{"id":14427,"date":"2025-11-09T23:52:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T14:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/?p=14427"},"modified":"2025-11-17T13:54:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T04:54:28","slug":"okagesama-coffee-expo-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/okagesama-coffee-expo-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"OKAGESAMA COFFEE EXPO 2025: Growing an \u201cOkagesama Forest\u201d From One Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article01-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15786\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>On September 28 and 29, 2025, TYPICA held <a href=\"https:\/\/typica.jp\/expo2025\/en\/\">OKAGESAMA COFFEE EXPO 2025<\/a> \u2013 Nurturing an \u2018Okagesama Forest\u2019 From a Single Cup of Coffee at WASSE, the venue of the Osaka\u2013Kansai Expo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside the venue, the <em>Roaster Forest<\/em> brought together about 40 roasters from across Asia\u2014including Korea and Taiwan\u2014each offering coffees that allowed visitors to feel the stories, contexts, and individuality behind every cup. Over the course of the two days, approximately 150 different coffees were served.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article02-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15787\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile on the stage, a wide range of programs unfolded: the TYPICA GUIDE Final Round, the OKAGESAMA Forest Producers Presentation, the OKAGESAMA Forum, and more. Coffee producers, roasters, and coffee lovers came together as a truly global community, embodying a space where the future is nurtured collectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This EXPO is TYPICA\u2019s flagship event, created as an international public initiative led by the private sector, rather than a conventional model of global business. It gives form to TYPICA\u2019s vision: <em>to move beyond the framework of financial capitalism and a money-driven economy\u2014systems that, since modernity, often compelled obedience to the powerful and the wealthy. Instead, each individual stands as the founder of their own life and as a steward of human society, cultivating a free economy and an OKAGESAMA community that fosters shared well-being across the world.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"full\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n    <figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy_load\" width=\"100%\" height=\"675\" data-origin=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article03-1.jpeg\" data-width=\"1200\" data-height=\"675\" data-transparent=\"1\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/typica2021\/assets\/images\/common\/spacer.gif\" alt=\"Spacer\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article04-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15791\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">TYPICA CEO\u30fbMasashi Goto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>The Essence of Forest-Making Is Ecosystem-Makin<\/strong><\/strong>g<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>At the heart of the two-day event themed \u201cFrom Cup to OKAGESAMA Forest \u2014 How a Single Cup Can Nurture a Global Forest\u201d was the global launch of the <em>Okagesama Forest Initiative<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The core idea is this: coffee producers, roasters, and coffee lovers\u2014people from all backgrounds, regardless of nationality, race, values, religion, generation, or culture\u2014come together to grow a forest that encircles the planet. Through this collective effort, they aim to build a sustainable and evolving coffee culture, and to pass this symbolic forest on to future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u203b Planting shade trees that protect coffee trees from direct sunlight enables both sustainability and quality improvement in coffee production. With moderated sunlight, coffee cherries ripen more slowly, resulting in better sweetness\u2013acidity balance, while increased organic matter and microbial diversity in the soil contribute unique flavor characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, the Okagesama Forest Initiative is far more than a tree-planting project. Growing a forest means protecting the local ecosystem where diverse plants and living beings coexist, creating employment, and laying the foundation for regional development that lasts across generations. What we strive to build is an ecosystem\u2014an environment where coffee, culture, and community flourish together. A true, living <em>eco-system<\/em> in every sense of the word.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article_ex01-1-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15792\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kido Inoue Roshi, the Fifth head of Sh\u014drinkutsu Dojo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>On the second day of the event, September 29, the atmosphere grew still and contemplative as Zen master Roshi Kid\u014d Inoue, the fifth head of the Sh\u014drinkutsu Dojo, delivered a Dharma talk titled <em>\u201cZen and the Spirit of Okagesama.\u201d<\/em> In that quiet space, TYPICA CEO Masashi Goto took the stage to formally declare the global launch of the Okagesama Forest Initiative, speaking with powerful conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article05-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15793\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs each producer\u2019s farm is nurtured into a thriving coffee forest, by 2035 we envision the emergence of an <em>Okagesama Forest<\/em>\u2014a living belt of gratitude encircling the entire coffee belt. A hundred years, a thousand years from now, we want this forest to carry forward the \u2018spirit of harmony\u2019 and \u2018will of gratitude\u2019\u2014the understanding that everything we do is made possible by all beings beyond ourselves. We hope this forest becomes a perpetual, evolving symbol of shared empathy and collective action across generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article06-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15794\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leon Christianakis\uff08Acacia Hills\uff09<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Following this declaration, five coffee producers and partner companies from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Bolivia (one joining online) presented their visions and on-the-ground initiatives as part of the opening celebration. Over 200 messages of appreciation were sent to the producers, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cThank you for bringing us such delicious coffee!