This black drink, native to the highlands of East Africa, had already swept the Middle East by the Middle Ages. It has always been a drink that uplifts people's spirits, and at times it has been viewed as dangerous by strict religious figures and rulers. The world's oldest café is said to have been established in Baghdad, but its free atmosphere was attacked by extremists who considered it anti-religious, and the Nazi regime in the 1930s also banned cafés from operating. It seems that people freely discussing their opinions while sober was inconvenient for them. Conversely, there seemed to be no repercussions whatsoever for beer halls. It is a fascinating and special drink for me as well. I've been a coffee lover since my late teens. I mainly enjoy savoring it quietly at home, and I've often used it as a motif in my artwork, hoping to capture the atmosphere it creates. I hope you'll enjoy reading this with a relaxed and calm mind, rather than focusing on the world of photography and art that I've written about before.

When it comes to beverages as a luxury item, we primarily live in tea-based cultural spheres such as Japanese tea, black tea, and Chinese tea, and we perceive coffee as a unique beverage and a distinct part of our culture. Needless to say, unlike what we commonly call tea, it's not something you drink every day; rather, it's a beverage that makes you consciously think of it as "a special time to drink it." On the one hand, people tend to think that what they see is the only way, but coffee made me realize that the world is actually incredibly diverse. In 1988, I traveled alone across Mexico by bus, carrying my luggage on my back. Due to stress and fatigue, my stomach and intestines were upset, and I was prescribed chrysanthemum tea （Manzanilla） herbal medicine at a clinic in a rural town in Baja California. It gently soothed my stomach, which was tired of the unsanitary drinking water and overly cold cola of that time. For a while, I carried a bag containing dried flower petals with me and brewed and drank them at each place I stayed. A few days later, after arriving in Mexico City, I suddenly had an overwhelming craving for a delicious cup of coffee. Up until then, I had only eaten cheap set meals at local eateries with the locals. So I mustered up the courage to venture into the lounge of a fancy hotel on the main street. I had learned in high school geography that Mexico is one of the world's leading coffee producers. I was sure I would be able to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee! With that in mind, I ordered a coffee at a table with a tablecloth. After a while, a waiter in a proper uniform with a white cloth on his arm respectfully brought a tray of coffee to my table. To my surprise, the coffee cup was steaming with hot water, and next to it was a bottle of Nescafé! “Buen provecho” Enjoy your coffee. The waiter with the magnificent mustache left with a smile, and I was at a loss for a moment. Then I understood. That's right, coffee was a valuable commodity for earning foreign currency in Mexico at that era.

Thirty years later, I held a photo exhibition at the University of Guanajuato in a city in central Mexico. Mexico has already achieved strong economic development, and in cafes found throughout the city, people were chatting while enjoying the taste of high-quality coffee that rivals that of Western countries. "Coffee has created a new sense of global unity." Now, a consistent level of taste and enjoyment of coffee has transcended regional and national boundaries worldwide. I enjoyed a wonderfully roasted and delicious cup of coffee alongside local students, but at the same time, I felt a sense of regret that something unique had been lost. However, on the other hand, if the global environment continues to rise in temperature, coffee production, the economy, and even the culture itself may be lost in the future. I believe that everything, from the farmers who produce it, to the distributors, and ultimately to us who enjoy it, depends on the mindset and behavior of us who live on this planet.