I hope your week is going well.
Four things from us today — a new summer coffee, a drink I have become slightly obsessed with, a market this Sunday in San Diego, and one small favour I would be very grateful for.
First -
Our summer coffee has landed: Natsu (なつ).
Sapporo Coffee Kan in Hokkaido makes one blend for each season, and when the season ends the blend retires with it. That habit has a name in Japan — kisetsu gentei (季節限定), “seasonal limited”.
Natsu is their summer edition, and it surprised me. Most summer coffees go light and bright. This one goes the other way: medium-dark, charcoal roasted, dark chocolate sweetness and almost no acidity — which is exactly why it works over ice instead of turning thin and sour.
I wrote up the whole tradition, the blend, and the orange-slice iced recipe the roastery recommends.
Second -
Have you tried a dirty matcha? Matcha with a shot of coffee poured through it. The coffee sinks, the matcha stays on top, and for a moment you get both in the same glass.
I made a short video of how I put one together, and there is a printable recipe card if you would rather have it on paper next to the kettle. Both are on the recipe section of the post. The full guide covers where the drink came from, how much caffeine is actually in one, and the layering trick that stops it turning muddy.
Third -
If you are anywhere near San Diego this weekend, come and find us at Summer Market — a one-day market built around records, Japanese goods and very good coffee.
Sunday, July 26 · 11 AM – 5 PM · FREE, all ages
WOO Studios · 2212 Main St, San Diego, CA 92113
40+ vendors across vinyl records, Japonesia goods and food, coffee and matcha — with all-vinyl DJs playing through an Ohmega HiFi sound system all day. The full lineup is announced shortly.
Presented by In Sheep’s Clothing HiFi, Longplay HiFi, Part Time Lover and We Share Records, with community support from El Marchante, Folk Arts Rare Records and Orion Beer.
Fourth -
We have been nominated, and we would love your help. Japanese Green Tea Co. has been nominated for Best Tea Subscription in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
This one is decided by readers, and here is the important part: you can vote once every single day. If you have ten spare seconds each morning, that is genuinely what would put us at number one.
Voting closes Monday, August 17 at noon ET, and the winners are announced on August 26.
Thank you. Small companies like ours only ever win these because customers show up.
That's it for this time.
I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!
Kei Nishida
& the team from Dream of Japan
