Ken's Bar Bourbon & Jazz - CLOSED 2022

Maruha Bldg. B1, 1-1-7 Kabukicho, Shinjuku
Kabukichō 1 Chome 1-7 Shinjuku-ku Tōkyō-to JP
03-3204-202803-3204-2028

NOTE: Now Bar Clarisse’s, still with a lot of bourbon!

200 types of Bourbon, cool jazz playing on the system. That about sums it up. Small place, go alone or with one friend.

Size
1-10
Directions

Station: Shinjuku-JR (many) /Marunouchi/Oedo/Keio/Odakyu Lines

Exit: My City

Distance from station: 6-9 minutes

Date published
02/18/2009 UPDATED 2022
Shiramuren.jpg
1 Chome−1−10, Kabukicho, Shinjuku 0.04 km
How can I describe this place? It’s small, dark and old; owner Otsuka-san was surly and u...
photo(14).JPG
Ebisu Kaikan Bldg, 4F Kabukicho 1-10-5. Shinjuku, Tokyo 0.09 km
In 2013 Black Sun moved from it’s long time home in Nishi-Shinjuku to the heart of Kabukich...
Kissa Sakaiki inside.JPG
2-4, Dai Kyo Machi, Shinjuku-Ku 0.09 km
Kissa Sakaiki gives me hope that the spirit of the Japanese jazz-kissaten will survive. Owner F...
Royal Mansion B1, Shinjuku 5-1-1, Shinjuku-Ku 0.09 km
Old basement club, lots of vocalists on the schedule. Mellow vibe and not too expensive.
Narushisu inside.jpg
2F, 1 Chome−13−6, Kabukicho, Shinjuku 0.19 km
I found this tiny gem of a jazz cafe amidst the chaos that is Kabukicho in Shinjuku. It is a smal...
FS Bldg 4F, 3-20-6 Shinjuku 0.19 km
This is a quiet piano bar with live music nightly though more BGM style, not really a live club. ...
Jazz Room Stick inside.jpg
3 Chome−22, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 0.29 km
Jazz Room Stick is a great old jazz joint in the heart of Shinjuku, located almost directly beh...
Old+Cat_-2.jpg
3-26-2 Shinjuku Shinjuku Tokyo 0.38 km
03-3354-935403-3354-9354
The Old Blind Cat in Shinjuku has a long and fascinating history, as much as any jazz bar in town...
Jazz Tweeter outside.JPG
1-19-11 B1F Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku 0.39 km
Jazz Tweeter was opened a couple of years ago by long-time hotel restaurant chef Ishizuka-san. He...
curtisinside.jpg
Shinjuku-Ku, 3-chome 8-5 0.41 km
Curtis is one of my favorite bars in Tokyo. As the name gives away, this is a soul music bar with...
index.jpg
Shinjuku 2-12-4, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 160-0022 0.47 km
The Pit Inn remains near, or at the top, of any list of live jazz venues in the Tokyo area. 2015 ...
IMG_2862.JPG
B1, 3-35-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku 0.48 km
Jazz Pepe is as old school as it gets. Opened in 1969 by the now 77 year old Okuma-san, Pepe is a...
Samurai inside.JPG
Mori Bldg. 5F, 3-35-5, Shinjuku-Ku 0.52 km
Samurai is located in the building that used to house the Shinjuku Pit-Inn before they moved to t...
matchgreen.jpg
Nishi-shinjuku 1-4-20, Shinjuku-Ku 0.53 km
The Vagabond is a classic joint right next to the West Exit of Shinjuku station. I think the revi...
Hals Jazz outside.jpg
Daikan Plaza B-306, 7-10-17 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku 0.54 km
It’s all about vinyl at Hal’s Jazz. Owner Ikeda-san keeps a few racks of cds in the c...
IMG_4030.JPG
Chome 34-8, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 0.62 km
Someday is a nice, spacious club in Shinjuku, well known for their various big band and Latin jaz...
