Ogawa Coffee Will Bring Artisan-Roasted Coffee to Boston From Japan

A popular Japanese coffee roaster and shop has set its sights on Boston as its first U.S. location, and Ogawa Coffee could get its common victualler's license this week. The director of the company is going before the Boston Licensing Commission at a hearing tomorrow, Universal Hub noted over the weekend.

The Boston Globe reported last fall that Ogawa Coffee is coming to 10 Milk St.; the Kyoto-based company's choice indicates Boston is an international coffee destination, reporter Matt Viser wrote. Takako Oji, director of Ogawa, told the Globe that Boston was selected because demographically, the city has a lot in common with Kyoto: Both places have a rich history, are home to many college-aged students, and host international visitors. The two have also been sister cities since 1959.

According to a Boston University professor and author of the book Coffee Life in Japan, Japan is one of the world's top three consumers of coffee, along with the United States and Germany, and it brews its coffee the strongest, Viser wrote. In Japan, brewed coffee is the main focus; the October 2014 Globe article surmised that the forthcoming Ogawa will offer more espresso options to cater to the Boston-area market. Ogawa Coffee is known for intricate art atop its beverages, and the 2010 World Latte Art Champion Haruna Murayama will relocate to Boston to spearhead the new shop's coffee program.

The cafe is planning to be open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m., pending approval from the licensing commission. It will also have a brewer's lab, training studio, and event space, according to the Globe.