Maze Soul Extension

Maze Soul Extension outside.jpg
4-Chome 6-2 Koenji Minami
Minami 2 Chome 6-2 Meguro-ku Tōkyō-to JP
03-3312-768403-3312-7684

Maze is a very hip soul music bar located right in the middle of the Koenji Pal Arcade ‘shoutengai’ (shopping street). Morita-san the owner has been running it for about 30 years, while also operating the soba noodle shop down on the first floor. He doesn’t have many DJ nights these days but still has a nice vinyl collection and is even open to regulars putting on their iPod playlists, as long as the music is funky.

It’s a fairly large bar, dark and with an extensive liquor selection. A 1971 Soul Train DVD was playing on the big screen when I dropped by, and Morita-san was chatty and warm. Highly recommended for soul fans. And yes, it’s named after the band ‘Maze’. Open from 8pm most nights.

Size
21-30
Directions

Station: JR Koenji

Exit: South Exit

Distance from station: 5 minutes

Out of the South Exit turn right, then left onto the Pal Arcade shopping street. It’s a few minutes down on the left side. Morita-san and his family run the soba shop downstairs, grab some noodles first then head upstairs for the drinking and music.

Date published
01/07/2013
Matsu1.jpg
1-11-17 Higashinakanobu, Shinagawa City, Tokyo, Japan 2.31 km
Jazz Snack Matsu sadly closed suddenly due to the neighborhood being torn down for re-development...
SlowBoat2.jpg
1-chōme-3-16 Minamiyukigaya, Ota City, Tokyo 145-0066 2.35 km
Slow Boat is a beautiful neighborhood jazz cafe opened only in 2019, on the first floor of an oth...
IMG_0020.JPG
Tokyo-to, Meguro-Ku, Yutenji 1-22-6 2.64 km
Ohio is great, an intimate, friendly bar with a huge collection of soul music. Owner Kin-chan has...
Hotel Wing International Meguro B1, 1-3-14, Meguro 3.1 km
Blues Alley Japan. is a sophisticated club with great food and an eclectic live schedule. It...
Fat Mama.jpg
5-16-17, Meguro Honcho, Meguro-Ku 3.1 km
Fat Mama is named after the great Herbie Hancock track from his album “Fat Albert Rotunda&#...
IMG_2402.JPG
Higashi-Ooimachi 5-6-10 1F. Shinagawa-Ku 3.9 km
Jazz Bar Impro is small, even by the incredibly small standards of most Japanese jazz joints. It&...
wahwah.jpg
Daihachi-Toto Bld. B1 15-19 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuyaku Tokyo, Japan 150-0031 4.69 km
The Room is one of Tokyo’s best clubs, if not THE best for fans of funky/groovy music. It&#...
Casa Rosa 2F Seijo 6-16-5, Setagaya-ku 4.7 km
I’ve known Yoshioka-san, owner and sole staff at Cafe Beulmans for several years now, since...
IMG_2694.JPG
Minami Karasuyama 5-17-13 3F, Setagaya-Ku 4.7 km
Ragtime is the ideal jazz cafe in many ways. It’s a small place up on the 3rd floor of a ru...
IMG_5335.jpeg
東京都渋谷区桜丘町 17-10 4.76 km
Music Bar 45 is a small 2nd floor joint located just a few minutes walk from the south exit of Sh...
JBS (Jazz,Blues,Soul).jpg
1-17-10 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-Ku 4.76 km
There’s a beautiful simplicity about JBS (Jazz,Blues,Soul). Owner Kobayashi-san has more th...
IMG_2704.JPG
5-6-14 Daizawa, Setagaya-Ku 4.91 km
Jazz Haus Posy was opened in 1973 by jazz fanatic Misa. She’s a serious enough fan to hav...
IMG_1046.JPG
155-0032 東京都世田谷区代沢5-31-14 5.15 km
Lady Jane has a very cinematic feel to it, the kind of joint that a lot of people outside Japan w...
B1 26-6, Utagawa-cho, Shibuya-Ku 5.18 km
Modern jazz specialty shop, more than 8000 records on sale from the 50s & 60s. Been open sinc...
Pres Jazz Bar.jpg
Utagawacho 30-4, Shibuya-Ku 5.19 km
03-3463-284803-3463-2848
Pres Jazz Bar is located up near the end of “Center Gai” street in Shibuya, not the...
koendori.png
Shibuya-ku, Udagawacho 19-5 5.31 km
Koen-Dori Classics is a small performance space located underneath a church in the heart of Shibu...
Seabird inside.JPG
〒150-0002 東京都渋谷区渋谷2丁目3−4 5.32 km
03-3499-189003-3499-1890
Seabird is a lovely old cafe next to Aoyama Gakuin University, between Shibuya and Omotesando sta...
IMG_0139.jpg
Shibuya Parco B1, Udagawa-Cho 15-1 5.34 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 5.34 km
Bar Bossa in Shibuya is a quiet gem of a place, perfect for bossa nova fans and/or couples lookin...
