ASIA

THE BARISTA LEAGUE:

TOKYO, 12 JUN

CONGRATULATIONS

to The Barista League: Asia champions!

Kirill & Vasilina from the team Surf Coffee

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

MEET THE SPECIAL GUESTS

MIKI SUZUKI

Brewpeace.Inc
@miki_suzuki__
A three-time Japan Barista Champion (2010, 2011, 2016) — the most titles ever won in the country — and Runner-up at the 2017 World Barista Championship, where she achieved the highest placement ever by a female barista at the time. She also reached the WBC finals in 2011, 2012, and 2017, demonstrating remarkable consistency at the highest level of competition.
YASUO ISHII

Leaves Coffee Roasters
@yasuoishii
A former professional boxer born in Fukagawa, Koto Ward, Tokyo. With a career in the food and beverage industry spanning over 20 years since his teens, he has managed, directed, and consulted for numerous restaurants. In 2010, a coffee gifted by a friend opened the door to a new world. He opened LEAVES COFFEE APARTMENT in 2016 and launched a roastery in January 2019 under the name LEAVES COFFEE ROASTERS. His motto is: "Standing still means falling behind."（現状維持は衰退）Currently aiming for the championship at this year's Brewers Cup.
TAKA ISHITANI

@taka_ishitani
I began my journey as a barista in 2006 and became independent in 2012, launching my professional activities under the name TAKA ISHITANI. In 2023, I won my third national title at the Japan Barista Championship, and in 2024, I placed 3rd at the World Barista Championship in Busan, South Korea.
Career Highlights
• 3rd Place – World Barista Championship 2024
• 4th Place – World Barista Championship 2022
• Champion – Japan Barista Championship 2017, 2019, 2023
SHINSAKU"SAMURAI SHIN"FUKAYAMA

Samurai Dream株式会社
@shinsaku_samurai
Former professional snowboarder turned world-class barista, he began his journey in coffee after a career-ending injury led him back to his family’s restaurant in Osaka. In 2013, he moved to Melbourne with no barista experience and limited English, but through persistence and passion, he trained himself into a leading figure at renowned cafés like St. Ali and Sensory Lab.
He went on to become World Latte Art Champion at Coffee Fest USA, earned back-to-back 2nd place finishes at the Australian Latte Art Championships, and made history in 2018 as the first Japanese champion of the Australian Latte Art Championships. In 2019, he placed 2nd at Coffee Masters in Los Angeles and has since become a globally respected coach, consultant, and St. Ali ambassador.
Now based in Osaka, he leads Samurai Dream Co., Ltd., runs Barista Map Coffee Roasters and BAISEN, and continues to champion barista education, social innovation, and international coffee collaboration.
DAIKI HATAKEYAMA

Bespoke Coffee Roasters
@daiki_hatakeyama_coffee
Awards and Achievements:
2nd Place – World Brewers Cup 2021
Champion – Japan Brewers Cup 2019 & 2024
Champion – Japan Hand Drip Championship 2019
2nd Place – Japan Coffee Roasting Championship 2022
2nd Place – Japan Cup Tasters Championship 2017
HIDE IZAKI - MC

BrewPeace Inc.

Hide Izaki is the CEO of BrewPeace Inc., which provides comprehensive services encompassing green bean importation, roasting, retail, and consulting. In 2014, he became the first Asian to win the World Barista Championship. As a coffee business consultant, he has partnered with major F&B chains such as Luckin Coffee in China, SPC Group in Korea, and McDonald’s Japan, delivering end-to-end solutions from product development to consumer marketing. Extending beyond coffee, he collaborates with iconic national confectionery brands like Calbee, Lotte, and Fujiya, pushing the boundaries of traditional coffee culture. He is also the founder of Cokuun, a globally recognized Coffee Omakase establishment that elevates specialty coffee through a fine dining concept, with partnerships extending to luxury resorts and brands. He is also on the board of directors of Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and Specialty Coffee Association of Japan.
TOSHIKAZU MUROMOTO - MC

Standart Magazine

Global Partnership Director at Standart and Editor-in-Chief of Standart Japan.
He studied translation and interpretation in Australia during his student years and went on to work in the localization industry for about a decade. In 2012, he was posted to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where he discovered Standart, an independent magazine dedicated to specialty coffee culture. In 2017, upon becoming Director of the magazine’s Japanese edition, he returned to Japan and is now based in Fukuoka.
Since 2021, alongside publishing the magazine, he also operates the coffee shop BASKING COFFEE Kasugabaru. More than coffee itself, he is passionate about the culture, spaces, and people that surround it.

MEET THE TEAMS

SHARP KNIFE!!

Noritada & 将之

Noritada is a passionate coffee and hospitality professional, dedicated to creating positive experiences for others.
After visiting coffee farms in Thailand and Taiwan, his connection to the craft deepened, influencing his daily work and customer service.
He believes: “Everyone should visit a coffee farm.”
He was a semifinalist at PCRC, a finalist at the Barista Grand Prix, and served as a final judge at the Japan Brewers Cup 2024.
Masayuki first became interested in coffee through latte art, which sparked his journey into the world of coffee. Today, his passion has expanded beyond latte art to include hand drip brewing and roasting, for which he actively attends training sessions.
AEROOO!!

