Stardust - CLOSED 2012

Stardust inside.JPG
Stardust inside.JPG
Stardust outside.jpg
Minami Bldg B1 Asagaya-Kita 2-13-5
Nishishinjuku 2 Chome 8-1 Shinjuku-ku Tōkyō-to JP
03-3337-132503-3337-1325

Masuda-san sadly passed away in 2012.

Stardust is an old bar, first opened in Asagaya in 1971 by the very chatty Masuda Junko-san. It’s been at its current spot for about fifteen years and has a steady customer base of mostly locals. It’s a dark basement bar with beautiful photos of jazz greats all around the place (as well as randomly hung American flag). The kind of bar that would have been plentiful back in the 60s and 70s but now is becoming all too rare.

Masuda-san plays all genres of jazz and is happy to take requests. Just be ready to wait awhile for your drinks while she chats away happily to you in Japanese (whether you can speak it or not!) Lovely lady and a lovely bar.

Size
21-30
Directions

Station: JR Asagaya

Exit: North Exit

Distance from station: 3 minutes

No map! Take the north exit then go left alongside the elevated train tracks. At the end of the road, about 2 mins walk, turn right and go around the corner. Stardust is on the left.

Date published
11/14/2011
Ribbon outside.jpg
Watanabe Bldg B2 Ginza 8-6-19 0 km

The Ribbon is what most people would think of when hearing the words “Ginza Jazz”. It’s a bar that features nightly live vocal jazz, serves up some gourmet snacks, and serves a lot of whiskey on the rocks. It’s sleek, expensive and very very “Ginza”.
B2, right side on the sign in the pic above. One look at the website will tell you all you need to know about this place.

Tom inside.JPG
Tom inside.JPG
Tom outside.jpg
Inaba Bldg , 2F Asagaya-Minami 3-28-31 0 km
03-3220-127503-3220-1275

吐夢 (Pronounced “To-mu” or just “Tom”) is unique in a couple of ways. Its got two rooms with large tables in both along with one long counter; they cook up a lot of fairly good food (rare to get tasty grub in jazz joints); there are about a hundred signed baseballs up on the top shelf above the bar, right over about 3000+ albums; it has a very spacious vibe that you don’t get at most jazz bars in the center of Tokyo.

吐夢 has been in Asagaya for more than forty years and is well known by most locals. The music almost always fits the mood; when it’s quiet and fairly empty you get some slow burning blues or hard-bop. When it’s packed and noisy you get some hard-swinging soul-jazz or even big band. It’s a good place for larger groups who want to drink a bit but still get to hear some swinging tunes. One of my favorite of many great jazz bars along the JR Chuo railway line.

Extra star for having a special 400 yen happy hour for glasses of Ebisu draft beer. Bargain for a jazz bar. See more pics of Tom over at Tokyo Jazz Joints.

Cafe Ellington outside.jpg
Asagaya 3-37 0 km

Note: Closed in early 2015. I guess he couldn’t get many customers after all…

Cafe Ellington was opened in June 2012 by the warm and chatty Onodera-san, a retired apparel merchant. It’s a small, non-smoking cafe open from 3pm-10pm, with a simple drinks menu of coffee, tea, beer, whiskey and sherry. The shape is a bit odd with some rather too-large tables making it a but cluttered, but the coffee is good and the speakers excellent.

Onodera-san doesn’t keep a huge collection of vinyl in the place, only about 300 at a time. He rotates the play list bringing from his collection at home, mostly standard jazz with nothing too “heavy”. He was playing a wonderful Roland Hanna/George Mraz duo album when I visited recently. Onodera-san hasn’t put up a website or used any social media to promote the place so the cafe is not well known, even among some Asagaya residents. It’s a relaxing spot for an afternoon coffee or early drink so I hope he builds the customer base up.

