Koen-Dori Classics is a small performance space located underneath a church in the heart of Shibuya. It seats maybe 30 people max, with all seats facing the performance area (there’s no stage).
The lineup of events leans towards the experimental; fans of improvisational music and dance will love this place. It’s a unique spot right in the heart of commercial Shibuya madeness. There’s performances almost nightly but check the website for details; the space is available for private rental so if you have an event you’d like to hold this could be a great spot for it.
Directions link
Date published
Feb 2015
Slow Boat is a beautiful neighborhood jazz cafe opened only in 2019, on the first floor of an oth...
2 Chome-43-2 Sendagi, Bunkyo City, Tokyo
‘Modern Jazz’ Players Bar R started in June 2022 in the existing Players Bar R, with ...
Donato has the look, feel and sound of a classic old Japanese jazz kissaten, yet is a relatively ...
Even by Japanese bar standards, Shelter People is an intimate drinking experience. Located in the...
Located in the in historic Bashamichi area of downtown Yokohama, Airegin is one of the best live ...
Gate One is a small bar run by the husband and wife guitar-vocal duo Hashimoto-san and Kajiwara-s...
Body & Soul is one of the most historically important jazz clubs in Tokyo. Featuring many of ...
Opened in May 1980 and now in its 41st year, Alfie is simply one of the best live jazz spots in ...
Naru in Ochanomizu first opened in 1969 as the sister live spot to the Naru jazz cafe in the Yoyo...
Someday is a nice, spacious club in Shinjuku, well known for their various big band and Latin jaz...

Gekko Sabou (月光茶房 “moon-light-tea-chamber”, a wonderful name) is not a jazz cafe/...
The central streets of Shibuya often conceal some cool little music spots amidst the brand stores...
〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 1 Chome−5−6 B1F
INC Cocktails opened in late 2018 just a short walk from Shibuya Station. It’s a very large...
Aketa No Mise (“The Open Store”) is out in west Tokyo, not far from Nishi-Ogikubo s...
Nefertiti lives up to its very lofty name as it’s one of the finest jazz spots in the entir...
231-0033 横浜市中区長者町 9-140
First is an old-school Yokohama jazz bar with a vibe and sound all its own. It’s more spaci...
Bar Bossa in Shibuya is a quiet gem of a place, perfect for bossa nova fans and/or couples lookin...
Vanilla Mood is a cool little jazz bar/club just across from Roppongi Hills. It has been open for...
Music Bar 45 is a small 2nd floor joint located just a few minutes walk from the south exit of Sh...
Despite its old-world cafe atmosphere, Swing only opened in 2014 and is one of the newer jazz spo...
Pres Jazz Bar is located up near the end of “Center Gai” street in Shibuya, not the...
1-31-8 Kita-Senju, Adachi-Ku, Tokyo
Birdland is a beautifully decorated cafe and bar located in the north-east part of Tokyo, just a ...
B1, 3-35-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku
Jazz Pepe is as old school as it gets. Opened in 1969 by the now 77 year old Okuma-san, Pepe is a...
Meg is a small cafe/club in Kichijoji, western Tokyo that is a vibrant part of the local scene...
Shinjuku 2-12-4, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 160-0022
The Pit Inn remains near, or at the top, of any list of live jazz venues in the Tokyo area. 2015 ...
Musashino, Kichijoji Honcho, 1−11−31
SOMETIME Kichijoji (they use all caps..) opened in 1975 and still packs people in every night o...
Big Boy is a tiny cafe/bar on a side street off the main road through Jinbocho, the old book shop...
Bitches Brew is yet another only-in-Japan kind of place. It’s a tiny sqaure room on the sec...
Many years back I found Mary Jane by accident, as I had been looking for the wonderfully named ...
Jazz Spot Candy is a gem, one of the finest jazz joints in the entire Tokyo metro area. It opened...
Little John is a well known jazz bar/tiny club in the Yokohama scene, yet its erratic opening hou...
Lady Jane has a very cinematic feel to it, the kind of joint that a lot of people outside Japan w...
1-17-10 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-Ku
There’s a beautiful simplicity about JBS (Jazz,Blues,Soul). Owner Kobayashi-san has more th...
Toshima-Ku, Nishi-Ikebukuro, 1-15-6, Toshima Kaikan B2F
Absolute Blue is a new club opened in Feb 2015 by Ayumi Hoshikawa, previously a club owner in New...
Opened in 2010, Juha is a small but lively coffee shop about 5 minutes walk from Nishi-Ogikubo St...
Seabird is a lovely old cafe next to Aoyama Gakuin University, between Shibuya and Omotesando sta...
Rompercicci is a fairly new jazz cafe/bar just a short ten-minute walk from Nakano Station. It...
Ad-Lib is an old club in Yoshida-cho, a block of dingy streets between Kannai and Noge in Yokoham...
6-6-4, Sakae Bldg B1, Akasaka, Minato-ku
The B Flat in Akasaka is a great straight-ahead jazz club in an area without many other options f...
Gi is a tiny dining bar located just about 10 minutes walk from Musashi Kosugi station in Kawasak...

