In Japan, there are coffee shops that are dedicated to exploring the art of home roasting raw coffee beans, and using the hand-drip method to extract maximum flavor. In this series, we’ll be taking you on a journey to discover these exceptional places, where the passionate philosophy of the shop owners adds an extra layer of flavor.
For Chapter 6, we head to Yokohama to visit Coffee and Baked Ura, a charming spot tucked away on a quiet backstreet, known for its large windows and laid-back vibe. There, we discovered not only an expertly brewed cup, but also baked goods that paired beautifully with the coffee.
PROFILE
Tetsuya Fukaura was born in Tokyo in 1988. After honing his skills at Cafe Sucre and VERVE COFFEE ROASTERS, he opened Coffee and Baked Ura in 2023. He is a certified Coffee Meister by the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan (SCAJ) and won the 2018 Japan Hand Drip Championship (JHDC), hosted by the same organization.
A Simple, Natural Brew for Life as It Is
What makes hand drip coffee truly captivating is how the barista’s personality comes through in every cup. Some focus intensely on each drop, while others effortlessly demonstrate their skill through casual conversation. Tetsuya Fukaura of Coffee and Baked Ura, featured here, is the latter, a subtle performer whose quiet approach holds a deep passion.
Swirling the server to stir the coffee helps bring out a better balance of flavors and enhances its taste.
The shop is tucked away just a three-minute walk from Higashi-Hakuraku Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, nestled in a back alley that locals often use as a shortcut between the station and their homes. The neighborhood is full of daycare centers, with young families passing by regularly, pushing bicycles and strollers. The large open windows, blue-gray door, and cozy bench outside give the place an inviting, unpretentious charm that often catches people’s attention.
“We wanted to open a shop in a neighborhood that we’ve come to love and know well, a place with many wonderful independent stores,” Tetsuya says. Coffee and Baked Ura perfectly reflects the ideal he had in mind.
First photo: The counter seats were created with the idea of letting customers enjoy the live experience of the drip brewing.
Second photo: The aisles are designed to be spacious so that people with children in strollers can relax comfortably. The cozy atmosphere is enhanced by vintage Scandinavian furniture chosen by Tetsuya’s wife, Rie.
After graduating from university, Tetsuya started working at a musical instrument store, but his interest in café culture soon led him down a different path. He moved to Kamakura to work as a kitchen staff at a cafe restaurant. While continuing that job, he also started working at another cafe, which gradually led him to focus more on his passion for coffee. During four years fully devoted to coffee, he won the prestigious 2018 Japan Hand Drip Championship (JHDC). He then took on management roles at various specialty cafés, each with its own unique style. Finally in 2023, he opened his own café, Coffee and Baked Ura, on October 1st, International Coffee Day.
Near the door stands a semi-hot air roaster called the Fuji Royal. When roasting starts during business hours, the whole shop fills with a warm, inviting aroma.
Their home-roasted coffee is based on the concept of everyday enjoyment. To keep the menu straightforward and easy to choose from, they offer two blends: a house blend and a seasonal blend. For single-origin options, there are three roast levels: light, medium, and dark, plus a decaf, making six main choices. They also occasionally carry rare single-origin beans for regular customers who are passionate about coffee.
The house blend uses medium-roasted Brazilian beans for a rounded flavor and medium-dark roasted Ethiopian washed beans for a clean, crisp finish. Tetsua explains, “Since our cups are on the larger side, I roast the beans with a focus on balancing bitterness and acidity so that the coffee remains smooth and refreshing until the last drop.”
Both the dripper and cups are by ORIGAMI. The café cups come in mint green, while the latte cups are beige. The drippers also alternate between the same two colors.
The hand-drip technique that earned Tetsuya the championship title may seem effortless at first glance, but there’s far more to it. He begins with a quick pour to saturate the grounds, then makes subtle adjustments to the water volume and pour speed based on the day’s condition of the beans and the preferences of his regulars. Since the components and concentration extracted from the coffee differ between the beginning and end of the pour, he stirs the brew in the server after brewing to create an even flow. Before serving, he always tastes the coffee to make sure everything is just right.
“Even when I know from experience that a particular method will hit the ‘strike zone,’ I still make fine-tuned adjustments to the grind size, the timing of the water pour, the speed, and the pouring location for each individual brew.” Tetsuya says.
This ongoing, humble dialogue with coffee, rather than relying solely on a set formula, is what ensures each cup is as good as the last.
A Duo of Coffee and Baked Goods That Blends Right into the Neighborhood
Their matching aprons feature a thoughtful, understated design. Pictured in front of the store with his wife Rie, who details the thought and care she put into the shape of the windows.
Coffee and Baked Ura opens at 8 a.m. to welcome regular customers and stays open until 7 p.m. so people can drop by after work. While the coffee is a big draw, many come especially for the baked goods made by Tetsuya’s wife, Rie. She brings nearly 12 years of experience crafting pastries and working with coffee from well-known cafes. The counter is usually filled with five to six different cakes and cookies.
Rie’s baked goods keep customers coming back again and again. The third photo shows the “Hummingbird”, a cinnamon-flavored treat baked with walnuts, bananas, and pineapple.
Given the family-oriented neighborhood, the shop also puts great effort into its decaf offerings. At first glance, decaf might seem irrelevant to true coffee lovers, but Tetsuya explains, “Some of our customers who love coffee so much that they drink several cups a day actually prefer decaf at home.”
Decaf coffee beans actually require more time and money to produce than regular beans. For example, the decaf on sale when we visited was harvested in Guatemala, sent to Mexico for the “Mountain Water Process” to remove the caffeine, and then shipped again. The goal is a medium-dark roast that avoids overly sharp acidity or excessive bitterness. The decaf pairs perfectly with milk and is popular among nursing mothers and athletes alike.
The carrot cake is perfectly spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg, creating a delightful blend of flavors. It’s paired with a dark roast Colombian coffee that highlights sweet berry notes. The coffee’s clean bitterness is followed by a smooth, lingering sweetness.
For this series, it has become a tradition to take home a bag of beans that made a strong impression during the interview. This time, I chose the decaf. The stories I heard that day, which seemed to thoughtfully anticipate the needs of even the most dedicated coffee drinkers, made me reflect on my own habits. Back home, I brewed it slightly on the stronger side and tasted it black. I was genuinely surprised by the depth of flavor, despite the absence of caffeine. It didn’t need to say much to leave a mark. That quiet, memorable quality captured the essence of Fukaura’s subtle magic.
The tasteful exterior adds a touch of charm to the quiet backstreet. The illustrated packaging and signage, designed by a friend, feel like a natural extension of the Fukauras’ easygoing style.
◾️SHOP
Coffee and Baked Ura
Address: 3-1-2 Nishikanagawa, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Phone: 080-4158-5010
instagram：@coffeeandbakedura
◾️COFFEE
Roast level: Light to dark
Roaster: Fuji Royal 3kg semi-hot-air roaster
Grinder: Mahlkönig
Brew method: Paper filter / ORIGAMI
Selection: Two blends, three single-origin options, and one decaf
Cups: ORIGAMI
