Starbucks Japan Celebrates 30th Anniversary, Launches "WHY NOT COFFEE?" Campaign; New "Caramel Macchiato" to be Released on April 17th (Friday)
Starbucks Japan is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the "WHY NOT COFFEE?" campaign, launching an updated "Caramel Macchiato" on April 17, 2026. This initiative aims to offer a comforting cup for every moment, with the revamped drink featuring improved caramel sauce and a new vanilla bean flavor syrup.
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- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 20:00
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Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Hisae Mori) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with the sentiment, "Coffee is more than just a drink. - WHY NOT COFFEE?". We will propose a cup that accompanies various moments in daily life, fitting each mood and scene, regardless of one's familiarity with coffee.
As the first installment of this initiative, the long-loved "Caramel Macchiato" since its inception will be reborn. It's designed to be an "off-switch" within your "on" busy days, offering a moment of relaxation. Evolving in taste, it will be released on April 17, 2026 (Friday).
*Image is for illustration purposes only.
## "Coffee is more than just a drink. - WHY NOT COFFEE?" First Installment: The Evolution of Caramel Macchiato!
The "Caramel Macchiato," appearing at the dawn of "WHY NOT COFFEE?", has been a signature Starbucks beverage loved for a long time since its launch in Japan in 1999. At that time, espresso beverages were not yet widely familiar in Japan, and perhaps this drink was a catalyst for making them more approachable. This year, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary, this beverage, which has nurtured the approachability of coffee, has evolved into a cup that offers a moment of relaxation amidst the busy "on" hours of work and study.
The new "Caramel Macchiato," with its fluffy texture and lingering bittersweet caramel notes, features not only an updated recipe for the topping caramel sauce itself but also a review of the syrup blended with espresso and milk, with the addition of a new vanilla bean flavor syrup.
The caramel sauce's recipe and formulation have been modified to enhance the taste, which allows for a more pronounced bittersweetness, and the aroma of caramelized sugar and butter that wafts from the pot when making caramel from scratch. It harmonizes with the robustness of the darkly roasted, fragrant espresso. Furthermore, the vanilla bean flavor syrup was developed through repeated trial-and-error, with mutual confirmation of its matching with the caramel sauce and espresso, achieving a balance of a sophisticated and deep flavor optimal for Caramel Macchiato.
## The Iced "Caramel Macchiato" is Now a New Style with Fluffy Mousse Foam!
The iced "Caramel Macchiato" features an updated layered structure. After layering fragrant milk with vanilla bean flavor syrup and fluffy yet chewy mousse foam, espresso is poured in, and finally, caramel sauce is drizzled on top. When you drink directly from the cup without a straw, all layers blend together in the best balance, allowing you to enjoy a unified taste. Within its cold sensation, you can savor the luxurious spread unique to iced beverages, woven from fluffy mousse, the bittersweetness of caramel, and the flavor of espresso.
It's the perfect beverage for when you want to take a breather, without being overly sweet.
## Delivering Quality Ingredients to Customers in Their Best State is the Barista's Skillful Technique
When creating a Caramel Macchiato, the barista's skill shines in milk steaming. Careful steaming results in high-quality, fine, and dense foam milk that blends well with espresso and syrup, beautifully expressing the cross-hatch pattern drawn with caramel sauce. Enjoy the bittersweetness of caramel sauce, the perfectly matched espresso, and the aroma of vanilla bean flavor, all layered over fluffy foam milk, realized through such barista craft.
## Product Name / Price (Prices shown are inclusive of tax)
"Caramel Macchiato" (Hot / Iced)
*For Takeout*: Short ¥530~ / Tall ¥570~ / Grande ¥614~ / Venti® ¥658~
*For In-Store*: Short ¥540~ / Tall ¥580~ / Grande ¥625~ / Venti® ¥671~
*Prices may vary at some stores.
◆ Sales Period: April 17, 2026 (Friday) ~ Scheduled for year-round sale
*May be temporarily out of stock.
◆ Available Stores: All Starbucks stores nationwide (excluding some stores)
## Coffee is more than just a drink. - WHY NOT COFFEE?
As the first installment of this initiative, the long-loved "Caramel Macchiato" since its inception will be reborn. It's designed to be an "off-switch" within your "on" busy days, offering a moment of relaxation. Evolving in taste, it will be released on April 17, 2026 (Friday).
*Image is for illustration purposes only.
## "Coffee is more than just a drink. - WHY NOT COFFEE?" First Installment: The Evolution of Caramel Macchiato!
The "Caramel Macchiato," appearing at the dawn of "WHY NOT COFFEE?", has been a signature Starbucks beverage loved for a long time since its launch in Japan in 1999. At that time, espresso beverages were not yet widely familiar in Japan, and perhaps this drink was a catalyst for making them more approachable. This year, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary, this beverage, which has nurtured the approachability of coffee, has evolved into a cup that offers a moment of relaxation amidst the busy "on" hours of work and study.
The new "Caramel Macchiato," with its fluffy texture and lingering bittersweet caramel notes, features not only an updated recipe for the topping caramel sauce itself but also a review of the syrup blended with espresso and milk, with the addition of a new vanilla bean flavor syrup.
The caramel sauce's recipe and formulation have been modified to enhance the taste, which allows for a more pronounced bittersweetness, and the aroma of caramelized sugar and butter that wafts from the pot when making caramel from scratch. It harmonizes with the robustness of the darkly roasted, fragrant espresso. Furthermore, the vanilla bean flavor syrup was developed through repeated trial-and-error, with mutual confirmation of its matching with the caramel sauce and espresso, achieving a balance of a sophisticated and deep flavor optimal for Caramel Macchiato.
## The Iced "Caramel Macchiato" is Now a New Style with Fluffy Mousse Foam!
The iced "Caramel Macchiato" features an updated layered structure. After layering fragrant milk with vanilla bean flavor syrup and fluffy yet chewy mousse foam, espresso is poured in, and finally, caramel sauce is drizzled on top. When you drink directly from the cup without a straw, all layers blend together in the best balance, allowing you to enjoy a unified taste. Within its cold sensation, you can savor the luxurious spread unique to iced beverages, woven from fluffy mousse, the bittersweetness of caramel, and the flavor of espresso.
It's the perfect beverage for when you want to take a breather, without being overly sweet.
## Delivering Quality Ingredients to Customers in Their Best State is the Barista's Skillful Technique
When creating a Caramel Macchiato, the barista's skill shines in milk steaming. Careful steaming results in high-quality, fine, and dense foam milk that blends well with espresso and syrup, beautifully expressing the cross-hatch pattern drawn with caramel sauce. Enjoy the bittersweetness of caramel sauce, the perfectly matched espresso, and the aroma of vanilla bean flavor, all layered over fluffy foam milk, realized through such barista craft.
## Product Name / Price (Prices shown are inclusive of tax)
"Caramel Macchiato" (Hot / Iced)
*For Takeout*: Short ¥530~ / Tall ¥570~ / Grande ¥614~ / Venti® ¥658~
*For In-Store*: Short ¥540~ / Tall ¥580~ / Grande ¥625~ / Venti® ¥671~
*Prices may vary at some stores.
◆ Sales Period: April 17, 2026 (Friday) ~ Scheduled for year-round sale
*May be temporarily out of stock.
◆ Available Stores: All Starbucks stores nationwide (excluding some stores)
## Coffee is more than just a drink. - WHY NOT COFFEE?