タイセツコーヒーについて
About TAISETSU COFFEE
二つの意味を持つ「タイセツ」—北海道の雄大な自然と、一杯一杯を大切にする心を込めて。
In the autumn of 2013, a small coffee shop called Roaster Coaster opened on the main street of Higashikawa Town, Hokkaido. It was the first self-roasted coffee shop in Higashikawa Town—a story that began with a tiny 1kg roaster.
The Roaster Coaster logo features a mountain with a river flowing through its center, and the words "Fresh Coffee. Craft Beer. Good Life." Coffee, craft beer, and a rich life—that was the vision encapsulated in this place.
Higashikawa Town is unusual in that it has no municipal water supply. All the water consumed by its residents is natural snowmelt from the Daisetsuzan mountains. At Roaster Coaster, French press coffee is served using this pristine water. Its rich aroma and deep flavor, extracted slowly for four minutes, have become beloved by locals and tourists alike.
A café alone couldn't bring this taste beyond Higashikawa Town. That's how the drip packs came about. Freshly roasted coffee is hand-packed one cup at a time, making it a perfect souvenir to take home as a memory of Hokkaido. Initially, the design was simple, featuring a monochrome Ezo red fox on kraft paper, but when it was displayed at roadside stations, it became hugely popular among summer tourists.
Higashikawa Town is also known as "Photography Town." Inside Roaster Coaster, there was a photo rail displaying works by local photographers, making it a place where photography culture naturally thrived. In 2016, wildlife photographer Hiroki Inoue won National Geographic's Travel Photographer of the Year (Nature category). This connection led to the first color print of an Ezo red fox photograph on a drip pack in 2017. Subsequently, works by Natsumi Handa featuring brown bears and flying squirrels were added, and ongoing partnerships with photographers expanded. Currently, with many photographers, over 100 different designs are available.
These connections extend beyond photographers. We value relationships that go beyond a single cup of coffee, such as trusting partnerships with over 60 retailers in Hokkaido and Honshu, support for Versailles Resort Farm (a facility for retired racehorses), and environmental conservation activities through the Orangutan Alliance.
And now, another dream etched in the Roaster Coaster logo has begun to take shape. Craft Bear—Hokkaido craft beer delivered from Higashikawa Town. The story that began with coffee now expands to beer.
That 1kg roaster is still on the counter of the shop. To remind us of where we started—our origin.
"Fresh Coffee. Craft Beer. Good Life."
2013年、東川町にオープンしたRoaster Coaster。
このロゴに刻まれた言葉が、タイセツコーヒーの原点です。
私たちの使命
Our mission is to deliver the natural beauty of Hokkaido in a cup of coffee to homes across Japan. We value strong relationships with photographers, retailers, and local partners, and we aim to connect people with nature and with each other through coffee.
私たちの価値観
Our Values
Home-roasted
Freshly Roasted
Carefully selected high-quality beans are meticulously roasted in small batches, delivering freshly roasted flavor and aroma.
Connection with nature
Connected to Nature
Collaboration with a wildlife photographer. Each package is a souvenir that conveys the nature of Hokkaido.
Bonds of trust
Strong Relationships
Photographers, over 60 retailers nationwide, and long-standing relationships of trust with local partners. We value connections that go beyond a cup of coffee.
北海道との繋がり
Our Hokkaido Connection
Higashikawa, a town of approximately 8,000 people, is known as "Photography Town" and lies at the foot of Daisetsuzan National Park. The town has no municipal water supply; all the drinking water for its residents comes from natural snowmelt from Mount Daisetsu—a way of life supported by nature's bounty, rare even in Japan.
The Daisetsuzan area welcomes one million tourists annually. It boasts world-class powder snow, cycling, and triathlon opportunities. Surrounded by nature through all four seasons, we carefully select high-quality coffee beans and roast them in small batches.
野生動物写真家との協力
Supporting Wildlife Photographers
We carry on the culture of Higashikawa Town, the "Photography Town," and have built long-standing partnerships with wildlife photographers from Hokkaido and beyond. Their magnificent works depicting red foxes, brown bears, Ezo flying squirrels, and Ezo owls adorn our packages, making a cup of coffee a gateway to encountering nature. We cherish this relationship, supporting the activities of these photographers while delivering the nature of Hokkaido to our customers.
タイセツの歩み
Our Journey
Roaster Coaster Now Open
Housed on Higashikawa's main street, the town's first in-house coffee roastery has opened, complete with a 1kg roaster and a vision of "Fresh Coffee. Craft Beer. Good Life."
Drip coffee bags, to Michi-no-Eki
Originally created as a souvenir, drip coffee packets are now available at Roadside Station Higashikawa and are very popular with summer tourists. The initial design featured a monochrome fox on craft paper.
Photographer Collaboration Launch
We are featuring Hiroki Inoue's photos of Ezo red foxes in color print for the first time. With Natsumi Handa's works also joining, a photo series conveying the nature of Hokkaido has begun.
Over 100 varieties, across all 47 prefectures of Japan
More than 6 photographers, over 60 retailers. In addition to coffee, we also offer Craft Bear craft beer. The vision etched into the Roaster Coaster logo is taking shape, one step at a time.