Australia taps into Japan's discovery of coffee

By Deborah Cameron Herald Correspondent in Tokyo

Japan's tea ceremony, and the mystical aura that surrounds it, is giving way to the smell of fresh roasted beans and the mastery of the barista.

Young Japanese are choosing to retreat to coffee shops rather than tea houses, and sipping cappuccino, and more than likely, indulging in a bit of cheesecake.

It is a lifestyle shift that is frothing up the hopes of the dairy industry in Australia and Japan as both sides prepare for talks in Tokyo on Thursday and Friday.

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