彩花 & 琴寧

Ayaka has 10 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, with a background as a chef, pâtissier, and bartender. She’s known for her precision and creativity in both the kitchen and behind the bar.
In the coffee scene, she placed 4th at both the JBA Barista Grand Prix and the NEXT Barista Grand Prix in 2021.

otone spent a year working as a barista in Melbourne, Australia after graduating from university, where she sharpened her barista skills and took part in local cuppings and casual competitions. She has experience competing in both latte art and cup tasters championships. Passionate about global culture and coffee, Kotone loves exploring coffee scenes around the world.
MERMAID SPIRITS

Chikako & Meito

Chikako Yamazaki is the manager of Mermaid Coffee Roasters Ikebukuro, bringing warmth and energy to the shop with her background as a pâtissier. After six years in pastry, she transitioned into coffee and now competes in JCIGSC and JBC, aiming for the podium. She's passionate about sharing joy and emotion through coffee and is dedicated to uplifting the coffee and food industries.
Meito has 35 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, starting as a sommelier and sake expert. At 50, he entered the coffee world and quickly earned certifications like Q Grader and CVA Cupper.
In 2024, he reached the JHDC finals, won the TAP CUP, and remains undefeated in five brewing competitions. Passionate about all things coffee, Meito’s greatest joy is delivering happiness to customers through every cup.
S.N.COM☺︎

友菜 & 香穂

友菜 is the store manager at dotcom space Tokyo. After graduating from a music university and working as a voice actor, she transitioned into the coffee industry to pursue her growing passion for coffee.
Though still early in her coffee journey, she is committed to learning and building experience through competitions and hands-on practice.

香穂, also known as Nicole at dotcom space Tokyo, began her barista journey in June 2024 after working in hotels as a waitress and bartender.
The Barista League 2025 is her first competition, and while she has no awards yet, she's excited to take the stage and share her energy and love for coffee.
She looks forward to learning, growing, and connecting with the global coffee community.
SURF COFFEE

Kirill & Vasilina

Kirill is a surfer and barista from Russia. He has been working in coffee for 7 years. Coffee is his first official job! Having come a long way from an intern to a trainer, he participated in the opening of several coffee shops, trained about 200 employees. Him and his team won prizes in the championships: - fourth place Cup Tasters Battle Russia - first place Russian Coffee Cup Moscow 2023 - second place Russian Coffee Cup Moscow 2024 - second place Russian Coffee Cup FINAL 2024 Thanks to coffee, he found close friends in different parts of the world!

Vasilina is a cyclist and barista trainer! She works in coffee industry since 2018, she started as a barista, then became manager and then the barista trainer.
She has traveled in Russia to open coffee shops and to train barista and has also educate baristas in Turkey, Alanya. Since 2023 she participatse in Russian Coffee Cup where whe took prizes with her team!
1st place at Russian Coffee Cup Moscow 2023
4th place at Russian Coffee Cup Russia 2023
2nd place at Russian Coffee Cup 2024
WE ARE COFFEE

Yuito & 汐遠

Yuito works at dotcom space Tokyo.
汐遠 has earned recognition through multiple competitions, showcasing consistent growth and excellence in the barista field:
4th Place – NEXT Barista Grand Prix 2019
2nd Place – NEXT Barista Grand Prix 2021
Champion – Maracaturra Cup
Champion – NEXT Barista Grand Prix 2022
Champion – Coffee Geek Championship 2023
3rd Place – Yokohama Brewers Cup
SAL

里永 & 蓮

里永 has no awards (yet), but a genuine love for coffee drives everything she does.

vAs a barista, 蓮 is always thinking about how to make the “water” business—coffee—something more people can enjoy and be a part of.
SOCIAL GOOD ROASTERS

Yu & Hiroyuki

Yu is part of Social Good Roasters Chiyoda, a roastery café run by a welfare facility. Their team shows how they enjoy coffee in a way that truly represents them. Yu made it to the top 32 at CBTJ 2024 and reached the top 9 in the summer Tap Cup 2025. He’s excited to compete with joy and add new achievements from today onward.
Hiroyuki runs or manages a café associated with Social Good Roasters. Together, they bring a philanthropic spirit to the coffee industry, using coffee as a platform to support social good.
EZO&HIZEN BREWS

大朗 & 和也

A former elementary school teacher, 大朗 has been in the coffee world for three years and is deeply passionate about coffee. Always thinking from different angles about how to serve the best cup, they joined this competition to experience new challenges and connect with a broader coffee community. Ready to bring energy and excitement—let’s make it great!

和也 is a barista at Mermaid Coffee Roasters, originally from Hokkaido. His love for coffee began after tasting a specialty café latte in Tokyo that reminded him of strawberry milk—it was a moment he’ll never forget.
Now, he hopes to share that same excitement with others and create memorable experiences at The Barista League alongside his partner, 大朗.
AEJ

Shogo & Yuta

Shogo won the Kumamoto regional round of the Japan AeroPress Championship 2024. Having lived in Australia and New Zealand, he experienced coffee as a natural part of daily life. While in New Zealand, he also worked in the wine industry—an experience that continues to inform and enhance his coffee skills today.

While working as a barista in Vancouver, far from home, Yuta was once told by a regular customer, “Your espresso is the best!”—a compliment that meant more than any award ever could.