Coffee is something you crave whether you’re working or taking a break. Some people drink a cup a day as a habit.
There are many cafes in the city, and a new coffee stand called “calma coffee roasters” is scheduled to open in Kojima in March 2025.
calma coffee roasters has previously set up at events and other venues, but it has never had a permanent shop.
Why did Hamada Daiki decide to open a coffee stand in Kojima? And what kind of shop does he want to create? Here, we introduce the thoughts of Hamada Daiki of calma coffee roasters.
The information presented is current as of when this article was published in January 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About calma coffee roasters
calma coffee roasters is a self-roasting coffee business launched in 2021 by Hamada Daiki, who is from Osaka.
Until now, it has operated without a permanent shop, focusing on online sales of roasted coffee beans, wholesale sales to businesses, and pop-up stalls at events.
Coffee served by calma coffee roasters
The coffee at calma coffee roasters is characterized by a mild bitterness and a fragrant aroma.
Hamada himself, who roasts the coffee, used to dislike bitter coffee, and roasts with the aim of making coffee that even people who dislike it can enjoy. He says that light roasting creates an aromatic, easy-to-drink flavor.
I usually drink tea, but I have tried coffee roasted by Hamada.
Even though I don’t know much about coffee, I found it easy to drink, with a roasted flavor, a hint of bitterness, and a lovely aroma. It was so delicious I couldn’t help having another cup.
calma coffee roasters, which roasts its own coffee, also collaborates with restaurants and businesses.
In a collaboration with Arisorou, a traditional-house cafe in Tomonoura, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hamada created an original blend for the cafe.
He first asked about the desired flavor and image, then held a tasting event with local people. Together with the community, they created a special cup of coffee.
About Hamada Daiki
calma coffee roasters was launched by Hamada Daiki, who is from Osaka. He moved to Kojima in 2021.
Before moving, Hamada worked as a soccer coach in Osaka while also working at a guesthouse. It was around this time that he discovered coffee.
At the time, Hamada couldn’t drink black coffee, but after trying coffee from HAIKU COFFEE ROASTERS in Osaka, he was captivated by its deliciousness and how easy it was to drink. Having found a cup that changed his life, he began studying coffee and continued serving it at the guesthouse.
However, after his health deteriorated, he decided to leave Osaka. While considering where to move, he visited Kojima for a change of pace.
Yamawaki of DENIM HOSTEL float, whom he had known since his guesthouse days, showed him around Kojima. Hamada felt at home with life by the Seto Inland Sea. After returning to Osaka, he saw an opening for a live-in staff member at DENIM HOSTEL float and applied, thinking, “I might as well try living there,” before moving to Kojima.
He currently works at a welfare facility and spends his days off setting up at events as calma coffee roasters.
Hamada has built connections with customers through roasting and pop-up stalls. In 2025, however, he is working toward the goal of opening a new coffee stand.
We spoke with him about why he decided to open a coffee stand in Kojima.
Creating a coffee stand where local people can gather
What inspired you to launch calma coffee roasters?
Hamada (surname only)
Nakazakicho, the Osaka neighborhood where I worked before moving, was a place where people who made a living doing what they loved and people who loved the neighborhood gathered. Watching people enjoy both work and life up close, I always thought, “I want to live that way too.”
When I worked at float, they held an event called a workation tour, and people from outside Okayama Prefecture stayed at float for about a week. I was working there as a live-in staff member, so I lived alongside the participants.
During those days, I had chances to talk with the participants late into the night. They encouraged me, saying, “Why not try doing something you want to do?”
Coffee was the first thing that came to mind.
I couldn’t forget the taste of the coffee I had at HAIKU COFFEE ROASTERS in Osaka. And in my previous job, I had developed skills in everything from roasting coffee to serving it.
I thought a coffee business would let me make use of my experience, so I launched calma coffee roasters in 2022.
Did you think you could “enjoy both work and life” in Kojima?
Hamada
Yes. I thought it was a place where I could make the things I wanted to do happen.
The people I met at float, where I first worked after moving, are also actively taking on all kinds of challenges. I get the impression that many people enjoy both their lives and their work.
I also like the shops and inns in Kojima, and many people visit specifically for them. I thought it was a little like Nakazakicho.
Kojima felt like an environment where people who want to try something new gather, so I think it gave me the confidence to try doing what I wanted too.
Is there an episode that stands out from your time working as calma coffee roasters?
Hamada
I was happy to meet people and build connections with the community.
For example, people from local restaurants I’d met invited me to events or said, “Let’s do something together.” …I personally liked how connections with people led to more connections and kept expanding.
Another time, a customer who came by while I was setting up told me, “I’d like to make sweets and sell them at an event.” They were from Hiroshima, so we set up together, selling sweets and coffee at Arisorou, the Tomonoura cafe where I had made a coffee blend.
I was happy to help someone take on something they wanted to try, and I’m glad that our connection as customer and shopkeeper led to a new activity like that.
Why did you decide to open a coffee stand in Kojima?
Hamada
It started when I found an ideal property in Kojima.
The property was in a fairly open area, in a location where both tourists and local people could easily stop by. It had a counter, and its size was ideal for me, since I wanted to start with a small shop. I could picture it as a place where local people could connect.
I looked at various other properties too, but someone who had supported me in Kojima encouraged me, and I decided to open the coffee stand there.
What kind of coffee stand would you like it to be for the community?
Hamada
I want to serve coffee that fits into the lives of people in Kojima. And through coffee, I hope to create a place where people who want to take on a challenge, like me, and people who want to support someone else’s challenge can come together.
The pop-up shops I’ve run so far have mostly been in settings where encounters were one-off and limited to that occasion. A coffee stand is the opposite of that, and I think it will let me build deeper connections with people in the community.
In time, I hope to use those connections to take on even more new challenges and become someone who can bring the community together and help energize Kojima.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Hamada
I hope to create a coffee stand where people who live in Kojima can take a breather. I’d love for local residents to stop by.
And if anyone is thinking, “I’d like to try doing something in Kojima,” let’s work together on all kinds of fun projects. I’d be happy if I could help bring the town of Kojima to life together with all kinds of people.
I’m also running a crowdfunding campaign through Friday, January 31, so if you’d like to support me, I’d really appreciate it.
From the Writer
calma coffee roasters aims to be a coffee stand where local people can gather.
After hearing Hamada Daiki talk, I’m looking forward to seeing what kinds of exchange will take place at the shop.
I imagine that the community beyond the opening of the coffee stand will be a place where each person enjoys both work and life, and where people are full of things they want to do.
For now, I’d like to support Hamada Daiki’s efforts as he prepares to open.
The opening is planned for March 2025, so if you’re interested or would like to show your support, be sure to stop by.
calma coffee roasters Information
| Name | calma coffee roasters |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-2-90 Ajino, Kurashiki |
| Website | calma coffee roasters |
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