I definitely think that something is very whack about about the Japanese canned coffees. I assumed it was some chemical process to get more use out of already used grounds or some flavor additive.
Finding good coffee in Japan, particularly cold brew/dutch coffee, was hard for me. Finding it at a cafe that doesn't also allow smoking was harder.
I'm still not sure if it was my lack of skill in finding coffee/cafes that I liked or if the coffee/coffee culture was different and not as good.
I found Taiwan and Korea both had high quality and familiar coffee, at least to the US perspective. They also had very nice cafes. Vietnam does great coffee too, but Vietnam is more innovative than refined with their drinks and has a very distinct and unique coffee culture. In Vietnam cold brew was harder to find, but I didn't miss it because the other options were novel and great.
> Finding it at a cafe that doesn't also allow smoking was harder.
As a long-time Japan resident, I had the same problem for many years. But smoking indoors in public places was finally banned nationwide in Japan effective April 2020 [1].
I don’t know how effective the new rule is in bars and the like, but all of the cafes I’ve been in in recent years have been either completely nonsmoking or have had a separate, walled-off smoking room.
I have never had UCC but that sounds a lot like what cheap instant coffee tastes like to me. Initially I thought it might be an auto reaction to old break rooms when people were allowed to smoke so I associated instant coffee with cigarette smoke, but I had a cold brew in a bottle the other day and that same sensation happened.
Finding good coffee in Japan, particularly cold brew/dutch coffee, was hard for me. Finding it at a cafe that doesn't also allow smoking was harder.
I'm still not sure if it was my lack of skill in finding coffee/cafes that I liked or if the coffee/coffee culture was different and not as good.
I found Taiwan and Korea both had high quality and familiar coffee, at least to the US perspective. They also had very nice cafes. Vietnam does great coffee too, but Vietnam is more innovative than refined with their drinks and has a very distinct and unique coffee culture. In Vietnam cold brew was harder to find, but I didn't miss it because the other options were novel and great.