Professor Atsunori Ariga of the Faculty of Letters: The Taste of Coffee Changes with Touch —A World-First Discovery: Smooth Tactile Sensations Reduce Perceived Acidity—

Professor Atsunori Ariga of the Faculty of Letters, Chuo University, and Natsumi Kubo (then a graduate student in the Graduate School of Letters), have discovered that tactile sensations influence the perceived taste of coffee.

Previous studies have reported that the material of a coffee cup can affect taste evaluation. However, those studies were unable to fully eliminate the influence of visual information and tactile sensations from the lips, leaving the effect of tactile sensation perceived by the hands alone unclear.

This study is the first in the world to demonstrate the effect of tactile sensation alone on the evaluation of coffee taste.

Specifically, when drinking from a cup fitted with a sleeve that feels smooth to the touch, participants perceived the coffee as less acidic than when drinking from a cup with a rough-textured sleeve. Furthermore, even when touching objects unrelated to the cup or sleeve, a smooth tactile sensation still reduced the perceived acidity of the coffee. This suggests that the textures of objects touched while drinking coffee in everyday situations—such as desks or smartphones—could potentially influence its flavor.

In recent years, the materials used for cups and sleeves have drawn attention as an important component of the "brand experience." This study demonstrates the potential for altering the sensory experience of coffee through the texture of sleeves and surrounding materials, while highlighting the importance of future design of drinking experiences from a holistic, multisensory perspective.

The findings of this study were published online in the international academic journal Multisensory Research on June 3, 2026 (Japan Standard Time).

【Researcher】

Atsunori Ariga
Professor, Faculty of Letters, Chuo University

【Publication Details】

Journal:  Multisensory Research
Title:       The contextually tolerant but temporally intolerant sensation transference from tactile to taste in drinking coffee
Authors:  Natsumi Kubo & Atsunori Ariga
DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1163/22134808-bja10198

For further details, please refer to the press release. (link available in Japanese)

If you are interested in Professor Ariga’s research, please also visit the links below:

- Flavor changes with the thickness of the glass --Why did a unique industry-academia collaboration between humanities and social sciences and a flavor manufacturer succeed?

- Learn more about Professor Ariga’s research: Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Faculty of Letters, Chuo University (Website)

- Press Release: Experimental Simulation of Fraud Impersonating Police Officers Conducted—One in Five Students Who Answered Mobile Phones May Fall Victim— (Published February 16, 2026) (link available in Japanese)

- Press Release: Thick Glass Makes Beer Taste Sweeter, Thin Glass More Bitter—A New Way to Experience Beer Through Touch (Published December 8, 2025) (link available in Japanese)

- News: Tea tastes sweet in a thick-lipped heavy glasses, tea tastes bitter in a thin-lipped light glasses—The tactile thickness of the lip and weight of a glass can modulate sensory perception of tea beverage— (June 6, 2023)