"No kidding！Japanese coffee is better by far than this!" by.hide

"Would it be possible if we ask you to create a special blended coffee to represent his song?"

It was in 2004 when a request was sent to SUBARUCOFFEE, out of the blue. The client was a professional representative for hide. Worldwide well-known as an extraordinary rock star and as a guitarist of the monster-band named X JAPAN, and who laid down life's burden in 1998.

"The song on my mind is《HURRY GO ROUND》. I hope to hand out this coffee toward all attendees at his 7th remembrance ceremony, with all consolation and his most beloved Japanese coffee"

I felt my knees began to shake, to be honest. He just pronounced "hide", right? In addition, a tribute for the song 《HURRY GO ROUND》 with original coffee flavor? OMG. Why me, this man of a local coffee shop? I got totally confused with my mind full of questions.

"I mean I am asking you all of this, Mr. Hosono." This guy insisted. "Everything is up to you." Still in a total confusion with many unsolved questions. However, I already started go into a quest with all my imagination and my creativity to embody《HURRY GO ROUND》in a cup of coffee.

What inspired me most in making this hide's coffee HURRY GO ROUND was the fact that hide was a " Japanese coffee" lover. Among his songs which are often compared to"a turned-over toybox", I found that《HURRY GO ROUND》evokes us tender feelings and everchanging moods.

According to my first inspiration that Brazilian premium natural coffee would be the best as a key element, I began to research some production areas and to collect thier samples.

Brazil is the biggest coffee-producing country of the world and Brazilian coffee dominates Japanese coffee market for long time. So it is very common in Japan with its tolerant and supple flavor.

With the base of Brazilian single-origine, after fixing its roast range in five different tiers (far from universal way), mixing was done.

《HURRY GO ROUND》was finally worked up and distributed at the remembrance ceremony. There I met and introduced myself to YOSHIKI, aka the X JAPAN's front man, needless to tell. "I believe that hide is so happy today because he loved Japanese coffee so much. I deeply appreciate your work for him, Mr Hosono!" His sincere words made a great weight off my shoulders after a long challenging time.

However, I received afterward a tons of requests such as "How can I enjoy that《HURRY GO ROUND》once more?"from those who attended the ceremony. This is how we launched our period-limited event named Week of hide at SUBARUCOFFEE.

In 2010, I was one of the concerned parties of he 13th remembrance ceremony of hide at Tsukiji Hongan-ji, Tokyo. Under the bright blue sky of May, it was attended by almost 35 thousand people and the line of them reached as far as to the Sumida river. I noticed that the number of younger people increased. They were the following generation who came to be a fan of hide after his passing away.

For this ceremony an additional request was given to me to work for "the second song",《Pink Spider》. Being different from the first one, this song is heavy and voluminous, impressively edgy, but at the same time, is intensively catchy like a mosaic.

Just like Brazil, Columbia is the one of the most important country of the worldwide coffee market, which has had a great impact on Japanese coffee scene. After some investigation of some areas including MAMS, this time I came to convince myself that it should be the best if I add Indonesia-Sumatra origined coffee, especially arabica of Linton, and eventually I made a new flavor which evokes richness and bitterness of this song, as well as an aftertaste with sharpness.

Watching the people who handled this《Pink Spider》like a treasure, and the seamless and endless line of hide's fans, I thought that hide has never passed away, with a curious sense of satisfaction,

And then, this year 2018. 20 years after his crossing the Great Divide, I was given an another request to work for《the third 》number. "To pass down hide's legend to the next generation, to the future." That was emphasized and repeated. I figured out an implied statement as《Dream and Freadom》.

Every time I work for this series of creation, I suffer from extreme tenseness and never get used to it. This time I finished my creation when cherries got ready to bloom. Echoes of his song was drifting with an aroma of japanese coffee into the air of Spring. Then I was singing《ever free》by myself.Since its launch in 2005, 《Week of hide》has been continued to take place every spring, thanks to many fans and people in charge.

I wish to keep on trying to be timeless and evergreen as a coffee seller with all my belief in the power of a cup of coffee. Just like all 《the numbers》 he left to us.

With all belief in the power of a cup of coffee!
NEVER GIVE UP!! JAPAN