I'm immersed in jazz tonight
File.1 What kind of shop is "Chigusa"?
(Mayuko Niimura/Jazz Cafe Chigusa)
Yokohama Noge's long-established jazz cafe "Chigusa". I think there are many people who have the image that the threshold is high and difficult to enter.
But jazz is kind of cool... For those of you who feel that way, here's a message from the Chigusa staff.
A coffee shop where you can listen to jazz records...Speaking of so-called jazz cafes, in most cases the tastes and tastes of the master are fully reflected in the shop.
Loud music played from a discerning audio system. Both the master and the guests are listening to the music in silence, with a difficult look on their faces.
It is probably because of this unique atmosphere that many people say that it is difficult to enter the store.
Chigusa is a jazz cafe opened in Noge, Yokohama by Mamoru Yoshida in 1933. I have been told that it is the oldest existing jazz café in Japan, but it was not considered a historical cultural property from the beginning.
At the time of its opening, it was popular with trend-conscious young people as a place to listen to the latest music, and fledgling musicians often visited. It wasn't an era like today where you can easily listen to your favorite music anytime, anywhere, and there was no such environment, so they probably immersed themselves in sound. The unique atmosphere of "difficult to enter" that continues today may be a remnant (?).
In the current Chigusa , noon coffee time is not "no talking". However, everyone is considerate of other customers, so the environment continues to focus on enjoying the sound.
Coffee goes well with jazz cafes. However, coffee was rationed during the war. It is said that the store smelled of baked sweet potatoes because the missing ingredients were made from baked sweet potatoes. By the way, the “roasted sweet potato-style coffee” was manufactured by Kimura Coffee in Fukutomi-cho, Yokohama, which later became KEY COFFEE.
Chigusa's coffee still contains sweet potato!?
Don't worry about it. Currently, he uses a siphon to carefully brew the coffee powder blended for Chigusa . It will take time, but I hope that you will enjoy the sound and time flowing from the jazz records along with the aroma of coffee that spreads throughout the store.
Currently, Chigusa has a bar time after 18:00 so that you can feel more casually listening to records and jazz in addition to the cafe style at the time of its founding.
Welcome to chat!
Since the number of staff in their 20s at the counter has increased, I have learned many anecdotes from regular customers and elderly customers. On the other hand, the number of young customers is increasing, so it has become a place to exchange information on hot music, not just jazz, and enjoy conversation.
Currently, Chigusa does not have a strong master who can serve as its core. Many staff are involved in the operation, and while continuing the jazz cafe culture, they are spending days of trial and error so that jazz culture can be disseminated in a new way that is in line with the present.
For 500 yen for a cup of coffee, why don't you step into a space where you can immerse yourself in music as much as you like, with a little courage?
