The city of Yokohama is an essential part of any discussion of Japanese jazz.
Many jazz festivals are held here, including the "Yokohama Jazz Promenade," the "Asahi Jazz Festival," and the "Yokohama Honmoku Jazz Festival," and the Noge, Isezakicho, and Kannai areas are home to a concentration of jazz spots where you can enjoy live jazz performances. There are few areas in the world with so many jazz-related stores, so please take a look at the article " Yokohama's Jazz History and Present " for more details.
In this series, we will introduce some of the many jazz spots in the prefecture for those who have never been to a jazz cafe or live house. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by and experience the history and sound of Japanese jazz.
In this first episode, we will focus on "jazz cafes," which recently appeared in a morning TV drama. The term "jazz cafe" is a uniquely Japanese culture, and refers to a coffee shop where you can enjoy jazz records and occasionally live music. It is often thought of as a place that is difficult to enter, but what if it were a cafe where you can casually listen to jazz?
When talking about jazz cafes, one that cannot be missed is Jazz Cafe Chigusa in Noge, Yokohama .
Founded in 1933, Jazz Cafe Chigusa was opened by Mamoru Yoshida, who was just 20 years old at the time, in the early Showa period. It closed in 2007, but with the help of many fans of Chigusa, it reopened in Noge in 2012 and became known as "Japan's oldest jazz cafe."
The interior of the bar is a space that seems to have been frozen in time for decades, with over 6,000 records stored on the shelves at the back of the bar, and a 50-year-old multi-amplifier system. Listening to jazz records on Chigusa's audio system offers a luxurious experience that cannot be experienced at other bars.
In order to be reborn as the Jazz Museum CHIGUSA, the Jazz Cafe Chigusa will close temporarily in April 2022 and operate as a temporary store at the Green Spot in Minato Mirai until next year. The Jazz Museum CHIGUSA is scheduled to open in 2023, the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the establishment, and will function as both a live music venue and a museum, inheriting the will of the founder, Yoshida.
The temporary store currently in operation reproduces the acoustics of "Chigusa" and features approximately 6,000 records in its collection, as well as displays related to the history of "Chigusa." Workshops and other events are also planned for the weekend. Even those who have never been familiar with jazz can casually enjoy the space with a cup of self-service coffee, so please take this opportunity to visit.
The exhibition will run until February 28, 2023 and admission is free.
In addition, the "Jazz Museum CHIGUSA" has started the "Jazz Museum CHIGUSA Fund" to collect donations for rebuilding funds and historical materials on jazz. There are also special benefits, so if you are interested, please visit the website .
Jazz Museum CHIGUSA (scheduled to open in March 2023)
[ACCESS]
2-94 Noge-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama TEL: 045-315-2006
JR Negishi Line/Yokohama Municipal Subway
3 minutes walk from Sakuragicho Station
8 minutes walk from Hinodecho Station on the Keihin Express Line
Jazz Museum CHIGUSA temporary store
