Fair trade specialist brand People Tree (ピープルツリー) is adding a coffee flavor to its well-received Fair Trade Yokan (フェアトレードようかん) series, which is made using specially cultivated azuki beans from the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. The new coffee yokan goes on sale from June 26, 2026 (Friday) at the People Tree Jiyugaoka store, the online shop, and participating retailers nationwide.
An updated Fair Trade Yokan special web page has also launched, introducing the ingredients and producers behind each flavor:
https://peopletree.co.jp/pages/yokan
New Arrival: Fair Trade Yokan – Coffee
Organic coffee grown in the highlands of Peru — one of People Tree's perennially popular offerings — is ground extra-fine and blended directly into a muscovado sugar yokan base. The result is a robust, sweet aroma that melds seamlessly with the natural flavor of the yokan.
Price: ¥442 (tax included)
Premium Ingredients, Artisan Craftsmanship
The yokan base is made from three carefully selected ingredients: specially cultivated azuki beans from Tokachi — regarded as some of the highest-quality in Japan and abroad — fair trade muscovado sugar (マスコバド糖) made from sugarcane grown on Negros Island in the Philippines, and fine agar (細寒天) produced using a traditional method. A seasoned artisan stays with the pot throughout, carefully simmering and working the mixture.
To bring out the best in these hand-picked ingredients, the artisan adjusts every step by checking the season, the weather on the day, and the condition of each ingredient. The resulting yokan — smooth in texture and deep in flavor — reflects nearly a century of expertise from a specialist maker devoted to the art of anko (bean paste).
*Specially cultivated produce (特別栽培農産物): crops grown with reduced use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides (nitrogen content and number of applications at or below half the conventional norm) as part of a commitment to sustainable farming that works in harmony with natural cycles.
Recommended Gift Sets
Boxed gift sets are available, making them ideal for greetings, expressions of gratitude, or small celebrations. Each set brings together four flavors in one cheerful assortment — and works equally well as a treat for yourself.
The top of the box features an illustration of an azuki bean field stretching across the wide Hokkaido landscape. Open the lid and a Snowshoe Hare (エゾユキウサギ) peeks out; turn the box over and a Red Fox (キタキツネ) is hiding on the back.
New Gift Set: Fair Trade Yokan 4-Pack
A gift set featuring one piece each of the four Fair Trade Yokan flavors — coffee, muscovado sugar, chocolate, and strawberry & chocolate — presented in a single box.
Price: ¥1,760 (tax included)
New Gift Set: Fair Trade Yokan 8-Pack
A gift set featuring two pieces each of the four Fair Trade Yokan flavors — coffee, muscovado sugar, chocolate, and strawberry & chocolate — presented in a single box.
Price: ¥3,456 (tax included)
Other Flavors
Fair Trade Yokan – Muscovado Sugar
A simple brown sugar yokan made from just three ingredients: rich muscovado sugar, specially cultivated azuki beans, and fine agar. Crafted with care, it delivers a smooth texture and a satisfying, never-tiresome flavor that lets the ingredients speak for themselves.
Price: ¥388 (tax included)
Fair Trade Yokan – Chocolate
A long-time favorite blending organic bitter chocolate from Switzerland into the yokan base. The distinctive texture and melt-in-the-mouth quality of yokan meet the richness of cacao, creating a complex flavor reminiscent of fresh chocolate.
Price: ¥432 (tax included)
Fair Trade Yokan – Strawberry & Chocolate
The same organic Swiss bitter chocolate yokan base is accented with tangy-sweet dried strawberries from Madagascar.
Price: ¥432 (tax included)
Supporting Farmers Through Your Purchase
Azuki beans are a delicate crop susceptible to the effects of climate change — their prices fluctuate widely and the harvest requires significant labor. As a result, even in the Tokachi region, known as a top-tier growing area both in Japan and internationally, more farmers are shifting to soybeans, which are hardier and in higher demand.
The specially cultivated azuki beans used in these yokan are grown by producers and organizations working to advance sustainable organic farming practices.
Beyond the azuki beans, the other ingredients — muscovado sugar, coffee, chocolate, and dried fruit — are also sourced through fair trade. By working directly with small-scale farmer cooperatives, the trading terms are designed to support a stable livelihood for the producers.
People Tree actively uses these ingredients to support producers' work and to pursue a vision of a happier society where people and nature coexist — the goal that both organic and fair trade movements strive toward.
