April 17, 2026 TOKYO – The production of domestic coffee beans is spreading nationwide, and there are moves to expand cultivation into colder areas in north of Japan, including Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. Amid predictions that climate change will lead to the amount of land suitable for production being cut by almost half, there is now a focus on whether cultivation in the northern areas will bear fruit. Step-by-step progress Inside a plastic greenhouse in Yamagata on the afternoon of March 24, about 40 coffee trees had grown to about 2 meters tall, with some already bearing bright red berries. “It’s still not enough to process into beans, but the yield is better than last year,” said Hiroyuki Akatsuka, 55, an official at Bankoku Coffee, a local food wholesaler who manages the farm. “We’re making progress step by step,” The company, which sells coffee beans and related products, has been cultivating coffee trees on leased farmland in the city since 2020, as part of its efforts ...