10 ms·

Tokyo's audiophile venues (2016)

260 points by PokemonNoGo 7y ago

disqard 7y ago
Thank you for sharing! I remember reading about this years ago, and it's nice to rediscover this article. > "The aim from the beginning was to play non-dance music, whether it's jazz, prog-rock, experimental and avant-garde," Shimizu says. "Nobody understood this kind of listening party at first, but we just continued doing it. Then a few years later, some younger DJs began to follow our lead, and they started similar parties at the other venues."
sanjams 7y ago
Cool article. I was fortunate enough to experience some places similar to these first hand during a visit to Tokyo. One of the most impressive things to me was the bartenders’ uncanny ability to pick the perfect next song. In a sea of old, unidentifiable records, they were able to pick out exactly which record and subsequent song they wanted. And the timing of their transitions between songs...incredible. All while serving you drinks.
- OstrichGlue 7y ago
  That sounds amazing! I'm taking at trip to Japan in the coming months. Would you mind sharing names of any of the places?
mlacks 7y ago
I went to a place like this in Sasebo. Very cozy venue, warm atmosphere, and quiet conversations amongst the jazz in the background. I didn’t realize there was a term for “Jazz kissa”, so thank you to the author for providing a stepping stone to research more pleasant experiences like this.
Deimorz 7y ago
(from 2016) There was a good article a couple of months ago about some of these Japanese-style listening bars opening in America: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/dining/vinyl-records-listening-bar-kissaten.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/dining/vinyl-records-list...
- WarDores 7y ago
  One just opened near me, but you can't go to just enjoy the music because most patrons see it as "just another bar" where they can loudly gab with their coworkers, sometimes even yelling to one-up each other. It's super annoying that they're not getting the purpose of it, because I was excited when it opened. Now I might as well just go to the sports bar because I'm less frustrated.
  - magduf 7y ago
    >where they can loudly gab with their coworkers, sometimes even yelling to one-up each other. That's just typical American culture. Americans are very loud.
    - WarDores 7y ago
      Makes going anywhere there's going to be more than a handful of people incredibly tiring. That's probably the introvert in me talking, but it's got to be possible to be an extrovert without giving every outing a frat party vibe.
SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
Just adding my experience. We found ourselves in one of these places in Kanazawa. There was only us and another couple in there. Of course there was plenty of music that I'd never heard before but very much enjoyed, but Sting's "Englishman In New York" always instantly takes me back there.
- agent008t 7y ago
  How did you end up in Kanazawa? Is it worth exploring? I would love to see more of Japan (have been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, visited lake Toya, Hakone, Himeji castle), but unsure where to go / what to see next. Any ideas?
  - jack_arleth 7y ago
    A few places come to mind: - Kusatsu Onsen (basically an onsen with the hot-watersource in the centre of the town) - Hiroshima, I cannot stress how nice this city is. - Arima Onsen (another onsen resort, the oldest of Japan) - Nikko (the most lavishly decorated temples combined with mountains, touge, a beautiful lake and one of the highest waterfalls in the country) Nikko is my absolute favorite place in all of Japan. I highly recommend it.
  - weatherperson 7y ago
    long time lurker, just created my account to reply to your comment! I just got back from a Japan tour so it was my first time in the country, but Kanazawa was one of my favorite parts of the trip that I wasn't expecting! The city has a nice blend of history as well as a decent downtown area. I think it is an authentic destination and seems like more of a spot for Japanese tourists than for the usual gaijin. All of the schoolchildren I saw tried to speak English with me and said "hello" which would never happen in the big cities! I also saw the smallest bars and restaurants I have ever seen in my life, with room for 4 people, in the back streets of the downtown area. There were many good things to see in the city. The Kenroku-en Garden was a huge and beautiful park that you can meander about, that's on top of a small mountain. It is also connected to Kanazawa Castle which had the largest lawn I ever sat on. I also enjoyed the Museum of Contemporary art. The fish market is also famous, as is the Higashi Chaya District. I can't recommend Kanazawa enough! Anthony Bourdain also visits Kanazawa in the beginning of the episode "Japan with Masa" on Netflix if you want a glimpse of the city.
lukey_q 7y ago
I used this list as a starting point when I went to Japan last year, ended up visiting a few of the ones on the list and a couple of other "music bars" as well, including a hip-hop/funk/soul bar in Shinjuku ("Bar Box" I think it was called) one in Osaka dedicated to 80s rock and hair metal, "FREAK." If nothing else it's worth it to listen to one of these hi-fi soundsystems if you (like me) spend your time listening to compressed audio from a streaming service on a normal pair of headphones... the difference is night and day.
