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I s there anything making you persistent for 14 years?
For Takayuki Ishitani (Taka), 2017 Japan Barista
Champion, there is. The year 2020, it is the 14th year
for him to participate coffee competition event, and
the second time to participate in WBC as a Japanese candidate.
His past experience is quite different; now he is a barista, but
independent, not belonging to any café or company. He has
been a freelance barista for 8 years.
Work as a freelance barista

Before becoming a barista, Taka worked in sales dept of
cosmetics company. When he accidently found that coffee style. Tokyo has very bold aesthetics, and Japanese customers’
could be so flavorful, he was became interested in coffee, and tastes are avantgarde, they will not refuse new things. There-
eager to have a coffee related job. fore, Saturdays Surf chose to be in Tokyo.
In 2011, Taka left Anniversaire Café, in which he had At the time when Taka was in charge of operation in
been working for 7 years, then started his gap year. Although Saturdays Surf flag store in Tokyo, every week he would work
he could not find a new job in the coming 6 months, he did in the store as barista. At that time, there were hardly any
find his new career, a freelance barista. By 2012, espresso had coffee bars inside of fashion stores. But because of this, Satur-
been getting more popular. Many companies tried to explore days Surf NYC became well known, many stores tried to copy
the market. At the time, Taka got lots in offers: like coffee house this style. Taka said, this combination really promoted the
opening projects, coffee training/education programs, menu product and brought value to the brand. “My job was to match
designing/development, etc.. Some friends tried to persuade coffee product to the brand, and make the barista more valuable.
him to be a business partner. Saturdays Surf NYC was successful by doing all of these, and
Among all the job positions Taka had, the most impressive it’s unique style won its popularity. ”
one is as operation manager in Saturdays Surf NYC. Saturdays But Taka realized that the working pace of freelance is
Surf NYC, co-founded by Colin Tunstall, Morgan Collett and what he really likes, arranging the timetable, time managing,
Josh Rosen in New York, it creates a unique shopping atmo- involving different projects at the same time. 8 years before,
sphere, by perfectly combining surfing culture and city life term freelance barista even did not exist, so Taka was special
at the moment. He said “In the past 8 years, I was lucky, because
I have been having different projects to work on, and quite it
was busy.” Actually, the challenge he came cross is not from
the coffee itself, but the responsibility he bore for the coffee
industry as barista.
Competition not only for the championship
but for people backing you up

In 2007, Taka participated Japan Barista Competition
for the first time, “at the moment I was still working for a
coffee house. I just wanted to know myself better and push
myself to move on through the competition.” From then
on, for 10 years, he had been trying to win the competition.
In 2017, he finally got the championship, thank to
being a freelance barista. Through the experience, his at-
titude about the competition was changed. As a freelance Known by many as the Barista Prince,
barista, he is different from other competitors who have he prepares and practices by himself
their own team and sponsorship to support. He can get and at his own personal expense.
This might not be too surprising, but
support from his family and friends. “I was there not only
Taka is a consistent finalist, having
for myself but for all the people care about me, the result placed in the top three an astounding
is the feedback for their supporting, like my coffee bean nine times since first entering the
supplier, friends from the industry.” competition in 2007.

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