Pearl Bar outside.JPG
Higashi Shin Bldg , 4F, 3-21-7, Shinjuku, Shunjuku-Ku 0.68 km
Pearl Bar is a real sleek “grown up” jazz bar in the center of Shinjuku. Lots of cock...
Houdenasu.JPG
New Gold Bldg, 2F, 3-6-10 Shinjuku-Ku 1.16 km
Houdenasu (ほうでなす) is a small 2nd floor bar located right in the heart of Shinjuku 3-Chome,...
1-36-12 Yoyogi Shibuya 1.17 km
Sister-branch of Naru in Ochanomizu.
Ribbon outside.jpg
Watanabe Bldg B2 Ginza 8-6-19 1.27 km
The Ribbon is what most people would think of when hearing the words “Ginza Jazz”. It...
Stardust inside.JPG
Minami Bldg B1 Asagaya-Kita 2-13-5 1.27 km
03-3337-132503-3337-1325
Masuda-san sadly passed away in 2012. Stardust is an old bar, first opened in Asagaya in 1971 ...
Tom inside.JPG
Inaba Bldg , 2F Asagaya-Minami 3-28-31 1.27 km
03-3220-127503-3220-1275
吐夢 (Pronounced “To-mu” or just “Tom”) is unique in a couple of ways. ...
Cafe Ellington outside.jpg
Asagaya 3-37 1.27 km
Note: Closed in early 2015. I guess he couldn’t get many customers after all… Cafe El...
Scratch inside.JPG
Marco Polo Bldg 2F, 1-8-14 Hon-Chi, Kichijoji 1.27 km
Scratch is a quiet cafe/bar that’s been in heart of Kichijoji since 1974. They open durin...
Small Hours Cafe & Bar outside.jpg
Wako Bldg 1F 1-62-4 Kanda Jimbocho Chiyoda-Ku 1.27 km
03-5283-711703-5283-7117
Closed 2015 Small Hours is a new cafe/bar located in the back streets between Ochanomizu, Jimbo...
Ikebukuro Roudou Kijun Kyoukai Bldg B2, Ikebukuro 1-8-8 1.27 km
Jazz, Funk & Soul are on tap at Miles’ Cafe. The Ikebukuro area is not known for having...
Jazz Spot Dolphy.JPG
2F Dai Ichi Nishimura Bldg. 2F, 2-17-4 Miyagawa-cho, Naka-Ku 1.27 km
Jazz Spot Dolphy opened in 1980 but moved to its current location in 1990 and has kept up a ste...
1−28−9, Shibuya, Yoyogi 1.42 km
Music Bar is part of the new development Yoyogi Village (read more about it here. It’s no...
Kashiwagi Mura2 7-20-12, Nishi-Shinjuku 1.73 km
Swanky live club, heavy on the vocalists. Enjoyable but a bit soft for my tastes. It’s the ...
IMG_4032.JPG
Sasaki Bldg, B1, 2-8-3 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-Ku 2.04 km
Gate One is a small bar run by the husband and wife guitar-vocal duo Hashimoto-san and Kajiwara-s...
Intro outside.jpg
2-14-8 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-Ku 2.09 km
Jazz SPOT Intro in Takadanobaba is a tiny basement bar about 2 minutes walk from the station. I...
Milestone inside.JPG
Igari Bldg., 1-23-9 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-Ku 2.11 km
Milestone sadly closed its doors at the end of July, 2019 after 45 years in business. As the nam...
B1, 3-23-5 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-Ku 2.11 km
Hot House is the world’s smallest jazz club! Maybe 8 or 10 customers max in this place. Mak...
Haikara-Tei inside.jpg
Toyo Bldg. B1, 2-20-19 Yoyogi, Shibuya-Ku 2.11 km
03-3370-180103-3370-1801
Haikara-Tei is another Shinjuku jazz bar that somehow never popped up on my jazz radar after all ...
