Coffee Market in Japan: From Edo period to the leading coffee shop chains of the 21st century

Abstract

Today, coffee is an essential component of Japanese society and culture, and it is one of the beverages that is consumed the most and is consumed by the most people all over the world. The purpose of my research is to investigate the following topics: how Japan first became acquainted with coffee and how the coffee market developed in Japan (chapter 1), which companies are the leading players in the coffee market in Japan, how did they establish themselves, what strategies do they employ, and what are the differences between them (chapter 2), how coffee has influenced Japanese culture, what are the differences between the concept of café in Japan and the concept of café in the world and what is the connection or contrast with the tea culture that has been prevalent in Japan for centuries (chapter 3).