The owner of Coffee Amp, the best roaster/cafe in Tokyo, once told me that too many Japanese believe in the myth of dark roast. That’s why most coffee in Japan is just bitter like charcoal, lacking depth in flavor.

It’s true: in this country, chain cafés and beverage companies use the word “dark roast” as a synonym for good coffee. And any “acidity” is thought to be a sign of bad coffee.

I had the same prejudice. But the owner of Amp taught me that acidity of coffee is the taste of coffee beans as fruits. Then my perception changed right away. Description matters. We drink and eat language as well. This reminds me of a line from some movie whose title I no longer remember: “People may drink sand, not because they are thirsty, but because they cannot tell the difference.” Description matters.

Coffee Amp is near Shin Koenji station, the Marunouchi Metro Line.