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JPN | Jan 13, 2025

Japanese university-focused students get Blue Mountain Coffee boost

/ Our Today

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(Photo: REUTERS/Mohammad Khursheed/File)

The difficult Japanese university entrance exams for their public national universities have been known to drive aspiring entrants crazy with stress as students vie for limited, coveted places.

But this year for Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day, some students of the coffee-loving nation got a special boost as last Thursday (January 9),  they benefited from a cup of Jamaica’s legendary brew, at least those who come to pray at their local Yushima Shrine—a revered shrine for scholars as they seek divine help.

The initiative is the brainchild of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association (JCEA) and the All Japanese Importers of Jamaican Coffee (AJIJC) in collaboration with the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo, as they seek to introduce a new generation of coffee lovers to the premium Blue Mountain Coffee.

On the day, Jamaican Ambassador Shorna-Kay Richards, dressed in traditional Japanese kimono, along with embassy staff, handed out packets of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee (drip bags) to the students. 

Norman Grant, JCEA chairman, CEO and managing director of the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, in his message marking this year’s seventh anniversary of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day, noted that it is being held under the theme “Elevate Your Taste” marking 71 years since the first direct shipment of Jamaica’s world-renowned luxury coffee was made to Japan.

That first shipment was executed by the late Keble Munn, founder of the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory in March 1953.

“This year’s rendition will continue throughout the month of January 2025 with a number of special events locally and internationally. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day was first introduced by the All Japanese Importers of Jamaican Coffee (AJIJC) in Japan in 2018 under the theme “Jamaica Blue Mountain, the King of Coffees and the Winning Bean,” Grant notes.

Celebrations of the day Internationally also include events at Jamaica’s Consulate General in Miami and at the Jamaican Embassy in Beijing.

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