1. Now Available: Tono Coffee Roasters’ Sampler Package

    Just in time for the August travel season, when lots of people from all over Japan come to visit,  debuts this special sampler package featuring 3 local  handcraft coffee roasters, Mamehiko, Tono General Store, and our own Black Ship Coffee. Stop by the Tourist Information Center to find out more.

    Read More “Now Available: Tono Coffee Roasters’ Sampler Package”

  2. Roaster’s Notebook

    Greetings coffee lovers! It’s Summer, and we’ve got our first shipment of Brazilian Fruit Basket, last summer’s popular single-origin coffee, revered for its superior flavor for iced coffee and cold-brew coffee. The new harvest is in, and finally available. We roasted our first test batches this week! We’ll start serving it at Michael’s Cafe American beginning July 12th. The top stars of this season’s harvest are all from Latin America.  

    Read More “Roaster’s Notebook”

  3. Featured Single Origin Coffees

    This summer we’re featuring two of my favorite single origin coffees, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, and Guatemala Antigua. We just received a small amount of  Ethiopian Guji G1 that I look forward to sampling. More on this batch when we’ve evaluated it. This summer we’re featuring Latin American coffees, for example, Brazilian Chololat is the most popular item from our coffee importer.  

    Read More “Featured Single Origin Coffees”

  4. Gallery

    A collection of photos and videos featuring Cafe moments, friends, family, local events in Tono, and whatever else is in our camera roll. 

    Read More “Gallery”

Roaster’s Notebook

Greetings coffee lovers! It’s Summer, and we’ve got our first shipment of Brazilian Fruit Basket, last summer’s popular single-origin coffee, revered for its superior flavor for iced coffee and cold-brew coffee. The new harvest is in, and finally available. We roasted our first test batches this week! We’ll start serving it at Michael’s Cafe American beginning July 12th. The top stars of this season’s harvest are all from Latin America.  

Read More “Roaster’s Notebook”

About

The story of coffee in Japan begins in the 1800s when it arrived on Dutch trading ships, and was prepared and served in the original Japanese coffee shops, 喫茶店きっさてん. The kissaten, “tea tasting shop”, or “coffee lounge”, has a rich history in Japan. Coffee consumption grew in Japan after the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853 — Matthew Perry’s black ships inspired our name, Black Ship Coffee — opening Japan to increased trade with the rest of the world. 

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Cafe News

Testimonials

  1. I like this lovely corner, with the music blended with relaxing atmosphere! It is a perfect place for travelers to stop by to grab a coffee! On Tuesday and Thursday night, there are English sessions, where you heard the legend of Tono told by local.

    Margo Hsu

  2. It's a cosy and friendly cafe to stop by.

    Anna Garritsen

  3. Hey!! I was in Tōno with my father learning about Doburoku and we have so lucky to find this place and enjoy with the best coffee I try in Japan. Michael and his wife treat us so well. We came from Spain! Ion Astiazaran

    Ion Astiazaran from Spain

  4. "If you're in Tono and feel like a relaxing coffee and a chat in English (not always the easiest thing to find in Tono) then swing by the cafe right by the train station and say hi to Michael."  

    Samuel Look

  5. We were delighted to discover Michael’s, just a stone’s throw from the Tono Station. The coffee was spectacular (we discovered Michael roasts his own beans), and there are all manner of delicious items on offer to go with. Michael and his wife, the proprietors, are great people and so much fun to talk to. The town of Tono itself is beautiful and charming - off the standard tourist track and definitely worth a visit.

    Kealoha Widdows