A jazz stroll: Oshima Coffee, a coffee shop where you can soak up the music in the afternoon.
"The city of Yokohama is an indispensable part of discussing Japanese jazz."
Yokohama hosts numerous jazz festivals, including the "Yokohama Jazz Promenade," the "Yokohama Asahi Jazz Festival," and the "Yokohama Honmoku Jazz Festival," and boasts many jazz venues where you can enjoy live performances.
This series introduces the atmosphere and charm of jazz spots within the prefecture. Even if you're interested in jazz cafes and live music venues but feel they're "a bit intimidating," you might find a place you can easily visit!
The place I visited this time was "Oshima Coffee," located near Hinodecho Station. This coffee shop, quietly nestled in an alley in Miyagawacho on the outskirts of Noge, is a hidden gem known only to those in the know, where jazz music permeates your body even in the daytime, contrary to its weathered exterior that has been there since the Showa era.
Music has been playing since this morning.
When you think of a "jazz spot," you tend to picture it as a nighttime scene, don't you? A dimly lit setting, where people sip drinks and listen to the music—that's the kind of image that comes to mind.
However, Oshima Coffee is different. They open early in the morning, and from breakfast and lunchtime, large ALTEC speakers are blasting music. Jazz and nostalgic Western music play as you nibble on toast and enjoy a cup of coffee. Such afternoon moments are commonplace here.
For those who have avoided jazz cafes for reasons such as "I can only go at night" or "It's hard to go in alone," Oshima Coffee could be the perfect entry point.
The sound of the Showa era, played by ALTEC.
The moment you step inside, you're greeted by sound. The 70s and 80s Western music and jazz playing from the ALTEC speakers that sit proudly on the wall give you the feeling that the music "enters your body" before you even notice that it's "loud."
These speakers aren't just old. ALTEC is a well-known brand in the world of jazz cafes, and any music fan from yesteryear would recognize the name. This historic equipment continues to fill the shop today.
This is the kind of sound that you should experience rather than try to describe its quality.
I'm happy because it's a cafe meal.
Talking only about jazz only tells you half the story of Oshima Coffee. The other half is the food.
This is a coffee shop. It may seem obvious, but that's very important, and that's why the menu is so good. Ginger pork set meal, Neapolitan spaghetti, sandwiches for breakfast. It's unpretentious, but it's the kind of coffee shop food that really fills you up.
The pizza toast I ordered this time came with potato salad. This was a great discovery for me personally. The melted cheese combined with the fluffy texture of the potatoes made for a very satisfying meal. I was genuinely impressed, thinking, "Pizza toast can be such a substantial meal!" Enjoying it slowly with an iced coffee while listening to music—that alone makes for a perfectly satisfying lunch break.
The option of a daytime live performance
Live performances by professional musicians are held several times a month. What's noteworthy is that these performances often take place on weekend afternoons.
Oshima Coffee quietly shatters the misconception that "live music only happens at night." Experiencing live piano and saxophone music in the afternoon sunlight offers a different kind of liberation than nighttime music. It doesn't have to be after work; you can just drop in on your way to lunch.
There is no cover charge, and the casual style of ordering one drink and leaving a tip (from 1,000 yen) during live performances makes it welcoming to first-timers.
"Self-proclaimed Yokohama's most laid-back jazz spot"
What the owners of the shops I've introduced so far in this series have in common is the desire to "lower the barrier to entry." Oshima Coffee shares this same sentiment, and the shop has an atmosphere that makes you feel welcome to come in for just a cup of coffee, even if you're not familiar with jazz or have no interest in music.
Just a 6-minute walk from JR Sakuragicho Station and a 3-minute walk from Keikyu Hinodecho Station, you'll find a coffee shop that retains the atmosphere of the Showa era on a quiet street just a little away from the hustle and bustle of Noge. If you want to immerse yourself in music even in the middle of the day, this is the place to come.
Oshima Coffee
Address: 2-33 Miyagawa-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Access: 6-minute walk from JR Sakuragicho Station / 3-minute walk from Keikyu Hinodecho Station
Homepage: https://www.ohshima-coffee.com/
