Zack and Ray kick things off breaking down the global matcha shortage and debating whether Tokyo is the best coffee city in the world. Then they sit down with Masa of Weekenders Coffee (Kyoto) to talk about Japan’s evolving café culture, light-roast philosophy, and Weekenders’ new 20th-anniversary collaboration box.

In this episode:

• Is Tokyo the best coffee city in the world?
• What makes Japanese cafés feel so intentional
• Matcha shortage 2024–2025: causes, bootlegs, price spikes, and why production can’t just “scale”
• Why many Japan cafés are closed in the mornings
• Weekenders origin story (2005) → roasting light since 2011; navigating “third wave” beyond just roast degree
• Weekenders 20th-Anniversary collab: 30 roasters × 15g mini packs (pre-orders open)

Links:

• WEEKENDERS 20th Anniversary Box
• Matcha Shortage Article - New York Times
• WEEKENDERS COFFEE Instagram