On August 28, Rancilio Specialty joins Navy Blue for the final stage of the 1st Crack Coffee Challenge 2026 at Tokyo Culture Culture — one of Tokyo’s most vibrant venues for creativity, innovation, and cultural exchange.
Six finalists will take the stage throughout the event, presenting their coffees from roast to cup and sharing the vision behind their work. At the heart of the competition, the Rancilio Specialty RS1 will power espresso extraction and tastings for attendees. Thanks to its Advanced Temperature Profiling technology, competitors can fine-tune water temperature during extraction to highlight the intrinsic characteristics of each coffee.
Performances will be evaluated by a panel of four judges, who will select the 2026 champion. The winner will receive a unique opportunity: a mystery coffee farm tour in a coffee-producing region alongside other champions from Japan and South Korea.
Dedicated to discovering Japan’s best young coffee roaster, the competition celebrates excellence across roasting, brewing, storytelling, and craftsmanship while supporting the sustainable growth of the specialty coffee industry.
1st Crack Coffee Challenge 2026
August 28, 2026
From 4 PM to 8 PM
Tokyo Culture Culture
4th Floor, cocoti SHIBUYA, 1-23-16 Shibuya
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002, Japan
