Global Coffee and Cultural Change in Modern Japan Japan Anthropology Workshop Series

This book explores the impact in Japan of the rise of global coffee chains and the associated coffee culture. Based on extensive original research, the book discusses the cultural context of Japan, where tea-drinking has been culturally important, reports on the emergence of the new coffee shop consumer experience, and reflects on the link between consumption and identity, on cultural fantasies about modern, Western, or global lifestyles, on the effects of global standardization, and on much more.

Introduction The Coffee Shock The Power of the Banal Imbibing Culture: Coffee as a Case Study The Structure of the Book Chapter 1: The Mundane Exoticism Introduction: Temples and Other GoodsThe Cultural Face of Coffee: From Turkish Baths to Ginza PalaceThe Politics of Authenticity and the Coffee DiscoursePackaging the Coffee Experience: Coffee Shops, Theme Parks, and Other FantasiesThe Empire Strikes Back: Switching the CodeThe Coffee Question and the Movement of Culture Chapter 2: Acquiring the Taste for Coffee Introduction: The Power of the Brand Exploring Consumer Education: Taste, Authority, and Self-discovery Passion, Mission, Education: Teaching the Coffee Science Branding Paradigms and the Paradox of Consumption Chapter 3: The City and the Chain Introduction: Airports, Cities, and Global ChainsFrom Sakariba to Starbucks: Redefining Space and Place in the CityThe City and the Chain: Crafting the New Public SpaceConclusions: Global Chains in Local City-Making Conclusion: Not on Coffee Alone

Helena Grinshpun is a Lecturer in the Department of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.