About KUMONO
Our philosophy
The taste of home, shared with the world.
Yunnan is our home. KUMONO grew from our affection for this land and a wish to see its coffee recognised among the world's coffee origins.
Every cup holds the flavours of the land and the work of growers, year after year. We want that effort to be understood, quality to be fairly recognised, and Yunnan to earn trust through the coffee that carries its name.
The journey from home to the world begins with careful work: selecting beans, describing origins and flavours honestly, and building lasting relationships with people who value quality. Through KUMONO, we hope more people discover Yunnan through taste, and that their appreciation helps support its future.
One day, wherever people are in the world, we hope Yunnan comes naturally to mind when they choose good coffee.
That is a future we want to help create.
Meet KUMONO
Friendly and a little mischievous, KUMONO wants to bring good fortune and smiles to everyone. The character's roots lie in Wamao, the ceramic guardians traditionally placed on Yunnan rooftops.
Wamao are ceramic figures made with wishes to ward off misfortune and protect a household's peace and happiness. Part cat, part tiger, they watch over the home with a wide-open mouth: fierce yet endearing. KUMONO carries both their character and the wishes they embody.
What makes KUMONO happiest is seeing someone nearby smile. A funny face or a cheeky peek is an invitation to share a little joy. Behind that broad grin is a simple wish: may you feel well and have a good day.
Alongside KUMONO, we bring you coffee grown in Yunnan. Behind each cup are landscapes shaped by mountains and rivers, and people who work closely with the land. Come take a glimpse of KUMONO's home through coffee.
Our story
A little of Yunnan in your everyday cup.
Cross a mountain or follow a river, and another landscape unfolds. Yunnan coffee grows in a land of many faces. We hope a cup leads you to the scenery behind it and to flavours you have not yet discovered. KUMONO begins with curiosity about this place.
The Three Parallel Rivers in northwest Yunnan reveal the scale of its landscape. The Jinsha, Lancang and Nu rivers run almost side by side through deep valleys separated by high mountains. Follow the Lancang and Nu southward and coffee-growing lands appear along their basins. Distant mountains and rivers begin to connect with a cup of coffee.
Pu'er is a landscape of layered hills and valleys. In Baoshan, the warm Lujiang Valley lies along the Nu River at the foot of the Gaoligong Mountains. Lincang's mountains rise between the Lancang and Nu rivers. Farther west is Dehong beside Myanmar; to the south, the tropical forests of Xishuangbanna. Within Yunnan, a change of place brings a different growing environment.
These slopes and valleys shape how coffee grows. Altitude and slope direction affect temperature, sunlight and rainfall. Coffee is planted where warmth and rain are suitable and frost is less likely. Daylight, cool nights and seasonal rain come together to support the harvest.
Explore Yunnan's coffee regions
Working with nature, growers choose suitable varieties, nurture the fruit and harvest it. Processing and roasting then turn each bean's character into aroma and flavour. At KUMONO, we treasure the pleasure of discovering differences created by the land and the people who work with it. Some days familiar roasted notes bring comfort; on others, a new aroma sparks curiosity. We hope finding your favourite cup makes you want to know Yunnan a little better.
We also value the time you take to enjoy that cup. Pause in a busy day, breathe in the aroma and let your shoulders relax with a sip. Whether brewing for yourself or sharing with someone, we hope there is a little more room to breathe. “Mountain calm, in every cup” expresses our wish to bring that moment alongside the flavours of Yunnan.
May a good cup be one of today's small pleasures, and may you spend the day feeling well and smiling. Together with KUMONO and its wishes for your happiness, we bring the flavours of Yunnan into everyday life.
Mountain calm, in every cup.