Jazz Kissa Altec

Altec (officially Jazz 喫茶 Altec) is a wonderful jazz cafe in distant Adachi Ward, north Tokyo, that may not be very well known but is one of the finest jazz kissa in the city. On an old style shopping street in the Nishi-Arai neighborhood, the first impression of Altec is the beautiful white sign hanging outside.

The entry way is all made of wood, preparing you for the all wooden interior. The shy, but friendly master (he never gave his name) explained that he had the room constructed with special wood that would enhance the acoustics of the room, and he most certainly accomplished that; when he took my request for Bobby Hutcherson and put on the album, the sounds of the vibraphone immediately surrounded us warmly. The volume was perfect; there are few jazz kissa with sound this good. (Obviously, the shop is named after the large Altec speakers that face the whole room).

There are about 20 seats, but not all facing the speakers. It’s a quite spot, with seemingly regular customers only stopping by for their jazz time. There is coffee and beer on the menu, but don’t expect anything too fancy at Altec, this is a joint for some serious music listening. I recommend having a nice walk around the nearby Mangan-Ji Buddhist temple complex, then settling in at Altec for a good couple of hours.

Open only 1300 -1900, closed Wednesdays. No social media or website so best to call ahead to confirm opening times as they seem flexible.