4 Chome−3−1, Higashinakano, Nakano 2.23 km
Neighborhood cafe/bar/small live club. This is the kind of place you really only find in Japan; i...
Jazz Nutty inside.JPG
1-17-4 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-Ku 2.23 km
03-3200-373003-3200-3730
Jazz Nutty opened in 2009 next to the campus of Waseda University. The wonderful Mr.& Mrs. ...
1-8 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-Ku 2.32 km
Eagle is really the prototypical jazz cafe. It opened in 1967 in Yotsuya, right down the street...
Genius.jpg
スズノビル1F, 3 Chome-2-10 Honchō, Nakano-ku 2.58 km
03-3372-347103-3372-3471
Genius was one of Shibuya’s more famous jazz cafes for more than 20 years before increasing...
New Dug.jpg
Dug
3-15-12 Shinjuku 2.86 km
The ‘New Dug’ in Shinjuku is a cafe/bar with a complex back story. It was the annex...
Jingumae, 3 Chome−5−2 2.89 km
Gekko Sabou (月光茶房 “moon-light-tea-chamber”, a wonderful name) is not a jazz cafe/...
Jazz Pub Michaux inside.jpg
CLOSED Fall 2014. Ten years after closing, and I still miss Jazz Pub Michaux and all those nights...
Mary Jane outside.jpg
Fuji Shoji Bldg. 2F, Sakuragaoka 2-3, Shibuya-Ku 3.39 km
Many years back I found  Mary Jane by accident, as I had been  looking for the wonderfully named ...
Himawari Bldg. 2F, Dogenzaka 2-26-5, Shibuya-Ku 3.39 km
Very small place that is really just a bar with live music every night of the week. I’ve go...
B-Flat.jpg
6-6-4, Sakae Bldg B1, Akasaka, Minato-ku 3.52 km
The B Flat in Akasaka is a great straight-ahead jazz club in an area without many other options f...
Corner Pocket inside.jpg
1-14 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku 3.53 km
03-3267-842303-3267-8423
UPDATE: Found out just yesterday that the lovely Matsuura-san passed away just about two years ag...
Swing-6.jpg
16-4 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya, Tokyo 3.56 km
Despite its old-world cafe atmosphere, Swing only opened in 2014 and is one of the newer jazz spo...
IMG_0139.jpg
Shibuya Parco B1, Udagawa-Cho 15-1 3.61 km
The central streets of Shibuya often conceal some cool little music spots amidst the brand stores...
bar bossa.jpg
41-23 Udagawa-Cho, Shibuya-Ku 150-0044 3.61 km
Bar Bossa in Shibuya is a quiet gem of a place, perfect for bossa nova fans and/or couples lookin...
koendori.png
Shibuya-ku, Udagawacho 19-5 3.64 km
Koen-Dori Classics is a small performance space located underneath a church in the heart of Shibu...
ct_image.jpg
5-1-2 Akasaka Engel Bldg 2F, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 3.64 km
Volontaire moved to its current location in Akasaka a few years ago after more than three decades...
IMG_4040.JPG
3-7-15 Akasaka, Minato-Ku 3.67 km
Hashi no Shita (橋 の下 means “Under The Bridge” in Japanese) is in Akasaka-Mitsuke...
Screen Shot 2019-12-16 at 9.35.19.png
〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 1 Chome−5−6 B1F 3.68 km
INC Cocktails opened in late 2018 just a short walk from Shibuya Station. It’s a very large...
Pres Jazz Bar.jpg
Utagawacho 30-4, Shibuya-Ku 3.76 km
03-3463-284803-3463-2848
Pres Jazz Bar is located up near the end of “Center Gai” street in Shibuya, not the...
B1 26-6, Utagawa-cho, Shibuya-Ku 3.77 km
Modern jazz specialty shop, more than 8000 records on sale from the 50s & 60s. Been open sinc...
