Blue Bottle Coffee Ginza Cafe, located in the heart of Ginza near Tokyo Station, welcomes many guests from Japan and abroad who come to Tokyo on a daily basis. The Ginza Cafe attempts to deliver coffee flavors and ways to enjoy them in a new way by utilizing color, a form of expression, more than ever before. The store’s white base color, with its use of solid wood and leather, creates a luxurious atmosphere that is both calming and relaxing. The concept of the store is “colors that are closely related to feelings and sensations,” and guests are treated to “ReIRABO” series cups made in Blue Bottle Coffee’s original size. The store also sells “Blue Bottle Blue” colored cups, which are made to order.

Of all the Blue Bottle Coffee outlets, only the Ginza Cafe uses yumiko iihoshi porcelain cups, each with its own unique story and charm. We asked why they chose yumiko iihoshi porcelain cups for their hospitality in this special space.

“The main reason is that we have many things in common with the philosophy of Blue Bottle Coffee, and we were drawn to the great power of yumiko iihoshi porcelain’s products. First of all, we value “craftsmanship.” We aim to provide our guests with not only coffee, but also the entire coffee experience, and we prefer to have human hands, in other words, craftsmanship involved in the process. We also want to deliver a coffee experience that accompanies each guest’s “time”. Each of yumiko iihoshi porcelain’s products has the expression of a craftsman’s hand, and we hope that our products will be a place where guests can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, a moment of relaxation in the evening, or just a quick chat with a friend. You have also produced the “unjour” series in different sizes based on the theme of time, haven’t you? I was able to empathize with the values behind such craftsmanship, and that was the main reason for my interest in the company.”

The first collaboration was in 2017. Blue Bottle Coffee selected the “ReIRABO” series cups as their seasonal gift item.

“The “ReIRABO” series, which I mentioned earlier, is a favorite of our founder, James, because of the warmth of human hands and the sense of craftsmanship. One of his important ideas in product development is “huggable”. The literal translation of the word is “huggable,” meaning something that makes you want to hold it in your arms, or something that makes you feel attached to it. We feel that yumiko iihoshi porcelain’s products are full of “huggable” elements, and we have asked if we could produce the “ReIRABO” series cups in our original colors as our seasonal gifts in 2017. We asked her if she would be interested in producing cups from the “ReIRABO” series in our original colors as our seasonal gifts in 2017.”

The first item to be created was an original glaze named “Blue Bottle Blue”. The glaze was inspired by the chambray fabric that is familiar to the baristas working at Blue Bottle Coffee, and is worn as a dress code. The result is a clear, flat, yet warm blue color that has been named “Blue Bottle Blue.

“When we opened the Ginza Cafe in 2019, we came up with the idea of using yumiko iihoshi porcelain vessels to serve drinks in this color-themed store. So we asked her to create cappuccino cups and latte cups to match the serving sizes of Blue Bottle Coffee’s drinks. They look very lovely when placed side by side in different sizes, giving the impression of a family. Many people choose them as a gift in pairs.”

The cups and plates served in the restaurant are “spring mint green”, a standard color of the “ReIRABO” series. The color matching with the white-based interior of the store gives a very pleasant impression. They are sold in the store along with the original color “Blue Bottle Blue”.

“James, the founder of the company, also loves the adorable expression and the warmth that makes you want to pick it up. He also said that the drinking cups are comfortable because they fit his mouth so well. In fact, guests who enjoy a drink at the café often buy a cup before leaving the store because they like the comfort of the cup. Among overseas guests, the color of jade is also popular as a good-luck charm in China, and since “spring mint green” is similar to the color of jade, many of them are very pleased with it.”

A product has great power not only by itself, but also in the relationship with all the things that use it. We were able to see how the worldview of Blue Bottle Coffee and the products of yumiko iihoshi porcelain resonated with each other, becoming literally “huggable” and accompanying many people in their time.

Blue Bottle Coffee Ginza Cafe
〒104-0061
6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
https://store.bluebottlecoffee.jp/pages/ginza

Interview & text Yukina Moriya
Photo Kohei Yamamoto