Okinawa is a rustic inside a rustic.
This is smart contemplating its distinctive cultural milieu. The Chinese language-inspired Okinawa’s ubiquitous ishigantō stone pillars and shīsā lions, Japan delivered to the island what would grow to be the eisā dance, and America, for its half, launched Spam and army tradition. The Ryukyuans, Okinawa’s indigenous peoples, invented karate, the shamisen, and chanpurū, a delicacies (the time period means “to mix”) with many influences that’s like a microcosm of the island itself.
And one more world good has discovered its method into Okinawa: espresso. The previous Ryūkyū Kingdom lies simply inside the espresso belt, at 24° to 27° latitude, making it a fantastic location for rising Coffea bushes. Espresso farming in Okinawa started over 100 years in the past when Japanese migrants returned residence from Brazil with bushes to plant. Later, postwar pioneers like Chōden Wauke and Butoku Yamashiro kickstarted plantations in Uruma and Onna villages. Now espresso farms corresponding to Hiro, Ada, and Matayoshi typify homegrown Japanese espresso in all its glory.
Okinawa attracts extra than simply native origin-trippers: worldwide vacationers searching for a restaurant scene won’t go away the island disillusioned. And if you end up in that group, we right here at Sprudge wish to share seven imaginative cafes that we predict whip up true uchinā (Okinawan) espresso: suave, unaffected drinks which can be affably delivered.
Who is aware of? Possibly you’ll have one thing so as to add to Okinawa’s story in your highway journey there.
Higher hire a automotive.
Rikka, rikka!
COFFEE Potohoto
You understand the sample: entrepreneur finds espresso store. Espresso store finds fame. Entrepreneur leaves, and high quality suffers. However the very best outlets buck this pattern.
Tetsuji Yamada based COFFEE Potohoto all the way in which again in 2006 as a 90-square-foot stand in Sakaemachi Market, an outdated arcade-style market close to the Asato Monorail Station. As an alternative of transferring in 2023 when he outgrew the area, Yamada renovated a close-by bonito flakes retailer and crammed it along with his Giesen, Ikawa, and Fuji Royal roasters, together with a La Cimbali M39 and a La Pavoni lever machine.
“We would like the love of Sakaemachi’s neighborhood,” Yamada instructed me. “We additionally need our espresso to counterpoint farmers’ lives, so thirty % of our espresso is direct commerce.”
I ordered a Brazil/Ethiopia/Indonesia mix latte, and it was heart-topped and frothy with notes of molasses. I might anticipate no much less experience from Yamada: he’s an authorized Q Grader, and in 2024, he was a Taiwan Cup of Excellence Worldwide Choose.
“At Potohoto,” Yamada telsl me, “we start by pattern roasting with our Ikawa. Then we cup to see whether or not our grounds have a floral, vibrant impression, or in the event that they lean extra in direction of caramel. From there, we modify the final roast based mostly on Maillard improvement and first crack.”
At nineteen happening twenty years of enterprise, it’s protected to say that COFFEE Potohoto respects each its product and its folks. Let this espresso bar be your excuse for wandering Sakaemachi, which is beloved by locals, and options many small bars and eating places, homewares shops, a butcher store, and way more.
Espresso Senti Motobu
Cafes with a soul don’t simply serve espresso—they’re of service to others. Cue Espresso Senti Motobu: Takeshi Maeda’s passion-project-meets-community-renewal-scheme.
Motobu is a small city recognized for its kumquats, acerola fruits, and lanes of fukugi bushes. It is usually situated alongside Okinawa’s Route 84, on the way in which to the Churaumi Aquarium and Nakayama Espresso Farm. Like many Japanese cities, nevertheless, Motobu faces the twin challenges of an ageing and declining inhabitants.
Able to treatment this, Maeda retooled an outdated soba restaurant in 2021 to host a espresso corridor and pop-up eating places in hopes of luring companies to Motobu. 4 years on, and Maeda continues to be at it. His Senti helped sponsor the inaugural 2025 Yanbaru Espresso Pageant partly to boost consciousness of Motobu’s rebirth.