Screen Shot 2019-12-16 at 9.35.19.png
〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 1 Chome−5−6 B1F 5.39 km
INC Cocktails opened in late 2018 just a short walk from Shibuya Station. It’s a very large...
Swing-6.jpg
16-4 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya, Tokyo 5.41 km
Despite its old-world cafe atmosphere, Swing only opened in 2014 and is one of the newer jazz spo...
Masako inside.jpg
2-20-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya-Ku 5.46 km
NOTE: Masako closed in FEB 2010…I’m leaving it here anyways, so people will remember....
Mary Jane outside.jpg
Fuji Shoji Bldg. 2F, Sakuragaoka 2-3, Shibuya-Ku 5.55 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 5.55 km
Very small place that is really just a bar with live music every night of the week. I’ve go...
IMG_0284(1).JPG
Azeria Bldg 1F, 1-3-6 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 6.18 km
Vanilla Mood is a cool little jazz bar/club just across from Roppongi Hills. It has been open for...
IMG_0276.JPG
東京都 港区 六本木 7-18-16 川久保ビル 1F・4F 6.39 km
03-3401-626203-3401-6262
Bar Spice is a classic little Soul music bar overlooking Roppongi-Dori, right across from the Rop...
Jingumae, 3 Chome−5−2 6.41 km
Gekko Sabou (月光茶房 “moon-light-tea-chamber”, a wonderful name) is not a jazz cafe/...
Pithecanthropus Erectus.JPG
3F, 7-61-8 Nishi-Kamata, Ota-Ku 6.44 km
This is as old school a jazz bar as you will find in the Tokyo metro area. 直立猿人 (Chokuritsu E...
IMG_0291.JPG
Chiyo Bldg, B1, 5-9-22 Dai 2, Roppongi 6.65 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 6.65 km
Opened in May 1980 and now in its 41st year, Alfie is simply one of the best live jazz spots in ...
Annex Bldg. 4F, Ropoongi 4-11-5, Minato-Ku 6.89 km
Very supper-club type place, most nights featuring vocal-led bands. The food is good, the service...
IMG_1033.JPG
Matsubara 1-37-14, Setagaya-Ku 6.97 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...
Haikara-Tei inside.jpg
Toyo Bldg. B1, 2-20-19 Yoyogi, Shibuya-Ku 7.02 km
03-3370-180103-3370-1801
Haikara-Tei is another Shinjuku jazz bar that somehow never popped up on my jazz radar after all ...
IMG_5231.JPG
6-13-9 Minami Aoyama, Minato-Ku 7.51 km
Body & Soul is one of the most historically important jazz clubs in Tokyo. Featuring many of ...
1−28−9, Shibuya, Yoyogi 7.53 km
Music Bar is part of the new development Yoyogi Village (read more about it here. It’s no...
1-36-12 Yoyogi Shibuya 7.78 km
Sister-branch of Naru in Ochanomizu.
ct_image.jpg
5-1-2 Akasaka Engel Bldg 2F, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 7.94 km
Volontaire moved to its current location in Akasaka a few years ago after more than three decades...
B-Flat.jpg
6-6-4, Sakae Bldg B1, Akasaka, Minato-ku 8.05 km
The B Flat in Akasaka is a great straight-ahead jazz club in an area without many other options f...
IMG_4040.JPG
3-7-15 Akasaka, Minato-Ku 8.07 km
Hashi no Shita (橋 の下 means “Under The Bridge” in Japanese) is in Akasaka-Mitsuke...
Pearl Bar outside.JPG
Higashi Shin Bldg , 4F, 3-21-7, Shinjuku, Shunjuku-Ku 8.26 km
Pearl Bar is a real sleek “grown up” jazz bar in the center of Shinjuku. Lots of cock...
Ribbon outside.jpg
Watanabe Bldg B2 Ginza 8-6-19 8.3 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 8.3 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 8.3 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 8.3 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 8.3 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 8.3 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 8.3 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 8.3 km
Jazz Spot Dolphy opened in 1980 but moved to its current location in 1990 and has kept up a ste...
Samurai inside.JPG
Mori Bldg. 5F, 3-35-5, Shinjuku-Ku 8.43 km
Samurai is located in the building that used to house the Shinjuku Pit-Inn before they moved to t...
IMG_2862.JPG
B1, 3-35-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku 8.48 km
Jazz Pepe is as old school as it gets. Opened in 1969 by the now 77 year old Okuma-san, Pepe is a...
Kashiwagi Mura2 7-20-12, Nishi-Shinjuku 8.57 km
Swanky live club, heavy on the vocalists. Enjoyable but a bit soft for my tastes. It’s the ...