Casa Rosa 2F Seijo 6-16-5, Setagaya-ku
I’ve known Yoshioka-san, owner and sole staff at Cafe Beulmans for several years now, since...
Asagaya 3-37
Note: Closed in early 2015. I guess he couldn’t get many customers after all… Cafe El...
1-35-21 Minami-Asagaya, Suginami-Ku
Misty is a small cafe located in the heart of Asagaya’s old style “shotengai” (...

Music Bar is part of the new development Yoyogi Village (read more about it here. It’s no...
1-6-12 Minami-Koenji, Suginami-Ku
Kissa Seikatsu (喫茶生活 “Cafe Lifestyle”) is a gem of a place a few mins walk from...
Jazz Olympus was opened by the very friendly Komatsu-san in 2009. It’s a sleek cafe/bar t...
Closed 2015 Small Hours is a new cafe/bar located in the back streets between Ochanomizu, Jimbo...
Jazz Live Bar Independence is another great joint located in the surprisingly hip neighborhood ...
Cygnus is the sister club to Aries in Ueno but a bit more upscale. Live shows three times a night...
Tsuji Bldg B1, 3-14-12 Ueno, Taito-Ku
Every Swing is a small friendly club in the barren back streets east of Ueno Station. This is n...
Makita Bldg B1, 2-4-8 Ueno, Taito-Ku
Aries is a very local jazz live-house in the back streets of Ueno. By “local” I mea...

Kashiwagi Mura2 7-20-12, Nishi-Shinjuku
Swanky live club, heavy on the vocalists. Enjoyable but a bit soft for my tastes. It’s the ...

Tiny club in jazz rich Asagaya, Manhattan is always worth stopping by. All-night jam sessions thr...

Hot House is the world’s smallest jazz club! Maybe 8 or 10 customers max in this place. Mak...

Jazz, Funk & Soul are on tap at Miles’ Cafe. The Ikebukuro area is not known for having...

Blues Alley Japan. is a sophisticated club with great food and an eclectic live schedule. It...
Suehiro-Cho 2-5, Naka-Ku, Yokohama-Shi
Yoidore Hakushaku (よいどれ伯爵-the name translates as “The Drunken Earl or The Drunken C...
Sumiyoshi-cho 6-7-6, Naka-Ku, Yokohama-Shi
Kamome means “seagull” in Japanese; it’s an apt name for a venue in the port ...

Modern jazz specialty shop, more than 8000 records on sale from the 50s & 60s. Been open sinc...

Very supper-club type place, most nights featuring vocal-led bands. The food is good, the service...

Organ Jazz Club: the name gives it away, doesn’t it? One of the few places in town with a r...

Rooster is a great little live-house that features jazz, blues, funk, New Orleans..basically all ...

Himawari Bldg. 2F, Dogenzaka 2-26-5, Shibuya-Ku
Very small place that is really just a bar with live music every night of the week. I’ve go...

Good Italian food at this restaurant/bar/club. The schedule on the website shows the genre of eac...

Sister-branch of Naru in Ochanomizu

What an unreal treat Garo was to visit. It was first opened in 1967 by the very welcoming Mr. and...
Haikara-Tei is another Shinjuku jazz bar that somehow never popped up on my jazz radar after all ...
Showing 68 results