When requested what he appears to be like for in his espresso, Maeda responded, “For style, I deal with cleanliness, sweetness, and taste depth. I roast by means of repeated trial and error to elicit a bean’s ‘sugar’.”
“My mission is to determine specialty espresso in Yanbaru and draw consideration to Okinawan farms,” he provides.
After my long-awaited style of Okinawa Nago espresso (a washed Typica pour-over from the Yamaichi farm), I couldn’t assist however assume: mission completed.
espresso Hygge
My scorching take? Espresso ought to by no means be an finish in and of itself, however a way for one thing else—a dialog with a good friend, or a approach to be taught concerning the world and people inside it.
On the one hand, espresso Hygge is difficult to search out. It sits alongside a nondescript highway in seldom-toured Okinawa Metropolis, and Hygge’s parking is tucked away within the again. Its ever-shifting hours are introduced on Instagram (so test earlier than you go). Furthermore, Hygge’s digital footprint is faint—there’s little press, and the web site’s “About” web page presents one line: Hygge: a espresso stand.
However don’t let Hygge’s elusiveness deter you. Its menu contains a lineup assorted sufficient for any espresso devotee: there are Colombia Decaf Washed coffees, Americanos, lattes, flavored lattes (mocha or caramel, scorching or iced), apple juice, and yakigashi (Japanese-style baked sweets).
I spoke with Takemoto san, Hygge’s proprietor, as he brewed me a Sommarlek-Espresso-roasted hand-drip.
“After I discover good espresso,” Takemoto instructed me, “it’s at all times a very good encounter. Espresso isn’t simply liquid. It’s private. A roaster has intentions. The brewer, a mindset. Each drink culminates in a farmer’s service. By way of all this, I discover fact in espresso.”
Takemoto and I waxed poetic for just a little bit after that, however I’ll go away it to you to proceed the dialog the place we left off if you go to Hygge.
Mamepolepole
Mamepolepole is Okinawa’s most embellished roastery—there can solely be one. Its creator, Yoshiyuki Nakamura, is a two-time winner of the Japan Espresso Roasting Championship (JCRC), taking the title in 2017 and 2022. In 2018, Nakamura outdid himself, incomes second place within the World Espresso Roasting Championship (WCRC).
Mamepolepole can be one in all Okinawa’s hottest roasteries, and for good purpose. My cafe latte (pulled on a hammered-copper Victoria Arduino Athena Leva) had a PX-sherry, cherry taste of incomparably deft stability.
Okinawans agree with my reward. I went to Mamepolepole’s new place (opened final December), and there was a prepare of shoppers there, some with baggage of Colombia Las Marias Gesha and others with Colombia Campo Hermoso Pink Bourbons.
However from whence does Mamepolepole’s mastery spring? Nakamura first fell beneath espresso’s spell after tasting Vietnam’s “bitter but candy” brews (you may need heard of phin or egg yolk espresso, for instance). Impressed, Nakamura opened up Mamepolepole in 2010 to encourage others, and the remaining, as they are saying, is historical past.
Nakamura remarked that his fundamental aim isn’t essentially to win prizes, however “to increase a circle of sunshine—to unfold smiles and inspiration.”
To-go espresso in my cupholder and a ribbon of highway stretched out earlier than me, I left the store feeling like I’d gained one thing.
Espresso And Bake Hashimoto
“In Okinawa, many cultures combine collectively, and it’s chaotic, for higher or worse.”
So says Takaya Hashimoto, Espresso And Bake Hashimoto’s titular chief.
On my go to, his coffeehouse was not chaotic, however bustling, and pleasantly so. Eight clients had been conversing in straightforward camaraderie, the baker within the again was restocking a cloche with banana bread, and Hashimoto himself was expounding on Okinawan tradition and his position in it.
“Okinawa has its stronger personalities… however I wish to mentor younger fanatics. I need to ease them into the business.”
Definitely, Hashimoto has the aptitude to do exactly that. Uncommon for a lot of new ventures (his eponymous store solely opened in October of 2024), Hashimoto precision-roasts his espresso seeds on the Aillio Bullet R1 V2.
My light-roasted, single-origin espresso had a handy guide a rough acidity and a tomato-like savoriness. It was served in a Rörstrand teacup. “I select uncooked beans that allow me really feel terroir as a lot as doable. I’m conscious of ‘gentleness’ (yasashisa) in a espresso’s style,” Hashimoto defined.
