Who We Are
Hawaii KAU Coffee is a Ka’u coffee brand run by Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate in Hawaii and M.G.K. Inc., its distributor in Japan.
The estate grows and processes the coffee. Kayama LLC handles export on the Hawaii side, and M.G.K. Inc. handles planning, promotion and day-to-day operations in Japan.
Updated
The Farm
Since 1989
A coffee farm born in Ka'u in 1989
Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate sits just outside the town of Pahala in the Ka’u district on the southeastern side of Hawaii Island. In 1989, Daniel Inouye, then a U.S. senator and one of Hawaii’s heroes, personally entrusted owner John Ah San with developing a coffee farm in Ka’u. Farming naturally, without relying on chemical fertilizers, and using a semi-washed process that leaves the sticky fruit layer on the bean, John grows Ka’u coffee with a rich aroma and a refined sweetness with little bitterness.
To Japan
Since 2020
Changing what people expect from black coffee
In August 2020 we began selling in Japan with one motto, to change what people expect from black coffee. Kayama LLC (led by Miyuki Lee), the estate’s exclusive partner, handles quarantine and export on the Hawaii side and quarantine and import on the Japan side, while M.G.K. Inc. (led by Masashi Yamazaki) takes care of planning, promotion and day-to-day operations in Japan. From the farm to your cup, you know exactly who is behind the coffee.
Project Members
John Ah San
Farm owner
Owner of Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate, the Hawaii KAU Coffee farm. In 1989 Senator Daniel Inouye personally entrusted him with developing a coffee farm in the Ka'u district, and he began growing coffee in earnest. Nicknamed the Coffee Doctor, he advises many coffee farms on Hawaii Island and takes ongoing requests from the University of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He brews with a French press.
Lori Ah San
Farm manager
Manager of Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate and John's daughter. As co-manager of the farm she looks after the quality of the Ka'u coffee. A lover of fashion, she is also the one who picks the team's matching outfits for official occasions such as photo shoots and webinars from the farm.
Miyuki Lee
Representative, Kayama LLC
Representative of Kayama LLC, the exclusive partner of Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate. She handles quarantine and export procedures for John's coffee on the Hawaii side and quarantine and import procedures on the Japan side. A member of the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay for seven years, she has contributed to the local community through its activities and volunteer work. She is one of the writers of our farm blog, and Kayama LLC is also advancing its research into making cascara tea.
Masashi Yamazaki
Representative, M.G.K. Inc.
Representative of M.G.K. Inc., which handles planning, promotion and day-to-day operations for Hawaii KAU Coffee in Japan. He specializes in producing products from concept through promotion, with a track record that includes producing a natural mineral water for a major beverage maker and managing the Japanese launch of an overseas health supplement. He used to drink only sweet coffee until Ka'u coffee won him over to black.
Learn more
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the farm?
Is it 100% Ka'u coffee, or a blend?
Do you sell wholesale or to businesses?
Carry Ka'u coffee, or try it yourself
We are the team that connects the farm and Japan
Hawaii KAU Coffee sells only Ka’u coffee grown at Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate in the Ka’u district on the southeastern side of Hawaii Island. Farm owner John Ah San and manager Lori Ah San grow and process the coffee; Kayama LLC (led by Miyuki Lee) handles export and import; and M.G.K. Inc. (led by Masashi Yamazaki) handles planning, promotion and day-to-day operations in Japan.
| Role | Who | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Growing and processing | Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate (owner John Ah San, manager Lori Ah San) | Pahala, Ka’u district, Hawaii Island |
| Quarantine, export and import | Kayama LLC (Miyuki Lee) | Pahoa, Hawaii Island |
| Planning, promotion and operations in Japan | M.G.K. Inc. (Masashi Yamazaki) | Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan |
Who grows the coffee, and who brings it to Japan?
One farm grows it, and two companies bring it to Japan. Read about the farm’s methods in Natural Farming and about its certification in Hawaii Seal of Quality. Day-to-day life on the farm is recorded in our farm blog (Japanese).
Key points
- Every bean comes from one farm, Kau Ocean Vista Coffee Estate, founded in 1989 near Pahala in the Ka’u district.
- Kayama LLC in Pahoa, Hawaii Island, handles quarantine and export on the Hawaii side and quarantine and import on the Japan side.
- M.G.K. Inc. in Osaka has handled sales in Japan since August 2020 and operates this website.