Tokyo — Uganda is making a significant push to expand its footprint in the Japanese coffee market, with a delegation of coffee companies participating in the 2025 Speciality Coffee Association of Japan (SCAJ) Exhibition.
The event, held at the Big Sight Exhibition Centre in Tokyo, brings together producers and industry leaders to discuss and promote the global coffee trade.
Uganda’s presence at the exhibition is facilitated by the Uganda Embassy in Tokyo, which secured exhibition space for several key players in the country’s coffee sector.
The participating Ugandan companies include Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU), Mountain Harvest, and Just Know Your Coffee (JKCC). The delegation also features two Japanese companies that specialise in importing and processing Ugandan coffee, Crystal Coffee and Gorilla Highland Coffee.
A major highlight of Uganda’s participation is an 80-minute seminar hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries. The seminar, titled “Discovering Uganda’s Coffee: From Bean to Cup,” aims to raise awareness of Ugandan coffee and increase its share in Japan’s growing market. The session will include presentations, networking, coffee cupping, and brewing demonstrations.
The exhibition’s opening ceremony was marked by ribbon-cutting, with officials from the SCAJ, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassadors from various coffee-producing countries taking part. Uganda’s Ambassador to Japan, Her Excellency Kaahwa Tophace, represented the country during the ceremony.
The theme of this year’s exhibition is “Belonging Together in Coffee,” which emphasises moving beyond just quality improvement to fostering a society where people support each other through coffee, respect diversity, and promote a sustainable future for the industry and global environment.