Nicely-rounded, sure, however the place was my ‘spro from? Kenya? In a uncommon lapse of consideration, I failed to notice the origin. I used to be having an excessive amount of enjoyable speaking with the opposite patrons. Now I do know the place the Okinawan phrase “ichariba-chōdē” comes from (“as soon as a good friend, at all times a good friend”).
Zhyvago Espresso Roastery
For those who weren’t in search of Zhyvago Espresso Roastery, it will most likely discover you. And this isn’t simply because it’s located entrance and heart in Chatan’s “American Village,” the vacationer spot in Okinawa, but in addition as a result of Zhyvago’s roastery is one in all 4 of the corporate’s buildings sprawled out close to Chatan’s shore. After which, Zhyvago is a self-styled West Coast cafe, with all its go-out-show-out branding and celebrated espresso.
As in America, greater is best right here: the bar boasts not one La Marzocco Strada EP, however two (and one is embossed with a customized brand). And when buyer quantity will get actually excessive, there’s even a 3rd machine: a La Marzocco KB90.
The proprietor, Kentarō san, began the roastery in September 2020 after a prolonged research journey to San Francisco’s icons: Blue Bottle Espresso, Sightglass Espresso, 4 Barrel, Ritual, Stumptown, Water Avenue, Coava, and Ristretto Roasters.
“At Zhyvago,” roaster Mikami san associated, “we purpose for drinks which can be easy and naturally candy; our roasting is tuned to a espresso’s character.”
My “size-up” (at lower than a greenback!) “tiger-skin” latte was massive on style–a Brazil mix with a heavy emphasis on chocolate. I had a battery of different choices to select from: affogatos, batch brews, chilly brews, “Kandy” teas, and a Cafe Caramel “Mad” Shake (step apart, Blue Seal Ice Cream).
And so, it seems Roland Barthes was unsuitable: Japan doesn’t at all times have a tendency in direction of the diminutive!
〒904−0115 沖縄県中頭郡北谷町美浜34-1
Merisis Espresso Brewers
Like sporting black whereas cupping, some issues simply make sense. And if you happen to’re preparing to return to wherever house is after your lengthy Okinawa journey, it will make sense so that you can get some meals to go along with that one final cappuccino.
Park your automotive in Nōren Plaza again in Naha (if you happen to can’t discover avenue parking) and stroll to our remaining vacation spot, Merisis Espresso Brewers. On the market there are vegetable and lunch plates, sweets of each type, and a “soup deli” that can make you rethink your flight residence.
After all, we are able to speak espresso, too. Merisis is a multi-roastery internet hosting seeds from Mel (Ōsaka), Teruya (Okinawa), and Single O (Australia). Merisis grinds blends on the Mahlkönig E65S GbW, and single-origins on the EK43. Their final software of expression? The Sanremo Café Racer.
“My aim is to ask clients into Australian espresso tradition, with all its laid-back and assured connotations,” Meguro Ryūji, Merisis’s founder, talked about to me. “We’re additionally dedicated to continuous progress and training. We invite visitors from exterior the prefecture to host workshops on all the things from sensory calibration to cupping.”
Maybe probably the most good factor about Merisis? It’s canine pleasant. Don’t neglect to pat Lassie on the top earlier than you allow. She’s as mellow because the “milk brews” Merisis presents. They are saying that canines are like their homeowners, however are espresso seeds like those that roast them?
Epilogue
Okinawa prides itself on its regional drinks (assume Orion beer and viper wine), so it’s no shock that home espresso is coming into its personal right here. For one more style of Okinawan-grown espresso, be sure you try rokkan COFFEE CREATORS, in addition to any of the island’s thirty or so farms. For those who’re curious about cafes that don’t essentially serve Okinawa-grown espresso, cease by Tamagusuku Espresso Roasters, Tasokare Espresso, and Flap Espresso and Bake Store.
Mata ya! (Bye for now!)
Michael Joseph is a contract journalist and photographer based mostly in Hiroshima. Learn extra Michael Joseph for Sprudge.
