Ten Top 10s for Live Jazz in Tokyo
“I’m going to be in Tokyo for a few days and want to catch some live jazz… where should I go? Let me know the best places for live jazz…”
“Sure! Here are the Top 10 best jazz clubs, bars, and venues for live music around Tokyo, with links to homepages, maps, and articles.” If only it were that simple…
Ten “Top 10” Lists, One “Top 100” List
What would be the best selection of lists to suggest for foreigners to visit in Tokyo?
Here are 100 venues in the form of ten “Top 10, Best Of, Must Visit, Essential Stops List” lists for experiencing live jazz in Tokyo (hyperbolic tongue in cheek).
These ten lists go like so:
Lists 1-2: some of the most famous and quintessential spots
Lists 3-4: great options that are well-known and popular
Lists 5-6: jazz in cafe, restaurant, bar, and nightclub settings
Lists 7-8: even more solid options that are a bit more under the radar
Lists 9-10: jazz near Tokyo in Yokohama, Chiba, Kamakura, Kashiwa, and Saitama.
List #1 lists the most well-known and commonly recommended venues. Some of these clubs have the most recognizably famous brand names. Some also happen to be the most expensive in Tokyo. Some are the most well-known among jazz fans by word of mouth, with long histories and grand reputations among serious jazz fans as well as general audiences.
About four of these venues in List #1, arguably the most well-known clubs for a certain type of vibe with polished interiors and great reputations: Blue Note is the world-famous and iconic jazz club brand, Billboard Live and Cotton Club offer similar experiences in Japan, and the elegant New York Bar was made even more famous by the movie Lost in Translation. (Note that New York Bar is closed for renovations until 2025 Oct.)
While these four are on the expensive side, they are also able to host famous musicians and overseas touring acts that other venues are not able to accommodate. Also, these larger businesses may feature popular non-jazz musicians on occasion. These are not bad things nor reasons to avoid these four places, but they are big differences from the standard, everyday sort of club that jazz lovers look forward to going to as often as they can.
Lists #2-8 are filled with more great options that deserve a spot in Top 10 lists. Some imaginative themes were given as titles for each list, not taken too strictly, but broadly applied for categorization and to make the overall organization easier to understand and more easily readable.
Finally, Lists #9-10 are filled with places outside of the main districts of Tokyo but well worth trekking out for even more interesting spots with quality jazz in new settings.
Following the lists are my thoughts on lists like these and the methodology or guidelines I used to create these lists. (Confession: These aren’t “Top 10” lists in the sense of rankings in a first to last order. These are just ten lists, arranged in groups of ten, and alphabetized within each list. Some of the clubs in these lists have links to individual articles on this site. All of the clubs are relisted at the end, complete with links to websites, maps, and city and station names for each club.)
Top 10 lists can be both good and bad, and so with this in mind, I’ve recklessly forged ahead and created ten lists of ten items each below.
On to the lists! 1, 2, a 1, 2, 3, 4…(5,6,7,8,9,10!)
List #1: A Natural Place to Begin
“Some obvious starting points and the most well-known venues. Classic, legendary, and historic, and in some cases, expensive.”
Billboard Live Tokyo - Roppongi Sta
Blue Note Tokyo - Omotesando Sta
Body & Soul - Shibuya Sta
Cotton Club - Tokyo Sta
Intro - Takadanobaba Sta (+ Cafe Cotton Club)
JZ Brat - Shibuya Sta
Naru - Ochanomizu Sta
New York Bar - Shinjuku Sta
Pit Inn - Shinjuku-sanchome Sta
Sometime - Kichijoji Sta
List #1 bonus entry: Related to Intro, Cafe Cotton Club (web map) restaurant and jazz club lies roughly across the street from Intro. (Note that Cafe Cotton Club has a name similar to Cotton Club, #4 on this list, but they are completely different venues.)
List #2: Quintessential Options
“Often recommended, well-known, and must-visit spots. Great for jazz lovers and first timers.”
