"What makes a delicious cup of coffee?" 
My revered coffee roaster, Minoru Ooya, replied, "Coffee is a fruit. What's important is a cup that allows you to appreciate that fact." I only started drinking drip coffee, the kind that's enjoyed all over the world today, about 30 years ago. Back then, global chain store trademarks were still quite rare. I prefer dark, rich coffee brewed from deeply roasted beans. I pour it into a cup with a capacity of about 150cc, and without sugar or milk, I slowly savor the subtle aroma and flavor. It's fascinating how the taste of the same beans can vary greatly depending on the harvest time and the roaster. I absolutely love beans with a subtle aroma of berries and chocolate. These days, very expensive coffee beans are traded on the market. Many people talk about their taste as if they were discussing wine or sake, but honestly, I can't tell the difference. Simply grind the carefully roasted beans to the appropriate size and pour hot water over them slowly and gently.

I usually enjoy coffee at home. I rarely go out to a cafe. However, when I do, my criteria for choosing a cafe boils down to this one point: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. This is also the title of a novel by my beloved Hemingway. He said that what is needed is a certain kind of cleanliness and order. I sense a philosophy there that connects to Zen. Eleven years ago, I spent 21 days in Portland, Oregon, to learn photography techniques. I had long been looking forward to experiencing the coffee culture of the American West Coast firsthand. In between lectures, I visited roasteries and cafes scattered throughout the city, sampling the local coffee. This is what's known as "third-wave coffee." I was moved by their determination and passion to connect coffee fields and roasting workshops. However, the taste itself felt shallow and "sour" to me. This is probably a matter of personal taste preference. I had almost given up on finding my preferred taste, but I'll never forget my chance encounter with a coffee shop in the St. Johns district of the northwest. At the counter facing the main street, a regular customer with his dog was having a quiet conversation with the barista. In the back, a large roasting machine was visible, and several customers were quietly sitting at several neatly arranged tables. The refreshing morning sun streamed in through the window, and I felt like I knew this place! That place was truly a "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”. I visited that shop several times afterward, each time I was in town, but it's no longer there. COVID-19 has changed the world. Yes, as Zen teachings say, everything that exists is lost, like the aroma of coffee.