At the 2024 World Barista Championship held in Busan, South Korea, barista Takayuki Ishitani, representing Japan, took third place.

Congratulations to Barista Ishitani!

From the preliminary round to the final, Ishitani-san demonstrated a consistently high level of performance. His coffee selection that produced unique flavors, his meticulously calculated extraction method, and his story-telling presentation captivated the audience and the judges.

Particularly impressive in the finals was the espresso made from a blend of Geisha from Panama and Caturra from Colombia. Its distinctive, vibrant flavors reminiscent of pineapple, orange, and guava were highly praised by the judges. The next milk beverage used a blend of rice milk and lactose-free milk, resulting in a sweet and smooth flavor reminiscent of yellow peach, mango, and caramel.

The signature drink was inspired by the Italian classic cocktail, the Negroni. It was a perfect display of Ishitani's creativity, with a botanical infusion that represents gin, a fruity fermented liquid that recreates Campari, and coffee and vanilla sous vide instead of vermouth.

The standings for the 2024 World Barista Championship are as follows:

1. Mikael Jasin, Indonesia
2. Jack Simpson, Australia
3. Takayuki Ishitani, Japan
4. Honoka Kawashima, Aotearoa / New Zealand
5. Junghwan Lim, South Korea
6. Lan Kissick, Ireland
7. Zjevaun Lemar Janga, The Netherlands

The success of barista Ishitani, who competes on the world stage as a representative of Japan, is a source of great pride and inspiration for the Japanese coffee industry. I hope that he will use the experience of this competition as a springboard to strive for even greater heights.

You can watch Barista Ishitani's presentation on the official competition channel on YouTube. Be sure to check it out for yourself.

We also plan to interview Barista Ishitani after he returns to Japan.

We will ask him how he feels now that the world championships have ended, and what his outlook is for the future. The words of this top barista who is active at the forefront of the coffee industry are sure to be highly thought-provoking.

Please look forward to it!