Blue Bottle Coffee, a third-wave coffee brand from San Francisco, will open its first Japanese location, the Kiyosumi Shirakawa Roastery & Cafe (1-4-8 Hirano, Koto-ku, Tokyo), on February 6th. Founder James Freeman commented on the Kiyosumi Shirakawa location, saying, "While it may seem unique as our first location in Japan, it's the perfect place for a production base. It has a laid-back atmosphere and is also where local people go about their daily lives." This first overseas store is housed in a renovated warehouse, with a roastery and cafe on the first floor and a kitchen, training lab, and office space on the second floor. The company strictly adheres to using coffee beans within 48 hours of roasting, and offers pastries such as cookies and granola handmade in the second-floor kitchen, as well as original merchandise. The cafe area is 60 square meters and seats eight. The aim was to create a space where locals could experience the process of making coffee, with the aim of becoming a place loved by them.

In the approximately 180-square-meter roastery, beans delivered from various regions are roasted daily, and around 10 types of coffee are always available, including blends, single origins, espresso, and rare varieties. In the "cupping space" set up in front of the roastery, quality control managers, roasters, and baristas conduct cupping (tasting) sessions. Currently, 2010 World Barista Champion Michael Phillips is training baristas at both the Kiyosumi Shirakawa and Aoyama stores.

The drip menu includes blends (450 yen), single origins (from 550 yen), and au lait (from 500 yen). The single origins, which come in a variety of beans, are all light and easy to drink, with a fruity aroma. Espresso drinks include espresso (450 yen), macchiato (460 yen), Gibraltar (480 yen), Americano (450 yen), cappuccino (500 yen), cafe latte (520 yen), and mocha (600 yen). New Orleans (500 yen) and single-origin (500 yen) iced coffees are also available. The food menu includes a Honey & Sea Salt Granola Bar (350 yen), made with carefully selected domestic honey to maximize the flavor of organic oats; Granola made with organic oats, organic walnuts, and pecans (90g/dine-in only, with milk 600 yen, 227g bag/1,500 yen); Buckle Cake, a traditional American baked confectionery (450 yen); Stout Cake (350 yen), made with Hitachino Nest's stout beer; original Saffron Snickerdoodle Cookie (300 yen), double chocolate cookie (300 yen), Liege waffle (500 yen); and sandwiches (Gruyere cheese, goat cheese, and roast ham, 500 yen each) made with baguettes from Katane Bakery in Yoyogi-Uehara. Opening hours are from 8:00 to 19:00. The second store, Aoyama Cafe, is scheduled to open on March 7th.