THE BARISTA LEAGUE ASIA was held at Adrift in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo on June 12, 2025. This was the first time that the tournament was held in Japan, and the Russian team (Kirill & Vasilina) won the championship.
In the second part of this report, we will provide information on each participating team and the venue.
In this year's Tokyo competition, 10 teams (20 people in total, each consisting of two people) that had passed the preliminary screening participated, and a fierce battle unfolded.
Introducing each participating team
Introducing the participating teams, first there are two teams from Mermaid Coffee Roasters, based in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
The opening act was CHIKAKO & MEITO (team name: Mermaid Spirit), who got the crowd excited, followed by NORITADA & Masayuki (Suru-i Knife), who thrilled the audience with their "izakaya service."
Kazuya from Dairo & Kazuya (EZO&HIZEN BREWS) also works at Mermaid Coffee Roasters.
Both teams' high-energy presentations captivated the audience and judges, greatly livening up the competition.
Two teams participated from dotcom space Tokyo.
Yuito & Shio (WE ARE COFFEE) have won awards in various competitions, while Kaho from Tomona & Kaho (SNCOM☺︎) has been a barista for just under a year.
The lineup seemed to embody THE BARISTA LEAGUE's concept of making competitions easily accessible.
Participating from Osaka were Ayaka & Kotoni (AEROOO!!).
Participation from LiLo Coffee Roasters , a familiar name at CROWD ROASTER .
Wearing matching T-shirts with Hikaru in the dark," they put up a good fight despite machine troubles.
Satonaga & Ren (SAL) participated from Manabu . at Manabu University of the Arts.
The two simply love coffee and bring their own vibes to the table.
Yu & Hiroyuki (SOCIAL GOOD ROASTERS) were chosen to take part just a few days ago after some competitors withdrew from the competition.
Despite the short preparation time, they fought calmly.
And participating from Russia are Kirill & Vasilina (SURF COFFEE).
Kirill is a surfer and barista with seven years of coffee experience, has extensive experience training about 200 baristas, and has a track record including winning the Russian Coffee Cup Moscow 2023. His partner Vasilina is a cyclist and barista trainer, and gave an impressive presentation in Japanese that she learned for the Tokyo competition.
Shogo & Yuta (AEJ) are participating from Allpress Espresso.
Both are experienced baristas/roasters, and performed their duties with dignity and dignity.
By the way, the Allpress Espresso team provided coffee to visitors at the "Roasters Village" set up within the venue.
A full complement of sponsors and experience booths
The main equipment and materials were provided to the competitors by sponsoring companies, allowing participants to compete purely on their skills without any gaps in equipment.
Equipment included a Rancilio espresso machine, a Toddy system for cold brew (for mocktails), Acaia scales, BODUM French presses, Puqpress tamping equipment, and plant-based milk provided by Oatly.
Each sponsor set up a booth at the venue, and events were prepared for visitors to enjoy.
At the Toddy booth, there was an experience event where visitors could try two different types of cold brew and guess the coffee's origin. Those who answered correctly received Toddy merchandise.
A "Roasters Village" was set up at the venue, bringing together a selection of roasters from all over Japan. From established brands to up-and-coming micro-roasters, the exhibition embodied the diversity of coffee in the region, and visitors had the opportunity to taste their distinctive coffees while watching the competition.
Announcement of the tournament results
At the end of the event, the results were announced and the top three teams were called out.
Coming in third place was CHIKAKO & MEITO (Mermaid Spirit) from Mermaid Coffee Roasters.
And in second place is Shogo & Yuta (AEJ) from Allpress Espresso.
As mentioned above, the winner was Kirill & Vasilina (SURF COFFEE).
Additionally, the award for Best Cold Brew Mocktail presented by Toddy also went to Kirill & Vasilina.
A competition that is different from traditional barista competitions
At THE BARISTA LEAGUE ASIA Tokyo tournament, the distance between spectators and competitors was close, fully demonstrating the sense of community that THE BARISTA LEAGUE values.
This competition differs from traditional barista competitions by promoting knowledge sharing through a team system and embracing diverse skill levels.
These unique features were fully demonstrated in Tokyo, and the new style of competition presented by THE BARISTA LEAGUE is sure to continue to have a major impact in the future.
I'm already looking forward to the next tournament.
