Kaiwa Coffee is the latest innovation of Mike Lyons English School.
I am Mike Lyons. I’m a Canadian who moved to Gifu-ken in 1994. I teach English at several universities in Nagoya and run my own private English schools. Since conversation always seems better with a cup of coffee, I have tried to instill in my school the atmosphere of a traditional coffee house, filled with lively exchange of ideas. I think everyone, young and old, enjoys a good intellectual conversation!
Back in 1999, I bought a sample roaster and started roasting for family, friends and my adult students. I bought an espresso machine too, and the students could choose from an extensive espresso drinks menu. But I consider myself a roaster, not a barista, and eventually we went back to drip coffees!
Nowadays, I still love coffee, but coffee doesn’t love me quite as much; I have to limit my caffeine intake. Still, roasting for others is my very great pleasure.
In the summer of 2024 I had to stop roasting for 2 months while my house was undergoing repairs. This gave me the opportunity to visit and try the coffee of Japanese roasters in my area. I found some tasty roasts, and more importantly met some really cool people – the kind of people I would most like to have conversations with! This led to the creation of my online English class for coffee people.