Alfie - Roppongi Sta
All of Me - Roppongi Sta
Apollo - Shimo-kitazawa Sta
B-flat - Akasaka Sta
Independence - Ikebukuro Sta
Polka Dots - Shinjuku-sanchome Sta
Salt Peanuts - Ekoda Sta
Someday - Shinjuku-sanchome Sta
Sweet Rain - Nakano Sta
Yoyogi Naru - Yoyogi Sta
List #3: Everyday Favorites
“Practical and straightforward, solid and dependable choices. Everyday/anyday go-to spots for jazz lovers. Humble, simple, and satisfying.”
Apple Jump - Ikebukuro Sta
Bon Courage - Suidobashi Sta
Cochi - Koiwa Sta
Donfan - Otsuka Sta
Gate One - Takadanobaba Sta
Manhattan - Asagaya Sta
Porto - Nippori Sta
Strings - Kichijoji Sta
The Deep - Ginza Sta
Velera - Akasaka-mitsuke Sta
List #4: More to Explore
“Reliable jazz clubs, whether old-fashioned classic or stylish, and some with avant-garde, experimental, or trend-setting aspects.”
Aketa no Mise - Nishi-ogikubo Sta
Birdland - Kitasenju Sta
Klavier - Asagaya Sta
Knuttel House - Asakusa Sta
Koen-Dori Classics - Shibuya Sta
Kohaku - Shibuya Sta
No Room for Squares - Shimo-kitazawa Sta
Soultrane - Asakusa Sta
Velvet Sun - Ogikubo Sta
Zimagine - Omotesando Sta
List #5: Jazz and Coffee and Tiny Spots
“Cafes, coffee, cute, and cozy. A handful of coffee-centered, or just plain small, spots. Nostalgic, simple, caffeinated. Only including live spots for now (jazz kissas and coffeeshops without live music are for a separate article).”
After Hours - Koenji Sta
Cafe Beulmans - Seijogakuen-mae Sta
Cafe Clair - Nishi-arai Sta
Cielnage - Tokyo Sta
Coffee Bigaku - Gakugei-daigaku Sta
Galleria Caffe U_U - Myogadani Sta
On A Slow Boat To… - Jimbocho Sta
P’s Bar - Ikebukuro Sta
Paco - Kojimachi Sta
Thelonious - Higashi-nakano Sta
List #6: Nightclub, Restaurant, and Bar Atmospheres
“Pulling their weight with live jazz in a varied combination of settings with a certain type of vibe. Some feature great food options, from izayaka grills to gourmet menus, and others feature drinks in an after-dark nightclub mood.”
Barbra - Ginza Sta
Blue Note Place - Ebisu Sta
Club T - Roppongi Sta
Izumi - Roppongi Sta
Jazz Bird - Omotesando Sta
Jesse James - Tachikawa Sta
Keystone Club - Roppongi Sta
Kin No Tsubo - Yoga Sta
Rakuya - Naka-meguro Sta
Swing - Ginza Sta
List #7: Even More Solid Choices
“Further off the beaten track but are worth checking out for great jazz settings.”
Crazy Love - Kyodo Sta
Darling - Asakusa Sta
Expression - Jimbocho Sta
In F - Oizumi-gakuen Sta
Into the Blue - Machida Sta
M.J. Smile - Kichijoji Sta
No Trunks - Kunitachi Sta
Staccato - Asagaya Sta
Sunny Side - Takadanobaba Sta
Tokyo Club Meguro - Meguro Sta (+ Tokyo Club Suidobashi)
List #7 bonus entry: Related to Tokyo Club Meguro is Tokyo Club Suidobashi (web map), part of the Tokyo Club chain. Originally, there were four locations in Meguro, Suidobashi, Hongo-sanchome, and Sendagaya. Note that “Tokyo Club” is spelled out on signs in Kanji characters as 東京倶楽部.
