KurasuPartnerRoaster for March 2025 is ARCHIVE COFFEE ROASTERS in Hiroshima. They opened their doors as a specialty coffee roaster in October 2022 along the riverside overlooking cherry blossom trees in spring, a 5-minute walk from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The owner, Yamamoto-san, named the roaster in hopes of their coffee coming from a stable, long-term relationship with the producers and with the help of connections and relationships between many, to be archived in their customers’ memories.
“I had a cup of coffee from the Limoncillo Estate in Nicaragua at Itsuki Coffee on Miyajima that tasted like lemon tea. That is what got me hooked on coffee,” Yamamoto-san reflects. Captured by the charm of the specialty coffee, Yamamoto-san quit his job at an Italian restaurant to work at Itsuki Coffee and jump into the world of specialty coffee. After a couple of years training as a barista, Yamamoto-san joined Collectus Co., Ltd. through a friend and was involved in the launch of the coffee business.
During his five years there, he successfully launched several coffee shops, including a café in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, and helped them set up an in-house roasting system. In 2022, after retiring from the company, he opened ARCHIVE COFFEE ROASTERS at its current location in Hiroshima City.
The ideal coffee for Yamamoto-san is a cup that is “clean, sweet, and super easy to drink.” To achieve that, Yamamoto-san uses semi-hot blast Giesen and brings the sweetness of the coffee rather than focusing on acidity. At ARCHIVE COFFEE ROASTER, you will find light roast coffees for every day brew, as well as premium lines like Geisha, and darker roasts too. The wide variety of products they offer and Yamamoto-san’s friendly personality bring in many people of all ages every day. “I focus on the present, giving my best, and hope to make people in my life happy,” Yamamoto-san smiles- his love and passion to make the world around him a better place shine through his work.
As for his future plan, Yamamoto-san would like to visit the producers from whom he sources his beans annually in recent years, and share what he learned there with many people: all the back stories and how much love and care are involved in the coffee beans and their journey from the origin to where they are consumed. “Roasters are one of the links of the supply chain, and that is why I want to know more about the production process and relay that to whom I serve our coffee to,” Yamamoto-san says.
ARCHIVE COFFEE ROASTERS continues to share the charm of coffee nurtured by people and the community of it, and as part of that chain we would be happy if their coffee we share with you this month will stay with you, with a fond memory.