Scratch inside.JPG
Scratch inside.JPG
Scratch outside.JPG
Marco Polo Bldg 2F, 1-8-14 Hon-Chi, Kichijoji 0 km

Scratch is a quiet cafe/bar that’s been in heart of Kichijoji since 1974. They open during the day for cafe time and have an extensive food and drink menu with over 100 cocktails, many of them with jazz related names like the “Bill Evans Waltz for Debby”, a strawberry and walnut cream daiquiri looking thing.

The vibe is mellow and dark, with the huge main window looking out across at John Henry’s bar across the alley separating Scratch’s building and the huge LOFT department store building. Along one wall of the room are a whole bunch of album covers , anything from Miles to Mingus, but most of the music they play is on the “cool” side…last time I was there Julie London and Sarah Vaughn albums were playing, very mellow but nice.

Scratch is a good place for some solo jazz cafe/bar time, just you, a book and some tunes. Scratch also wins points for having the greatest bar slogan of all time: “Coffee & Bourbon, Music Now, You meet the nice people in Scratch”. See more pics of Scratch over at Tokyo Jazz Joints. Not recommended if you have an aversion to cigarette smoke.

Small Hours Cafe & Bar outside.jpg
Wako Bldg 1F 1-62-4 Kanda Jimbocho Chiyoda-Ku 0 km
03-5283-711703-5283-7117

Closed 2015

Small Hours is a new cafe/bar located in the back streets between Ochanomizu, Jimbocho and Suidobashi stations. Owner Nihei-san opened it in June 2011 and has already established a loyal customer base. It’s a long, narrow space with a beautiful wooden counter bar that comfortably seats about 10 and a table for 4 or 5 in the front.

The friendly and chatty Nihei-san is not a typical jazz cafe owner as she is young and not a manic record collector. She plays sax and flute though and certainly knows the music. “Soul Station” by Hank Mobley was playing when I walked in the first time; that gets immediate respect. One of her goals with the cafe is to have a space for those non-“maniacs” to come hear the music but not feel intimidated by older, regular customers who can be a bit prickly about the music (and new fans.)

For either coffee or some drinks Small Hours has a completely relaxed vibe where anyone can feel welcome. There’s beer and a large whisky selection though closing time is 9pm so get here by 8 for an early nightcap.

Ikebukuro Roudou Kijun Kyoukai Bldg B2, Ikebukuro 1-8-8 0 km

Jazz, Funk & Soul are on tap at Miles’ Cafe. The Ikebukuro area is not known for having a great music scene but Miles’ Cafe is well worth a visit. There’s live music every night with frequent jam sessions in all genres. The place is divided into the B1 “Blue” section, and the B2 “Agharta” section.

Miles’ Cafe is also a good spot for non-smokers, as smoking is only permitted at a counter near the elevators, the rest of the venue is non-smoking. There’s a couple of good videos on the website that give you a look at the place. Keep a look out when there for a trumpet player in sunglasses who calls himself “Miles”..he’s the owner..

Jazz Spot Dolphy.JPG
Jazz Spot Dolphy.JPG
Jazz Spot Dolphy 2.JPG
2F Dai Ichi Nishimura Bldg. 2F, 2-17-4 Miyagawa-cho, Naka-Ku 0 km

Jazz Spot Dolphy opened in 1980 but moved to its current location in 1990 and has kept up a steady live schedule since then. It’s a small, square space that seats about 50 people, most seats facing the stage.

The music can vary with everything from extreme free jazz to vocal-led standards groups. Pianist Itabashi Fumio is a regular (I was told the piano usually needs repairs after one of his energetic performances..) Jam sessions and student led jams happen a couple times a month, and the whole room is available for private events. Occasionally owner Komuro-san even joins in with his own gigs as does manager-vocalist Sachiko-san. Very friendly atmosphere with an extensive drinks menu, it’s an all-around great jazz joint.

Dolphy gets extra points as well for staying open late so you can pop in for a drink after the live sets have finished about 10pm. Look out for the really nice portrait of Thelonious Monk on the wall next to the bathroom door. More pics of Dolphy here at Tokyo Jazz Joints.

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