety of obstacles. We look forward to seeing what the management team will come up with next.
Thank you, Shibuya Takashi and Tajima Naomune, for your valuable stories.

<Store Information>
CRAFT SHARE-ROASTERY Locksmith Coffee 2-34-3 Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Business hours: 11:30-14:00, 15:00-17:00 (Mon-Fri)
Saturdays are open only if there are reservations for roasting machine sharing and roasting experience. For inquiries and reservations, please visit: https://www.keycoffee.co.jp/inquiry/csrkeycoffee/