山形県東田川群庄内町余目字沢108-1
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Atelier GENMAI DECAF
アトリエ玄米デカフェ｜atelier GENMAI DECAF
January 2026
Crowdfunding Launch
The former waterworks site in the middle of that rice field,
which once supplied water to the town,
will be reborn as “Atelier Genmai Decafe Shonai Roastery,”
connecting Japan's rice culture to the future.
JAPANESE RICE COFFEE JAPANESE RICE COFFEE
Because Shonai Is One of Japan’s Premier Rice-Growing Regions
Amarume, Shonai Town, Yamagata Prefecture.
Standing quietly in the middle of vast rice fields is a former water purification plant that once supplied water to three-quarters of the town.
Here, we create “Rice Coffee” — Genmai Decaf, a beverage made by roasting Japanese rice.
It contains no coffee beans and is a 100% caffeine-free drink made solely from domestically produced brown rice.
We are revitalizing this former water facility in the heart of Shonai’s rice fields as “Atelier Genmai Decaf Shonai Roastery,”
and from here, we aim to share a new culture of “drinkable rice” with the world.
Using the roastery as our base, we also aspire to build a future “Shonai Model” that connects agriculture, welfare, and tourism.
By expanding the possibilities of Genmai Decaf, we seek to create new demand beyond table rice, preserving this rural andscape and Japan’s staple crop for generations to come.
This marks the beginning of a new initiative linking rice culture and the future.
The “Quiet Crisis” Facing Japanese Rice Farming
Over the past 60 years, rice consumption in Japan has fallen by half, and the number of rice farmers has declined to approximately one-seventh of its former level.
As prices fall and successors become scarce, maintaining rice paddies has become increasingly difficult.
As a result, local landscapes and food culture are gradually disappearing.
This situation is also impacting regional economies and has become a “quietly progressing crisis” of growing seriousness.
The Coffee
2050 Problem
According to a report by World Coffee Research (WCR), climate change is expected to reduce suitable growing areas for Arabica coffee varieties by half by 2050.
As global production declines and prices rise, the stable supply of coffee is predicted to become increasingly difficult.
The development of alternative beverages and the expansion of consumer choices are now urgently needed.
Genmai Decaf Is Not a Substitute,
but an Evolution
Creating a New Drinking Culture
That Carries Japanese Rice
into the Future
Genmai Decaf is a 100% caffeine-free beverage made by carefully roasting brown rice.
Its only ingredient is rice.
Rather than artificially recreating coffee-like flavors, it was born from a philosophy of pursuing the natural aroma and umami of the rice itself.
Development began in 2012 in response to Japan’s surplus rice issue.
Through years of roasting research, a deep and satisfying flavor was achieved in 2015.
Because flavor varies depending on rice variety and region, Genmai Decaf offers the pleasure of choice as a “single-origin rice” beverage.
Genmai Decaf is not a replacement for coffee.
It is a new drinking culture that expands and evolves Japan’s rice heritage.
Crowdfunding
Overview
If your daily cup
could become an act that sustains culture and shapes the future.
Genmai Decaf aims to create such a choice
from Japanese rice.
If you'd like, please join us in this endeavor.
Funding Goal:¥2,000,000
Use of Funds
- ● Renovation of the former water purification facility
(interior construction, insulation, electrical work, water supply and drainage) - ● Introduction of roasting, grinding, and filling equipment
リターン
- ● Tasting Set: 1 Drip Filter, 12-Piece Set
- ● Tasting Gift Set: Rare Brown Rice Decaf Set (40 pieces)
- ● Brown Rice Decaf 40pcs + Event Invitation
How to Support
- Please make your contribution through the dedicated crowdfunding website.
