When you think of coffee in Japan, what comes to mind? Probably vending machines, canned coffee, and quiet cafés tucked into narrow alleys. But there’s a strange twist in Japan’s coffee journey—Nestlé didn’t start by selling coffee drinks. Instead, it used candy to introduce the flavor to a country raised on green tea.

Japan: A Tea-First Culture

For centuries, Japan has been a tea-drinking nation. Tea isn’t just a drink—it’s part of rituals, hospitality, and daily life. Even as Western influences entered Japan during the Meiji era, tea stayed dominant. Coffee arrived through Dutch traders in the 1700s, but it didn’t take off. It wasn’t until the 20th century, especially the post-war years, that coffee slowly found a place in Japanese society.

Still, tea was king. That’s the challenge Nestlé faced when trying to push instant coffee into the Japanese market.

The Missing Imprint

In the 1970s, Nestlé brought in French researcher Clotaire Rapaille to figure out why coffee wasn’t connecting with Japanese consumers. His answer was psychological: the Japanese had no early “imprint” of coffee. Unlike Western kids who smelled coffee brewing at home or watched parents sip it at breakfast, most Japanese children grew up surrounded by the scent and flavor of tea.

So Nestlé tried something different. If people didn’t have childhood memories tied to coffee, why not create them?

Candy First, Coffee Later

Nestlé began sneaking the flavor of coffee into sweets. Coffee-flavored candy, ice cream, and chocolates started to appear across stores in Japan. These weren’t made for adults. They were for kids. It sounds counterintuitive—give coffee to kids? But it worked.

Children who grew up with sweet coffee treats didn’t think of coffee as bitter or foreign. They thought of it as familiar. Over time, those same kids became teenagers and adults. By then, coffee didn’t feel new. It felt nostalgic.

This slow, clever strategy played a major role in growing the market for coffee in Japan.

KitKat and Cultural Chemistry

One of Nestlé’s biggest hits in Japan wasn’t even coffee—it was KitKat. First sold in Japan in 1973, KitKat really exploded in popularity around the 2000s when Nestlé introduced regional and seasonal flavors like matcha, sake, wasabi, and roasted green tea. But more importantly, the name “KitKat” sounded like “kitto katsu” in Japanese, which means “surely win.” It became a good luck charm, especially for students before exams.

Nestlé was learning that marketing in Japan wasn’t about forcing Western products into Eastern habits. It was about adapting to cultural meaning and emotion. That’s the same reason they took a gentle, long-term approach to coffee in Japan.

Vending Machines and the Rise of Canned Coffee

Japan is famous for its vending machines, and it was canned coffee that made coffee in Japan truly accessible. In 1969, UCC released the world’s first canned coffee. Nestlé quickly followed with their own line of canned beverages. Suddenly, coffee wasn’t something you had to brew. You could just grab it on the go—hot or cold.

This suited Japan’s on-the-go lifestyle perfectly. People commuting on packed trains, students heading to cram schools, and workers grinding through long days could all enjoy a quick caffeine fix.

Today, vending machines offering coffee are on almost every street in Japan. Nestlé didn’t invent this system, but they jumped in early and stayed relevant.

The Nescafé Ambassador Program

In 2012, Nestlé Japan launched something unique: the Nescafé Ambassador program. The idea was simple—every office had someone passionate about coffee. That person would become the ambassador and receive a Nestlé coffee machine for the workplace. Workers paid a small fee for each cup, and the ambassador collected the funds.

This wasn’t just about selling coffee machines. It was about creating community. In Japanese offices, where hierarchy and silence are common, the coffee corner became a place to chat, share, and relax. It humanized the workspace.

This program further cemented Nestlé’s role in coffee in Japan, not just as a product, but as part of people’s daily lives.

Sleep Cafés, Robots, and Innovation

Japan is known for overwork, and Nestlé used that reality to its advantage. In 2019, they opened a permanent Nescafé Sleep Café in Tokyo. You could take a nap and enjoy a cup of coffee before or after. It wasn’t just a gimmick—it matched the culture’s needs.

Earlier, in 2014, they used Pepper, the humanoid robot, to demonstrate and sell coffee machines in stores. Pepper talked, showed emotions, and even served coffee. In a country where tech and novelty are highly valued, this helped Nestlé stay top of mind.

Instant Coffee Reimagined

When many people think of instant coffee, they picture something cheap or low-quality. But Nestlé flipped that idea with the Gold Blend Barista Machine. It offered five types of coffee and a high-end feel. People could make café-style drinks at home, with ease and speed.

By 2015, it was Japan’s top-selling coffee machine.

This made coffee in Japan more than just a drink—it became a lifestyle. From homes to offices, from convenience stores to vending machines, coffee was everywhere. And Nestlé was behind much of that growth.

Generational Loyalty

What’s most fascinating is that Nestlé didn’t rush. It didn’t try to overhaul Japan’s tea culture overnight. Instead, it planted seeds. It gave kids sweets with coffee flavor, knowing that those flavors would stick. As those kids grew up, so did their appetite for real coffee.

Now, coffee in Japan is a multi-billion-yen industry. Japan is the third-largest importer of coffee in the world. And Nestlé still holds the largest share in instant coffee sales.

Final Thoughts

Nestlé’s journey in Japan wasn’t based on luck. It was rooted in psychology, culture, and patience. By starting with candy, using local language cues, and adapting to everyday habits, they created a whole new taste memory in Japan.

Today, coffee in Japan is more than a trend. It’s a part of daily life. And it all started with a sweet idea—introduce the flavor early and let it grow naturally over time.

Nestlé didn’t just sell coffee. They helped Japan fall in love with it, one candy at a time.