\u201d<br><\/em> <em>\u201cPlease help ensure we can still drink coffee 50 years from now!\u201d<br><\/em> <em>\u201cYour work with nature is truly admirable.\u201d<br><\/em> <em>\u201cCoffee is essential to my life\u2014my gratitude for producers is endless.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article07-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15795\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Biniyam Aklilu\uff08Gujoo Trading\uff09<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2025 Forest Partnership Award, presented to the producer who resonated most deeply with visitors, was awarded to Biniyam Akr of Gujoo Trading. He shared his vision of creating \u201cThe Forest of Gujoo,\u201d where coffee farms and forests grow side by side to support both people and nature by 2035. Presenting a detailed roadmap toward that goal, he emphasized the essence of his mission: \u201cWe are planting gratitude and sustainability as an inheritance for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article_ex03-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15773\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nadine Rush, who presented online\uff08Primavera Coffee\uff09<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The event also implemented a system in which visitors\u2019 coffee purchases directly contribute to forest creation. As a result, an estimated 4,000 shade trees\u2014equivalent to about 40 hectares\u2014will be planted through this year\u2019s EXPO alone.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article08-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15796\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left: Biniyam, Leon, Fikri Hakim (Java Frinsa Estate), Juan Boyan (Nayra Qata)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This initiative not only accelerates the creation of an ecosystem in which coffee, culture, and community flourish together, but also generates multiple synergistic benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1: New income sources, such as through planting bananas and cashew nuts<br>2: Improved working conditions created by natural shade<br>3: Advancement of carbon-neutral practices through reforestation<br>4: Transmission of a forest-protecting culture to future generations<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within the next decade, it is likely that across coffee origins, we will witness communities who embody the \u201cOkagesama spirit\u201d taking autonomous ownership of their forests\u2014nurturing them, expanding them, and passing them on.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"full\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n    <figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy_load\" width=\"100%\" height=\"675\" data-origin=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article09.jpeg\" data-width=\"1200\" data-height=\"675\" data-transparent=\"1\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/typica2021\/assets\/images\/common\/spacer.gif\" alt=\"Spacer\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article10-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15731\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The members of OKAGESAMA Forest Shapers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Social Issues Are Not Someone Else\u2019s Problem<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The Okagesama Forest initiative\u2014an effort where empathy becomes the seed of grassroots change\u2014also includes the participation of middle and high school students from across Japan. Fifteen students, selected for their interest and motivation toward sustainability, formed the OKAGESAMA Forest Shapers, a youth group dedicated to spreading empathy for forest-making and shaping the future of coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article11-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15732\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hiroto Ando<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Hiroto Ando, a first-year high school student from Nara and a member of the Shapers, reflected: \u201cBefore joining, I assumed we\u2019d only be discussing the challenges the industry faces. But when I heard producers and roasters speak passionately about the beauty of coffee, my perspective shifted. I actually felt that focusing on what makes coffee inspiring brings us closer to solving the problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article12-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15734\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kotone Minehara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Another member, Kotone Minehara, a third-year high school student from Kanagawa, reached out to TYPICA through the website after developing her own interest in coffee. She shared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEver since I was moved by the taste of the first specialty coffee I ever tried, I kept exploring the world of coffee\u2014and that eventually led me to issues like the 2050 problem and environmental challenges. I started to realize that social issues aren\u2019t someone else\u2019s problem. When I heard a producer from Tanzania say, \u2018We face many challenges, but because TYPICA and the roasters are serving delicious coffee, we can keep going,\u2019 I learned how essential connection and trust really are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article13-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15735\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Cultivating a New Form of Collaborative Co-Creation<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Since its founding, TYPICA has dedicated itself to enhancing the sustainability of great coffee by democratizing direct trade. TYPICA defines direct trade as <em>\u201ca continuous practice through which producers and roasters connect, meet, and resonate with one another\u2014deepening the relationship between better coffee and better community year after year.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To further advance this practice\u2014and to turn shared empathy into shared action, and shared action into lasting, regenerative development\u2014TYPICA has launched a new initiative: \u201cCoffee Festival Culture Grown by Community \u2014 TYPICA Collective 2025 Brazil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article14-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15736\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fazenda Chapad\u00e3o\uff0fRodrigo Andrade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The inaugural <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/0QiY34B0AyQ\">TYPICA Collective<\/a> took place in mid-September 2025 in Brazil, bringing together roasters from Asia and five European countries. Among the ten selected producers featured in the event, Rodrigo from Fazenda Chapad\u00e3o traveled to Japan to join the EXPO. From the stage, he spoke about the history of his farm and the passion behind his work, expressing heartfelt gratitude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBeing here feels like recognition of everything we\u2019ve poured ourselves into. This is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article19-1200x675.