I pursued my master’s degree in sociology at Hitotsubashi University in Japan and later earned my PhD in geography from the University of Exeter in the UK, focusing on Ethiopian coffee tourism. Many people ask me how I began this research. Today, I want to share that story. I have always been drawn to projects…… Continue reading How a Winter Festival in Korea Led Me to Ethiopian Coffee Tourism
Category: Ethiopian Coffee
Reconnecting Across Time and Borders: A Journey Back to Kaffa, Ethiopia
Fourteen years ago, I was a PhD student researching Ethiopian coffee tourism. My work took me to Kaffa, the birthplace of Arabica coffee, where I conducted fieldwork and immersed myself in the region’s rich coffee culture. During that time, I met an American Peace Corps volunteer, Chuck, and together we visited Ethiopia’s oldest coffee tree,…… Continue reading Reconnecting Across Time and Borders: A Journey Back to Kaffa, Ethiopia
A Journey Back in Time: Revisiting a 14-Year-Old Peace Corps Memory
Yesterday, I came across an article written by a former Peace Corps volunteer who was stationed in Ethiopia. The piece, written 14 years ago, unexpectedly included a photo of my younger self along with my name, which completely surprised me. Back when I was pursuing my PhD in the UK, I conducted fieldwork in the…… Continue reading A Journey Back in Time: Revisiting a 14-Year-Old Peace Corps Memory
Ethiopia: The Birthplace of Coffee and Its Connection to Korea
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in East Africa with a population of around 110 million, making it the second-most populous nation on the continent after Nigeria. It shares borders with Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia. Despite its geographic location, direct flights connect Incheon Airport in…… Continue reading Ethiopia: The Birthplace of Coffee and Its Connection to Korea
Ethiopia: A Country with Many Names for Coffee
In the same way that the icy world has various terms for snow, and the desert world has countless words for sand, Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, has many names for this beloved beverage. Across Ethiopia, the names for coffee reflect its deep cultural importance and regional variations: – Buna: The most common name for…… Continue reading Ethiopia: A Country with Many Names for Coffee