Jikan Ryokou outside.jpg
5-56-15 Nakano, Nakano-Ku 3.79 km
03-3389-798003-3389-7980
Jikan Ryokou (the sign is in Japanese 時間旅行, it means “Time Travel”) is simply won...
Seabird inside.JPG
〒150-0002 東京都渋谷区渋谷2丁目3−4 3.86 km
03-3499-189003-3499-1890
Seabird is a lovely old cafe next to Aoyama Gakuin University, between Shibuya and Omotesando sta...
b.JPG
102 Dai-Ichi Mitomi Bldg 102, 1-30-6 Arai, Nakano-Ku 3.91 km
Rompercicci is a fairly new jazz cafe/bar just a short ten-minute walk from Nakano Station. It...
Nakano Pignose  inside.jpg
B-113 Lions Mansion Nakano Dai-5 B-113, Arai 1-14-16, Nakano-Ku 3.96 km
I found this small-even-by-Tokyo-standards “piano bar” while lost in Nakano one nig...
IMG_0291.JPG
Chiyo Bldg, B1, 5-9-22 Dai 2, Roppongi 4.03 km
Electrik Jinja opened in April 2012 and quickly became the hippest  spot in Roppongi. It’s ...
IMG_5232.JPG
Hama Roppongi Bldg. 5F, 6-2-35 Roppongi, Minato-Ku 4.03 km
Opened in May 1980 and now in its 41st year, Alfie is simply one of the best live jazz spots in ...
IMG_1204.JPG
Owl
Toshima-Ku, Higashi-Ikebukuro 1-28-1 Takuto T.O. Bldg 2F 4.07 km
The Owl cafe in Ikebukuro was a great mystery to me as the first three times I went by it was clo...
IMG_0284(1).JPG
Azeria Bldg 1F, 1-3-6 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 4.07 km
Vanilla Mood is a cool little jazz bar/club just across from Roppongi Hills. It has been open for...
JBS (Jazz,Blues,Soul).jpg
1-17-10 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-Ku 4.18 km
There’s a beautiful simplicity about JBS (Jazz,Blues,Soul). Owner Kobayashi-san has more th...
IMG_0276.JPG
東京都 港区 六本木 7-18-16 川久保ビル 1F・4F 4.21 km
03-3401-626203-3401-6262
Bar Spice is a classic little Soul music bar overlooking Roppongi-Dori, right across from the Rop...
IMG_5335.jpeg
東京都渋谷区桜丘町 17-10 4.22 km
Music Bar 45 is a small 2nd floor joint located just a few minutes walk from the south exit of Sh...
IMG_0866.JPG
Toshima-Ku, Nishi-Ikebukuro, 1-15-6, Toshima Kaikan B2F 4.24 km
03-5904-857603-5904-8576
070-6455-0240
Absolute Blue is a new club opened in Feb 2015 by Ayumi Hoshikawa, previously a club owner in New...
wahwah.jpg
Daihachi-Toto Bld. B1 15-19 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuyaku Tokyo, Japan 150-0031 4.28 km
The Room is one of Tokyo’s best clubs, if not THE best for fans of funky/groovy music. It&#...
Big Boy inside.JPG
1-11 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda 4.43 km
Big Boy is a tiny cafe/bar on a side street off the main road through Jinbocho, the old book shop...
Fujimi Yoshida Bldg. B1, Fujimi 2-2-11, Chiyoda 4.43 km
Cafe Ragtime has live music every Thursday and Friday nights, usually piano and sax or vocalist d...
photo(33).JPG
2-24 Jimbocho Kanda, Chiyoda-Ku 4.43 km
Kissa Ko is one of the older cafes in town but had a facelift in 2012 so now has an all new decor...
2F 1-52-1 Jimbocho, Kanda, Chiyoda-Ku 4.43 km
03-3294-362103-3294-3621
All used records (and a few CDs) here with vocals & swing jazz being the specialty. Lots of o...
Annex Bldg. 4F, Ropoongi 4-11-5, Minato-Ku 4.58 km
Very supper-club type place, most nights featuring vocal-led bands. The food is good, the service...
