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49 www.baristamagazine.com Although visiting Tokyo feels like stepping into a decidedly utopian future, not all of Japan—and Japanese culture—is so forward-leaning. One American, who moved to a city in rural Japan a couple of years ago, told me that she thought coffee and barista culture was a way for young people to find fulfilling careers outside of the "salaryman" model, a "salaryman" being someone who works in an office for a corporation. She said many of them were drawn to Tokyo because it offered more freedom and greater opportunities to be different than many of Japan's smaller cities. On the night before the final round of the Latte Art Open, Daiichi Denkasha Co., a coffee equipment and supply distribu- tor, sponsored a party for the barista competitors. We met in a café in a mall not too far from the Big Sight. Since it was Tokyo, of course we took a monorail to the mall. The baristas enjoyed snacks and beer, and then the throwdown began. The baristas had to draw random slips of paper to determine the design they would pour—ranging from tulips to hearts to dragons—and the vessel they had to pour it in—from 8-ounce ceramic porcelain vessels to 20-ounce paper cups, and everything in between. It was loud and boisterous, and even though the baristas had just spent the previous two days eliminating each other from the Latte Art Open, they were obviously happy to be there with each other building their community. As the rounds of the competition progressed, some familiar faces from stateside Coffee Fest Latte Art Opens—that is to say, baristas who have traveled from Asia to the U.S.A. in the past and were, with this competition, decidedly closer to home—demonstrated their terrific skills and advanced. They including Aki Watanabe, Shin Koyama, Nobu Shimoyama, and Junichi Yamaguchi. Eventually the finals came down to Junichi, who had just placed third at Coffee Fest New York in March; and a relatively unknown barista, Takahiro Ando, who started the Open ranked fairly low as a 10 seed, but showed a steady hand and cool composure as he battled all the way to the last pour. After Junichi and Takahiro completed their head-to-head match up, they were invited in front of the audience. The third-place win- ner, Nobu, received his prizes and stepped aside. Then the images on the giant video screens positioned at either side of the stage flickered to show Junichi's and Ando's final pours. The judges were asked to point to the winning pour on a count of three, and after numerous attempts and close finishes in Coffee Fest Latte Art Opens in the U.S., Junichi Yamaguchi finally claimed first place and won the inaugural Tokyo event. Ueno said that from the beginning, he firmly believed that the first Latte Art Open in Tokyo wouldn't be the last, and he's already working on planning for next year's installment. His vision, however, extends beyond just Japan. He wants to see the Asian barista community grow, and he talked about expanding locations for future Latte Art Opens to include Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Seoul. Based on the audience response, competitor enthusiasm, and latte art ability on display in Tokyo—coupled with the energy, skill, and turnout of baristas from Japan, Korea, Australia, and beyond—it seems the Pan-Asian barista community is ready for the Opens and the opportunity for inter- action to increase. B o o k 4 7 - 9 2 . i n d d 4 9 Book 47-92.indd 49 5 / 1 5 / 1 4 1 0 : 4 1 P M 5/15/14 10:41 PM