A quick ten-minute drive from Asahikawa Airport is a special town of wonder on the way to Mount Asahidake that less than 10,000 people call home—Higashikawa. As many local governments across Japan grapple with the problem of shrinking populations, the town of Higashikawa is a rare exception. It continues to see an increase in the number of people seeking to move here as well as being the destination for many study abroad students. This is due to the opening of Higashikawa Japanese Language School— the first public Japanese language school in Japan—in 2015. While it may be a small town, Higashikawa bursts with international flair and is a location that many artists choose to move to because of its deep multiculturality featuring aspects such as an active culture of photography and intricate furniture-making.
The special coffee brewed with pure local water
Higashikawa also happens to be the only town in Hokkaido without a public water supply, which is a rarity across Japan. All of the people living here draw from mineral groundwater that gathers as a result of snowmelt from the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group. The water seeps deep into the ground over many, many years and is slowly drawn up, making it delicious and full of minerals.
Many younger folks have moved to Higashikawa and as a result the town bustles with activity. There were approximately thirty-five restaurants and shops here a decade ago and as of today that number has more than doubled. While there are many cafés where you can get a feel for the widespread culture of design and furniture, there is one coffee specialist that is distinct from the rest. A coffee roaster and coffee bean shop standing on its own in the middle of a field—Yoshinori Coffee.
Yoshinori Coffee: a coffee bean shop in the middle of a field
“The water is so delicious here that Higashikawa is referred to as a town of water. There isn’t any water-supply infrastructure because we all draw from the water underground, but it’s this natural mineral water that’s so amazing. In fact, people from around Japan have gathered here because they want to run cafés to make delicious coffee brewed with this water. That’s how the coffee culture here came to be.”
Yoshinori, the owner of Yoshinori Coffee, explains. Yoshinori is originally from Asahikawa. He worked as a printing professional for a major newspaper company for thirty years before he became captivated by the fascinating world of coffee roasting in 2011. This led him to quit his long-time job to start up a café in 2016 which now garners attention as housing the “magical coffee beans from a spot in the middle of a field.”
“It started as a hobby, but then I gradually got more and more orders, leading it to become my full-time job. As all this went on, I found myself the perfect place in the middle of a field in Higashikawa. The view here is amazing. And who could forget the amazing water?”
In recent times, ski fans who had once packed the slopes of Niseko have been making their way to the Powder Belt. Those who’ve had some fun in the backcountry areas of Asahidake and the like find themselves at Yoshinori Coffee and then keep coming back every day for the duration of their stay in the area. More and more people have been rejoicing about having finally found some delicious coffee.
“Better coffee enriches your life. Our philosophy is ‘better coffee; better life,’ so we devote ourselves to providing the best quality coffee every single day.”
Why not treat yourself to the best coffee brewed with natural Hokkaido water using beans roasted to the strictest of standards while you’re travelling across the Powder Belt? You can find the main Yoshinori Coffee shop in Higashikawa, or stop by the flagship store in front of Asahikawa Station. You’re guaranteed an amazing cup of coffee with every visit.
Yoshinori Coffee
Web: yoshinoricoffee.com
