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Walking into 2050 reveals a simple and sleek Kurasu - To Live in the Path of Your Des-
tiny
ambiance that doesn’t overtly exclaim its spe- How can one be certain that they are born for a

cialty coffee focus through design. particular path? Yozo, unaware at birth of his destined

journey into the specialty coffee industry, found it in-
grained in his heritage. His mother operated a Kissaten, a
traditional Japanese-style tea shop that also serves coffee,
known for their meticulous craftsmanship. His father is
an artist, not your typical breadwinner. Yozo wasn’t in-
itially drawn to traditional Kissaten settings, he did not
follow his mother’s footsteps nor his father’s artistic path.
He was burnt out working in finance, “the only salaryman
in the family”. Well traveled at an early age, his revelation
came in Australia, where exposure to a diverse coffee
scene showed him that cafes didn’t have to mirror the
Kissatens of his upbringing.
Yozo’s desire to leave finance behind him, led him
to the inception of Kurasu (Japanese for “to live”, or “life-
style”), an online store selling Japanese houseware, given
its widespread appeal. During this venture, he recognized
that coffee-related products dominated his sales, and that
the pivot to transform Kurasu into a cafe proved to be the
right move. Yozo’s mother retired from the Kissaten soon
after his birth and she never thought he would one day
open cafes of his own. With successful openings in vari-
ous Asian cities he began to think about what changes he
can make for the coffee industry as he learned about what
the coffee industry may be like in 2050.

2050 Coffee is

intentionally craft-

ed to spark interest

and curiosity.

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