"Coffee is me." There are people who pour their lives into a cup of coffee. Yasuo Ishii, representative of "LEAVES COFFEE," a roasting studio nestled in a quiet corner of Kuramae, Tokyo. The shop is by no means in a convenient location. Yet, people, both from Japan and abroad, continue to visit seeking Ishii's coffee. What Ishii pursues is not merely "delicious coffee." We asked him about his philosophy on life, which he dedicates to coffee with the devotion of a seeker.

CROWD ROASTER is an app that allows you to order rare specialty coffee beans, which are said to account for less than 10% of the world's coffee distribution, from unique roasters, each with their own professional skills. Ishii, who participates in this app and is acclaimed as one of the world's top roasters, is widely known in the industry for his stoic approach to coffee.

"It was after the COVID-19 pandemic that I truly began to feel that I was being sustained by coffee. During that period, I made the decision to let go of the restaurant I had been managing. Actually, about three years after starting the business, I began to question who I really was. In the early days, I found joy in creating a new shop and hiring people, but it's true that this feeling gradually faded over the years. Then, I realized that the act of managing a restaurant itself was 'fake' for me. I am fundamentally a craftsman, not a business manager. Ultimately, the pandemic became the catalyst for me to focus solely on coffee, which is what I truly want to do."

What is the "genuine article" one seeks after realizing one's own "fakeness"?

"I believe the genuine article is something you never truly realize. It's not something you become aware of, but something that exists beyond the continuous pursuit of it. The genuine article is probably a goal one will likely never reach. That's why I continue to create cup after cup of coffee. I believe that process is what constitutes 'the genuine article' for me."

The phrase "commitment" often appears in Ishii's own statements and in the introductions given to him in numerous interviews.

"For me, commitment means being absorbed. You can't be absorbed unless you're passionate about something. Being good at something and being absorbed in it are different, aren't they? Being good at something is a natural ability, so it can sometimes exist even without passion. But the time spent in absorption is infinite. I am completely absorbed in coffee right now. I believe that state is what gives rise to commitment."

In Greek philosophy, time is understood through two concepts: "Chronos" and "Kairos." "Chronos" refers to absolute time, while the state of absorption Ishii describes can be said to be living within "Kairos," that is, time that individuals feel and transform. So, how are moments of absorption and commitment expressed in coffee making?

"I get absorbed in every process: discerning the characteristics of the beans, the timing of operating the roaster, and the time spent engaging with the coffee using all my senses. In those moments, instinct and adrenaline are purely at play, and I become oblivious to everything else. It's a feeling of transcending time. If you were to observe it objectively, you might call it 'commitment.'"

Skill supports this state of absorption. What does skill mean to Ishii?

"It's about how accurately you can use your senses. I believe skill is the ability to sharpen your senses—taste, sight, etc.—and use them correctly. Skill also means flexibility in response to the environment and situation. Coffee is a beverage for which the same situation never occurs twice. No matter how accurately you operate the machine, it's almost impossible to reproduce yesterday's taste. Therefore, you need to observe the behavior of the machine and beans and use your senses accordingly. You use sight, smell, and taste to harmonize with the condition of the beans and machine on any given day. I believe that is skill."

He explains that this is precisely the difference between "roasting well" and "being able to roast well."

"Roasting well means doing it in an optimal environment. But being able to roast well means consistently producing delicious results in any situation. I believe that is true skill. Of course, perfection isn't always possible. There are failures, and sometimes beans that were expected to be good turn out not to be. However, we do not compromise and release such beans to the world. It's important to have the courage to discard them to maintain quality, even if it incurs costs."

By the way, Ishii describes the expansion of "LEAVES COFFEE" not as "spreading horizontally, but deepening vertically."

"We are not interested in increasing the number of stores. We believe it's important to focus on quality and strengthen the core of the brand. Instead of spreading horizontally, we deepen vertically. By doing so, I believe "LEAVES COFFEE" can become a one-of-a-kind existence. For example, if there were Michelin three-star restaurants all over the world, their value would diminish, wouldn't it? People would travel specifically to drink that cup. We create value, including the journey itself. We want to offer that kind of coffee. That's why we deliberately choose locations with less foot traffic. We believe that if we create something truly good, someone will eventually discover it, even if it takes time. We don't want to be a shop where people buy coffee just because they pass by. That could lead to compromise. We want to be a shop visited only by those who seek truly excellent things. That is the form we are aiming for."

Ishii defines stores as places that cherish the relationships that foster shared experiences and empathy through coffee.

"I believe coffee is not just a beverage, but an experience that creates sharing and empathy. Through that experience, we can connect deeply with the drinker. That is the ideal coffee experience for me."

Mark Twain left behind the words, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." Ishii may be one of those who have found out exactly "why they were born."

"Certainly, I can now see the path I should walk. I feel like I'm progressing on a single road. I think many people end their lives without finding that. I, too, struggled and had various experiences in the past, not knowing 'what I was living for.' But ultimately, coffee became the answer for me. The moment I understood that, life became simple."

"In modern times, many people have lost sight of even the question 'What is success?' For example, if you ask someone who says 'I want to succeed,' 'What is success?' they will usually answer, 'Making money' or 'Becoming famous.' But I don't think that is true success."

We asked Ishii about his philosophy on life, as he says he is "sustained by coffee."

"It is everything that has been accumulated, and everything that lies beyond it. Life is not just about the result; I believe the process and experiences leading to that result are important. Even if two people achieve the same result, the depth of that result changes depending on the scenery they witnessed along the way. For example, if there were two people who could make the same 'delicious coffee,' one might master it in a year, while the other takes five years to reach it. Although the taste itself is the same, the depth and background contained within it are completely different. I believe that what creates that 'depth' is life. My life may have been a considerable detour, but it is precisely because of those detours that I am who I am today. And now, I clearly see what I must do. I want to increase the number of people who deliver happiness through coffee. That is my life's purpose."

OPENERS refers to those who open doors, pioneers of all possibilities. Ishii is undoubtedly an OPENER who has forged the possibilities of his own life and coffee. What doors will he open next? Let's go and have a blissful cup.

PROFILE
LEAVES COFFEE Representative & Roaster, Yasuo Ishii
Born in Fukagawa, Koto Ward, Tokyo, a former professional boxer. With over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry since his teens, he has managed and directed numerous restaurants, and worked as a consultant. In 2010, coffee received as a souvenir from an acquaintance opened a new world for him. In 2016, he opened LEAVES COFFEE APARTMENT, and in January 2019, he started his roasting facility as ROASTERS. His motto is "Maintaining the status quo is declining."