Getting cups of Costa Rican coffee into the hands of Japanese citizens is the goal of a group of sellers who visited Tokyo last week for a fair organized by the Japanese Fine Coffees Association, according to a statement from the Costa Rican Coffee Institute (ICAFE).
The fair, which attracts around 10,000 coffee buyers and sellers, gave Costa Rica a chance to show off its best coffees and find international buyers.
In fact, ICAFE’s spectacularly decorated stand was declared the second most successful stand at the fair. It gave visitors an opportunity to taste coffees from several of the country’s coffee-producing regions, gather information and talk with representatives.
The fair coincided with the World Championship of Baristas, in which national champion José Miguel Coto represented Costa Rica (see “Weekend” section). This year’s World Champion, James Hoffman, used Costa Rican beans in his winning coffee creations.
The trip to Japan is part of Costa Rica’s ongoing efforts to promote its coffee around the world.
So far this year, Costa Ricans have attended coffee fairs in the U.S. cities of Chicago, Long Beach, Seattle and Atlanta, as well as inBelgium.
Plans are also in the works to send a delegation to Shaghai, China, in September.
