Figure 1: A front-row corner table positioned right up near the on-stage drum set. Our Delight is a relatively newer entry on the scene, a clean and modern jazz space with a unique characteristic: the room sports a high ceiling directly above the performance area, spanning about 5 floors and creating a large open space where the sound of the musicians can expand and flow upwards. This creates a natural reverberation effect which is especially enjoyable during solo piano concerts. ...

Figure 1: The Nami Kano Quartet playing at Birdland in 2014. Well worth visiting for top-quality jazz and an enthusiastic and friendly owner Morikawa-san, Birdland is a top choice for authentic live jazz. While Birdland no longer features live jazz on a nightly basis, the shop has special live shows on occasion, typically once a week. The interior space is cozy with a nice bar which may seasonally sport a large green plant rising from the bar and spreading branches and leaves up towards the ceiling. Facing the bar is an upright piano, and snug in the corner is a drum set, in front of which an upright bass, with space for a horn player or two to just squeeze in, right up against the front bar and tables. ...

Figure 1: The cool interior at Into the Blue with instruments on high. Clean, neat, and organized, Into the Blue is one tidy jazz spot. The overhead vaulted ceiling is awash in the cool blue light, arching almost like a church roof, with jazz instruments set up at one end up above like statues around an altar to jazz. ...

Figure 1: Jazz musicians and customers crowd into the cozy P’s Bar for hot jazz. A neighborhood jazz bar in Tokyo’s bustling Ikebukuro district, P’s Bar may be very small but that results in a cozy, comfortable family-feeling setting. Upon entering the bar you may be greeted and given a seat along the bar or right up in the front table area next to where the musicians perform. The stage area features an upright piano, and that’s about it. Due to the small space, the musicians are usually playing as duos (piano & horn, piano & vocals, guitar & vocals) but occasionally there is a special event with a bassist and sometimes even a drummer squeezed into the corner. Also featured here are occasional afternoon jam sessions and vocal workshops. ...

Figure 1: LiLi Vocal, pianist Takuya Ozaki, and guitarist Hiroyoshi Horie sharing a laugh during their jazz set. Paco is a tiny jazz bar in the central Hanzomon/Yotsuya area that features excellent food and comfortable jazz performances. Upon entering, one feels literally surrounded by jazz, encountering walls covered with jazz CDs and record covers. In this small room, the performers (often a singer plus a guitarist or pianist) will sit or stand right in front of the seated customers for two or three performance sets starting at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30 PM. The audience area holds about 12 customers at most; at certain times for popular performers, reservations are recommended, although the gracious bar master will try to squeeze in anyone who arrives on crowded nights. ...

Figure 1: The Harumi Nomoto trio playing at Alfie in 2011. Alfie is a jazz bar that offers a quality experience in the heart of Roppongi and is a great choice for jazz in Tokyo. The music here is excellent and delivered at a professional level, well-suited to the high level of service and atmospheric setting. ...

Figure 1: Vocalist Rie Taguchi sings jazz standards and originals with violist Noriko Satomi and pianist Seiji Endo (August 2016) Yoyogi Naru is one of a pair of stylish jazz bars that go by “Naru” in Tokyo. Both Narus are elegant without overdoing it, clean and comfortable places that have been operating for a long time while maintaining high standards. ...