Cafe Ragtime

Fujimi Yoshida Bldg. B1, Fujimi 2-2-11, Chiyoda
Kudanminami 1 Chome 2-1 Chiyoda-ku Tōkyō-to JP

Cafe Ragtime has live music every Thursday and Friday nights, usually piano and sax or vocalist duos. It’s a friendly place, good to drop by if you are doing an Iidabashi & Kagurazaka afternoon walk.

Size
11-20
Food
Yes
Directions

Station: Iidabashi – JR Chuo & Sobu Lines, Namboku&Tozai Subway Lines

Exit: B2

Distance from station: 3 minutes

Date published
06/01/2009
Big Boy inside.JPG
1-11 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda 0 km

Big Boy is a tiny cafe/bar on a side street off the main road through Jinbocho, the old book shop area of Tokyo. It was opened ten years ago by ex-advertising man Hayashi-san, a very serious jazz collector. He right away started telling us about his large collection, as well as the names of other jazz cafes all around Japan. We immediately felt at home with the warm welcome by Hayashi-san and his wife.

The space is a small one, seating maybe a max of about 15 people. Hayashi-san has taken great care with his audio system and as a result, the sound in Big Boy is incredible. (Details on his web page about all the equipment.) There’s a vast amount of vinyl along with CDs behind the bar, all genres though Hayashi-san points out that unlike a lot of other jazz cafes, he plays a lot of contemporary jazz from Europe. There was a new CD by a Polish piano trio playing when I last visited, very swinging.

Big Boy isn’t the kind of place to go if you want to have an extended chat; the music is loud and the sound system so crisp, you’ll want to just sit back and enjoy the music. Open until 5pm as a cafe, then from 7pm as a bar. Take note: ¥1000 table charge at night. Photos of Big Boy over at Tokyo Jazz Joints

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2-24 Jimbocho Kanda, Chiyoda-Ku 0 km

Kissa Ko is one of the older cafes in town but had a facelift in 2012 so now has an all new decor. It’s in the is  back streets of Jimbocho in an Edo-style wooden house that seems to be one of those buildings that survived the war.The owners have kept some of the original furniture in the small second floor tatami-space, a very relaxing spot to linger in.

They specialize in gourmet coffee here and are open from 7:30am during the week for breakfast. The jazz is mostly standard stuff with some vocals, nothing too challenging but nothing too “lite” either. Kissa Ko is a great place to stop by after browsing the book shops in Jimbocho or even a late morning coffee before hitting the streets.

2F 1-52-1 Jimbocho, Kanda, Chiyoda-Ku 0 km
03-3294-362103-3294-3621

All used records (and a few CDs) here with vocals & swing jazz being the specialty. Lots of old music journals and magazines too, it’s a fun place to browse.

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