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15741\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Place Where Roasters Celebrate and Cultivate Each Other\u2019s Craft<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When people truly understand the effort and value poured into each cup of coffee, they become willing to pay a fair price\u2014one that rightfully returns to the producers. One of the ways TYPICA works to realize such a world is through <a href=\"https:\/\/guide.typica.jp\/2025\/en\/\">TYPICA GUIDE<\/a>, now in its third year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the first day of the EXPO, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bPaw7qQixfA\">Final Round<\/a> was held on site. From among 195 one-star roasters across Japan, nine two-star roasters\u2014each recommended from their respective regions\u2014took the stage. Through a seven-minute presentation and brewing session, the next 3-Star Roaster was chosen based on votes from both special nominators and general participants (on-site visitors and online viewers).<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article16-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15738\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">LUSH-COFFEE Roaster&amp;Laboratory\u30fbKosuke Yoshida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The title went to Kosuke Yoshida of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lushkafe.asu\/\">LUSH-COFFEE Roaster &amp; Laboratory<\/a>, a roastery specializing in East Timor coffee. He shared his emotion and gratitude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDuring my presentation, there were moments when I couldn\u2019t hold back my tears. If today\u2019s presentation helped even a few more people understand the hopes and struggles of the people in East Timor, I\u2019m truly happy. I\u2019ll keep doing everything I can to enrich the lives of everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article18-1-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15756\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bing Chomprasob \/ Chief Representative Officer for Japan at the World Economic Forum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>A male visitor who sat in the front row from beginning to end reflected on the experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m a regular at Encore! Coffee\uff08the second presenter\uff09, so I originally planned to watch just his presentation and leave. But it was so interesting that I ended up watching the entire program. In daily life, you rarely get the chance to think about the stories behind the things you consume\u2014so this was a really meaningful experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Comments from the special nominators underscored the emotional depth of the Final Round.<br>Bing Chomprasob, Chief Representative Officer for Japan at the World Economic Forum, remarked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI believe that what makes the coffee industry extraordinary is its people. You are remarkable ambassadors who carry the stories and passions of producers to Japan and to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yoshinori Uda, President and CEO of Ogawa Coffee, shared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSeeing all of you\u2014people for whom coffee is life itself\u2014walking in the same direction was profoundly moving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article17-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15739\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Another commentator added a message that captured the spirit of the day: \u201cRoasters are not merely the voices of producers. I hope you continue to weave stories that allow hopes and feelings to flow not only from upstream to downstream, but from downstream back to upstream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as a forest thrives because each tree, plant, and flower contributes its unique qualities\u2014growing dynamically precisely through its diversity\u2014the coffee world grows when each roaster shines with their own irreplaceable brilliance. In that resonance between roasters, producers, and coffee lovers, the industry evolves. It was a moment that beautifully embodied TYPICA\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"full\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n    <figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy_load\" width=\"100%\" height=\"675\" data-origin=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article20.jpeg\" data-width=\"1200\" data-height=\"675\" data-transparent=\"1\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/typica2021\/assets\/images\/common\/spacer.gif\" alt=\"Spacer\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article20-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15742\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Okagesama<\/em> \u2014 A Spirit of Harmony, Gratitude, and Intention<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>With the rise of specialty coffee, more people now understand that coffee holds remarkable individuality\u2014and that its pure flavors and diversity can be appreciated as a cultural experience. The more than 30,000 visitors who attended this year\u2019s EXPO were surely able to enjoy that vibrant spectrum of coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One woman shared: \u201cI love coffee, so I came to the Expo specifically for this event. I usually rotate between two or three coffees every week, but this time I tried fruity coffees I wouldn\u2019t normally choose\u2014and discovered flavors I never knew I liked. Comparing three different coffees side by side made each personality stand out clearly. It felt like my world expanded a little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article21-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15743\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The members of Travertine Coffee Roasters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, the team from Travertine Coffee Roasters in Seoul\u2014who traveled all the way from Korea to exhibit for two days\u2014reflected on their experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn Korea\u2019s specialty coffee market, we sometimes feel there are limits to how deeply we can communicate with consumers. So we were excited about the possibility of meeting people in a new market and a new culture. We didn\u2019t come for simple brand promotion\u2014we wanted to experience a genuine cross-border exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many visitors gave us warm reactions and positive feedback, and sales far exceeded our expectations. But more meaningful than that was realizing that our coffee could be embraced and genuinely resonated with people overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One moment in particular stayed with us: a middle-aged Japanese man used a translation app on his phone to tell us, with a big smile, \u2018I drank so many coffees at this event, but your Geisha was the best.