Palace Garden Milano Bldg, 1F, Ikebukuro 2-63-6 4.58 km
Kenny’s Bar is by far the hippest place in not-so-hip Ikebukuro. It’s a small, dark j...
Numabukuro 1-34-4 B1, Nakano-Ku 4.62 km
Organ Jazz Club: the name gives it away, doesn’t it? One of the few places in town with a r...
Dai 2 Okumura Bldg, B1, 1-47-13 Ikebukuro, Toshima-Ku 4.86 km
Montgomery Land opened up a couple of years ago just a short walk from Ikebukuro Station. It̵...
Paper Moon inside.JPG
Umimoto Bldg (梅本) , 4F, 3-29-2 Nishi-Ikebukuro 4.86 km
03-3985-024003-3985-0240
Paper Moon (ぺーぱーむーん) is a 15 seat L-shaped counter bar opened and run by the friendly Ya...
Jazz Live Bar Independence inside.JPG
Parkside Fuki B1, 3-22-8 Nishi-Ikebukuro 4.86 km
Jazz Live Bar Independence is another great joint located in the surprisingly hip neighborhood ...
adiron05.jpg
Japan, 〒101-0051 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Kanda Jinbōchō, 1 Chome−2−9 ウェルスビル 5.01 km
The Adirondack Cafe is a unique jazz cafe and bar just off the main road through the Jinbocho are...
Masako inside.jpg
2-20-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya-Ku 5.01 km
NOTE: Masako closed in FEB 2010…I’m leaving it here anyways, so people will remember....
IMG_1046.JPG
155-0032 東京都世田谷区代沢5-31-14 5.16 km
Lady Jane has a very cinematic feel to it, the kind of joint that a lot of people outside Japan w...
Jazz Olympus inside.jpg
Ogawamachi 3-24, Kanda, Chiyoda-Ku 5.19 km
03-3259-005503-3259-0055
Jazz Olympus was opened by the very friendly Komatsu-san in 2009. It’s a sleek cafe/bar t...
IMG_6009.JPG
3-1-12 Koenji-Kita, Suginami-Ku, Tokyo 5.21 km
S.U.B. Store (Small Unique Bookstore) is a very hip new hybrid cafe/bar/gallery/bookstore/records...
IMG_4062.PNG
2 Chome−1−10, Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku 5.25 km
Naru in Ochanomizu first opened in 1969 as the sister live spot to the Naru jazz cafe in the Yoyo...
IMG_0832.JPG
Bunkyo-Ku, Hakusan 5-33-19 5.32 km
The Eigakan (映画館 “Movie Theater) is a jazz cafe for both jazz lovers and cinephiles. Own...
2F 3-20-13 2F, Ogawamachi, Kanda, Chiyoda-Ku 5.39 km
Grauers is a new cafe/bar opened August, 2011. Owner Furusho Shinjiro is a long time jazz journal...
IMG_2704.JPG
5-6-14 Daizawa, Setagaya-Ku 5.42 km
Jazz Haus Posy was opened in 1973 by jazz fanatic Misa. She’s a serious enough fan to hav...
IMG_1033.JPG
Matsubara 1-37-14, Setagaya-Ku 5.58 km
03-3321-943103-3321-9431
Miles is a treasure. It opened in 1960 and is one of the few remaining neighborhood jazz bars fro...
Jazz Bar Gugan outside.JPG
2 Chome-17 Kanda Tsukasamachi Chiyoda-ku 5.62 km
Jazz Bar Gugan is a small bar in the east side of Tokyo, near both the Ochanomizu and Jimbocho ...
IMG_0114.JPG
東京都千代田区有楽町2-3-6 マスヤビルB1F 5.68 km
Kiri is a wonderful little basement spot in between Hibiya, Ginza and Yurakucho stations. It̵...
IMG_5231.JPG
6-13-9 Minami Aoyama, Minato-Ku 5