Experience the Essence of Tokunoshima Coffee at the Harvest Festival

On February 21, 2026, Tokunoshima Coffee Island Project hosted its highly anticipated Tokunoshima Coffee Harvest Festival, bringing together coffee lovers and local residents for an entire day dedicated to the flavors and experiences of Tokunoshima coffee. This initiative, spearheaded by Ajinomoto AGF Inc. in collaboration with Ishinomaki Town Hall, Tokunoshima Coffee Producers Association, and Marubeni Corporation, began as the Tokunoshima Coffee Production Support Project in June 2017. The aim was to overcome challenges faced by local coffee growers, including typhoon damage and equipment shortages, and to ensure a sustainable future for coffee production on the island.

As the project evolved, it was rebranded as the Tokunoshima Coffee Island Project in October 2025. This new phase focuses on enhancing the quality and yield of coffee beans while promoting a green tourism model that connects visitors with the local coffee culture. It also emphasizes strengthening partnerships among the three towns of Tokunoshima: Ishinomaki, Tokunoshima Town, and Amagi Town, with a commitment to establish cultivation standards on model farms, increase the number of coffee producers, and develop experiential business models.

The festival drew a large crowd of island residents and visitors eager to engage with the local coffee culture. The event was divided into two main areas: one for coffee cherry harvesting and another for roasting and hand-drip coffee experiences.

Coffee Cherry Harvesting Experience

In the harvesting area, participants had the chance to pick coffee cherries from trees cultivated within the project. Interestingly, coffee cherries start as green fruits that ripen into a vibrant red as they mature. Festival-goers enjoyed the hands-on activity of harvesting cherries and even participated in the