\u2019 It warmed our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article23-1-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15758\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left: Fumihiko Nishioka (Professor Emeritus, Tama Art University), Masashi Goto (CEO, TYPICA), and Tatsuya Kasai (President &amp; Director, TYPICA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>TYPICA envisions a world where the happiness of each individual naturally expands into the happiness of the whole. Why, then, has TYPICA designated 2025 as <em>\u201cThe First Year of Co-Creating a Global Coffee Festival Culture\u201d<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSince ancient times, the harvest of agricultural crops\u2014including coffee\u2014has always been celebrated as a festival embraced by the entire community. People prayed for a good harvest, worked together, expressed gratitude, and celebrated side by side. These festivals were essential practices through which communities nurtured both daily life and a shared collective will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the moment societies became divided into those who rule and those who are ruled, priorities shifted toward efficiency, productivity, and profit. The human conscience\u2014our most precious and irreplaceable quality\u2014became harder to exercise. By recognizing this reality together, we want to re-create an authentic festival culture\u2014one built by the whole community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article23-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15745\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Underlying this festival culture\u2014and the EXPO as one of its expressions\u2014is the spirit of okagesama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMany coffee producers live in poverty, but we don\u2019t see the world through a framework of \u2018supporters\u2019 and \u2018the supported.\u2019 When producers make delicious coffee, its market value rises, and their livelihoods improve as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the business grows, issues like poverty, human rights, and the environment are also addressed along the way. Our work has always been rooted in the value of <em>\u2018the happiness of becoming happy together.\u2019<\/em>\u201d&nbsp; \u2014 Goto<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fumihiko Nishioka, Professor Emeritus at Tama Art University and moderator of the dialogue session <em>\u201cThe Light and Shadow of Okagesama,\u201d<\/em> offered a striking reflection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMichelangelo\u2019s sculptures are carved out of pure white stone\u2014there are no lines drawn on them. And yet we clearly see the faces of Jesus and Mary because of the shadows formed in the grooves and hollows.&nbsp; It is the shadow that reveals the light, the shadow that gives form. Learning that shade-giving trees protect and nurture coffee moved me deeply. In the truest sense, the shadows created by trees allow the coffee to live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><section>\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<div class=\"columns\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/ja\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article25-1200x801.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15759\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"col\">\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Seen from a wide-angle perspective, the <em>Okagesama Forest Initiative<\/em> resembles a modern-day Super Silk Road. The ancient Silk Road connected China to the Mediterranean, forming a vast trade network that carried not only goods but also ideas, religions, and arts\u2014creating a pathway for civilizational dialogue and laying the groundwork for today\u2019s global economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, creating a forest that circles the entire coffee belt is a generational endeavor that uses coffee as its medium. It aims to build and sustain a global Okagesama Forest\u2014a living symbol of harmony and gratitude\u2014while opening pathways for intergenerational dialogue and collaborative action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast to a globalism centered on money and material growth\u2014where consumption is equated with happiness\u2014the Okagesama community seeks to cultivate spiritual richness, guided by shared intention, gratitude, and conscience. It envisions a glocal world (Think Globally, Act Locally) in which human life and economic activity evolve toward public well-being grounded in goodwill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This event at the Osaka\u2013Kansai Expo\u2014staged by TYPICA, whose work is rooted in the philosophy that <em>\u201cbusiness is merely a means to build a world where economic growth, human happiness, and sustainability coexist, transforming how individuals see and live in the world\u201d<\/em>\u2014quietly planted seeds of this paradigm shift in the hearts of all who attended.<br><br>Photos\uff1aKenichi Aikawa<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"full\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n    <figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy_load\" width=\"100%\" height=\"675\" data-origin=\"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/OKAGESAMA_EXPO_2025_Article26.jpeg\" data-width=\"1200\" data-height=\"675\" data-transparent=\"1\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/typica2021\/assets\/images\/common\/spacer.gif\" alt=\"Spacer\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On September 28 and 29, 2025, TYPICA held OKAGESAMA COFFEE EXPO 2025 \u2013 Nurturing an \u2018Okagesama Forest\u2019 From a &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"acf":[],"toolset-meta":{"blog-youtube%e5%9f%8b%e3%82%81%e8%be%bc%e3%81%bf":{"youtube_url":{"type":"url","raw":""},"youtube_txt":{"type":"textarea","raw":""}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14427"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14427"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14525,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14427\/revisions\/14525"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}