USD1 convenience-store coffees fuel Japan's surge into Java big leagues

Coffee sales at convenience stores surged 48 percent last year, the fastest-growing part of the domestic beverage market, as cups costing just over JPY100 each boosted consumption to a record. Japan is the world's biggest coffee importer after the US and Germany. Demand per person will eventually be comparable to the US and Europe, said Kazuyuki Kajiwara, general manager at the beverage department of trading company Marubeni Corp.