Coffee bean imports were liberalized in 1960, and home consumption began to boom in 1961 with the liberalization of the instant coffee market. Trial cultivation took place after the war on the Amami Islands, but the plants were poorly nurtured and their quality poor, and coffee is now only grown for ornamental reasons. All the coffee now consumed in Japan is therefore imported. The majority is imported in the form of raw beans, which are roasted, ground and shipped onto the market, and imports of roasted beans, instant coffee and coffee extract are relatively small in comparison. Coffee bean prices fluctuate violently due to the climate in production regions overseas.
Japan is the world's third largest importer after the United States and Germany.
Japan imports raw coffee beans from over 40 countries. Regular coffee generally comes from the USA and UK, while coffee extract and essence are imported chiefly from Brazil. Raw beans used as a raw material for making other products are almost entirely imported. Regular coffee and instant coffee are almost entirely produced domestically from imported raw materials. At the point of import, coffee is covered by the provisions of the Food Hygiene Law.