From the Philippines to Tokyo: The Fat Seed at SCAJ 2026

October 14–17, 2026 | Tokyo Big Sight, Japan

We went to Tokyo to brew Philippine coffee. We weren't planning to sell any beans.

Then people started asking where they could buy them.

That was one of the pleasant surprises from our time at the SCAJ World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition 2026, where The Fat Seed Café + Roastery joined the Philippine Embassy booth as guest brewers.

Together with fellow Filipino coffee professionals and friends from Japan, we spent our time sharing locally grown coffees, meeting people from across the specialty coffee industry, and introducing visitors to what the Philippines has to offer.

Here's a little look at what happened!

First, a Little About SCAJ 2026

For those unfamiliar, SCAJ (Specialty Coffee Association of Japan) hosts one of Asia's largest international specialty coffee exhibitions.

Think coffee producers, roasters, baristas, equipment manufacturers, café owners, and plenty of people who just really love coffee, all gathered in one place.

This year's exhibition took place from October 14 to 17 at Tokyo Big Sight, welcoming 100,114 visitors over four days.

With the theme "Brew the Future," SCAJ 2026 brought together people from across the global coffee community to exchange ideas, discover new coffees, and explore what's next for the industry.

We were fortunate to join the Philippine Embassy's agricultural showcase, which highlighted the diversity and quality of Philippine specialty coffee.

And with so much happening across the exhibition halls, it was especially nice to see people making time to stop by and discover coffee from home.

Brewing Philippine Specialty Coffee in Tokyo

Here's Bryant brewing at the Philippine Embassy booth!

Our Founder and Head Roaster, Bryant Dee, was invited as one of the guest brewers, joining other talented coffee professionals in preparing Philippine-grown specialty coffee for visitors.

The booth brought together coffees from different parts of the Philippines, showcasing the work of local farmers, producers, and roasters.

Of course, we couldn't come to SCAJ without bringing along some very special beans.

Among the coffees we showcased were lots we secured at the 2026 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) auction.

One highlight was fine Robusta from Sigay, Ilocos Sur.

Robusta has traditionally been associated with strong, bitter coffee, so it's always interesting to introduce people to a different side of the variety.

With careful cultivation, processing, roasting, and brewing, fine Robusta can offer a much more nuanced experience than many people might expect.

We love opportunities like this because tasting the coffee often makes a much better introduction than simply talking about it.

A Little Coffee Tasting, Too

Beyond the pour-overs, visitors also had opportunities to participate in coffee cupping sessions at the booth.

If you're new to the term, coffee cupping is a method of tasting different coffees side by side to compare their aromas, flavors, and overall characteristics.

It's an important part of how coffee professionals evaluate beans, but it's also a great way for anyone to explore the differences between coffees.

Seeing visitors take the time to taste, compare, and learn more about Philippine coffee was one of our favorite parts of the event.

So, About Those Visitors Asking to Buy Our Coffee...

We came to SCAJ primarily to share Philippine coffee and support the Embassy's efforts to introduce it to a wider audience.

Selling beans wasn't part of our original plan.

But throughout the event, we met visitors who were genuinely curious about the coffees we were serving. People asked about their origins, how they were processed, where they could find them, and whether they could purchase some to take home.

We certainly weren't expecting quite so many questions about buying the beans!

It was a lovely surprise, and an encouraging one.

For us, these conversations showed that there is real curiosity about Philippine specialty coffee among international consumers and coffee professionals.

We're not taking a few busy days at an exhibition as proof of an entire market, of course. But seeing people interested enough to ask where they could get the coffee was a promising start.

And hopefully, a sign of more good things to come for Philippine coffee.

Good Coffee, Good People, and New Friends

As much as we enjoyed brewing, one of the best parts of SCAJ was spending time with people from the coffee community.

We got to brew alongside talented guest brewers, exchange ideas, and catch up with friends new and old.

It was lovely seeing fellow coffee professionals from the Philippine Coffee Guild, SGD Coffee, Bayanihan Coffee, Norry's Coffee, Verra Coffee, and many others throughout the event.

One thing we found particularly interesting was seeing how cafés in Japan have been introducing their customers to coffee grown in the Philippines.

Norry's Coffee in Gunma was one example that stood out to us. It's encouraging to see Philippine coffee finding its way into the hands of brewers and coffee drinkers beyond our own shores.

We also had the pleasure of brewing alongside Ken Santos Nonaka, the Filipino-Japanese founder of Bayanihan Coffee Roasters, a Yokohama-based roastery dedicated exclusively to Philippine specialty coffee. 

We think that's a pretty fitting name for what he does! It was great getting to share the brew bar with someone who's helping introduce more people in Japan to Philippine coffee.

We also enjoyed all the conversations that happened between brewing sessions, tastings, and visits to neighboring booths.

And a special shout-out to Miguel from the Philippine Coffee Guild, who helped us with translation at the exhibition. Having friends who can lend a hand when you need them is always appreciated!

Events like SCAJ are a reminder of how much there is to learn from the people around us, whether they're working behind a brew bar, growing coffee, roasting beans, or simply sharing something they've discovered.

Thank You to the Philippine Embassy and Everyone Who Made This Possible

We'd like to extend our sincere thanks to the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, the Department of Agriculture, and the Office of the Agriculture Attaché for inviting us to be part of the Philippine coffee showcase.

A special thank you to Agriculture Attaché Ms. Maria Alilia "Aleli" G. Maghirang, Rosh Largo, and the entire team for all the work that went into organizing and supporting the booth.

We also want to thank Mr. Katsuhisa Ota-san, who reached out and invited us to participate in the first place.

And of course, thank you to our fellow brewers, friends, and everyone who stopped by to try the coffee!

We were genuinely happy to be part of this effort alongside so many people who care about the future of Philippine coffee.

Opportunities like these help introduce our local coffee industry to new audiences, while giving Filipino farmers, producers, and roasters more visibility on an international stage.

We're grateful to have played a small part.

Until Next Time, Japan!

We came home from SCAJ 2026 with plenty of photos, new connections, and lots of things to think about.

Most of all, we're encouraged by the interest we saw in Philippine-grown coffee.

There's still a lot of work ahead in developing our local specialty coffee industry, but it's exciting to see more people discovering what our farmers and producers have to offer.

We'll keep doing our part through sourcing, roasting, brewing, and sharing coffees we believe deserve more attention.

And if there's one thing we're taking away from Tokyo, it's that Philippine coffee has plenty more to show the world.

Thank you, SCAJ 2026! We had a great time. 🇵🇭☕

 

Curious about the coffees we brought to Tokyo? Explore our coffee bean selection, including specialty coffees grown right here in the Philippines.