List #8: Grab Bag
“Miscellaneous odds, ends, and to-do’s”
Back in Time - Koiwa Sta
Jammin’ - Toritsu-daigaku Sta
Kiri - Ginza Sta
Ko-ko - Shibuya Sta
Lezard - Shibuya Sta
Mars - Tawaramachi Sta
Meg - Kichijoji Sta
Natural - Mitaka Sta
Nica’s - Machida Sta
The Moment - Seijogakuen-mae Sta
List #9: Yokohama
“A jazz hub with plenty of options and a rich history of jazz in Japan.”
Airegin - Kannai Sta
Apple - Kannai Sta
Bar Bar Bar - Kannai Sta
Bluesette - Hakuraku Sta
Dolphy - Sakuragicho Sta
Farout - Kannai Sta
First - Kannai Sta
Kanmachi 63 - Kannai Sta
Venus - Kannai Sta
Wonder Wall - Hiyoshi Sta
The port city of Yokohama, roughly south of Tokyo, is a jazz hub with a rich history of jazz and nightlife. Jazz fans in Yokohama should also be on the lookout for the annual Yokohama Jazz Promenade festival in the fall. Also of interest is Japan’s oldest jazz cafe Chigusa which is planning to reopen as a jazz museum.
List #10: Further Out
“To Chiba, Kamakura, Kashiwa, and Saitama. Just outside of Tokyo and well worth trekking out to for interesting spots with quality jazz.”
Candy - Inage Sta, Chiba
Cooljojo - Moto-yawata Sta, Chiba
Coquelicot - Funabashi Sta, Chiba (+ Coquelicot Forte)
Daphne - Kamakura Sta, Kamakura
Ichijou - Kamifukuoka Sta, Saitama
Nardis - Kashiwa Sta, Kashiwa
Plus Eleven - Ageo Sta, Saitama
Re.Delight - Warabi Sta, Saitama
Sugar Hill - Soka Sta, Saitama
Swan - Shin-tokorozawa Sta, Saitama
List #10 bonus entry: Coquelicot is actually two jazz bars located right next to one another: Coquelicot and Coquelicot Forte. In addition to their bar menu, freshly-made crepes are available from a food truck right outside, and orders can be made from inside the club.
List #10 bonus fact: Re.Delight is a new club that recently opened, taking over the space formerly occupied by Our Delight.
The Saitama area covers a wide territory and is generally to the north of Tokyo, Chiba is to the east (in the direction of Tokyo Disneyland and Narita International Airport), and Kamakura is in the direction of Yokohama and further south.
Most of the places in Lists #9 and 10 can be conveniently reached by trains from major Tokyo stations, taking about an hour or more each way. Day trips from Tokyo are also possible for most of these spots, but careful checking of club and train schedules is recommended, especially for nighttime shows. When considering late returns to Tokyo from farther distances such as Kamakura, it may be better to visit jazz clubs at night while staying nearby.
A Typical “Top 10” List
Ask the internet for a “top 10 live jazz clubs in Tokyo”, and you will get a list of venues such as the following:
An example list based on results from web searches and AI:
Blue Note Tokyo - A world-class venue…
Pit Inn - An iconic spot…
Sometime - A cozy venue with…
Naru - A legendary venue featuring…
Alfie - A long-standing jazz bar…
Intro - An intimate setting perfect for…
JZ Brat - A chic, upscale…
Dug - A historic bar with a casual vibe…
Body & Soul - A classic jazz spot with…
Cotton Club - Stylish ambiance with…
Similar results can be found through searches like “Tokyo jazz bars with live music” and “popular Tokyo jazz clubs”. The results usually contain some variation of this example list. Some lists are human-authored for travel sites or blogs, and others may be AI-generated with brief descriptions and helpful links for more information. Unfortunately, sometimes those details are inaccurate or not up-to-date and may include places that have permanently closed.
Still, lists like these can be easy to find, easy to use, and helpful for getting your bearings. They are easily found on the internet and are a reasonable starting point. With the example list shown above, people familiar with these venues would not be surprised at all to see them included, and I’ve also written most of them on this site.
This gave me the idea of creating my own human-compiled versions of these kinds of Top 10 lists.
The Good, the Bad, and the Messy of “Top 10” Lists
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Jazz of Japan to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.