- chihuazhang 7y ago
  Sdfsd
dominicr 7y ago
Somewhat related, my brother is a musician (playing what you might call experimental music) and says Japan is an amazing place to play as the audience pays close attention to what you're doing and remains quiet whilst you're playing. It seems the culture there is that it's music lovers going to these venues for the primary purpose of experiencing the music. Whereas in a lot of places I've been people are going to hang out with friends and the music is secondary.
- qzxvwt 7y ago
  that has less to do with japan and more to do with the fact that niche music doesn’t attract laypeople. you can find the same kinds of shows all over the united states for example
  - mieseratte 7y ago
    I think Japan might actually be different in regards to music performances. I know folks from a few lesser-known punk bands, the kind that might get 50 or so folks at a typical club show on a good night in the US, that did tours in Japan. They described the same kind of reverence at their shows in Japan, and punk isn't exactly known for reverent crowds. This was 10 to 15 years back, so things may be different now?
  - mikepurvis 7y ago
    For the local music scene in my city (Kitchener ON), if you want a quiet, respectful, focused environment in which to enjoy, skip the pub sets and go to the house shows instead. Almost all the local artists play them, and there are a lot that are pseudo-public. Like, they're not advertised openly, so you need to ask the artist to find out, but you also don't necessarily need to know the hosts— it's very much a friends-of-friends type affair, and in my experience very welcoming.
  - squeaky-clean 7y ago
    If it was just because of the genre, their brother would notice that anecdote everywhere and not just Japan. The drummer in my current band plays with several groups (very common for a skilled drummer in NYC), and he just got back from a 2 week tour in Japan and had the exact same things to say. Crowds were way more respectful and focused on the music. I agree though that in general niche music is more respectful than more mainstream music, at least in the USA. Harsh noise and stoner sludge/doom shows have had the most polite people in the mosh pits in my experience.
thde 7y ago
RA is doing some nice documentaries of a few of those bars. One from Shelter three weeks ago: https://youtu.be/qe5W7zvw10I https://youtu.be/qe5W7zvw10I And one from a Bar called Bridge, released yesterday: https://youtu.be/vs2KF6a7Duw https://youtu.be/vs2KF6a7Duw
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
Audiophile65 7y ago
Oooooooo I'm jealous
Audiophile65 7y ago
Ooooo I'm jealous
Nav_Panel 7y ago
My favorite bar in Tokyo (in the whole world?) was a place like this, called Track Bar in the Ebisu neighborhood. $8 seating charge, no photos or talking above the music allowed, then you can sit at the bar and drink inexpensive but quality whiskey all night and listen to whatever the bartenders/DJs were playing. Lots of rare cuts from the 60s thru the 00s. I also ended up having nice conversations with plenty of other patrons. Most were there for the music as well, a mix of locals and tourists, very friendly vibe. I wish I had a comparable place in NYC. As a side note, the secret to drinking in Japan (or anywhere), known to alcoholics but not to many regular folks, is starting or finishing your night with a little bottle of vitamin C drink. Helps your liver digest the alcohol. I started buying Emergen-C packets when I got back to the States and it's been a game-changer. Routine colds also seem to be less intense...
- teachrdan 7y ago
  Is there smoking at the bar? That's been my Kryptonite when it comes to visiting cool bars in Japan.
  - Nav_Panel 7y ago
    Of course! And fancy brass ashtrays too!
    - ink_13 7y ago
      I think you misunderstand. That's a dealbreaker, not an upside.
      - dmix 7y ago
        For some people...
- sgarman 7y ago
  If I had a nickel for every "secret to not get hungover"... And anecedata on colds too! Doctors hate him!
thomas 7y ago
If you are in/around NYC I highly recommend Public Records for a top-notch audio experience and relaxed atmosphere: https://thevinylfactory.com/news/new-audiophile-bar-opening-nyc-public-records/ https://thevinylfactory.com/news/new-audiophile-bar-opening-...
- Nav_Panel 7y ago
  Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out!
apecat 7y ago
Of course the Japanese had this concept figured out. I do this thing with a small group of friends, where we drive like 3-4 grands worth of speakers and room correction DSP (Genelec and DSpeaker) to a summer cottage every 6-8 weeks or so. The place, a big log cabin, happens to have wonderful acoustics. And we just sit back, mostly STFU and listen to a selection of music for an entire evening, DJ:ed by me (I accept requests), and we eat good food. There's no background music, when we cook, eat or clean, because we want to rest our ears for the main sessions. The next day, we drive back, I check everything we listened to from Last.fm, and I create a Spotify playlist of the event, which we all save. Most people look at me like I’m insane when I describe this activity.
- mrhappyunhappy 7y ago
  This sounds wonderful, not at all insane.
  - apecat 7y ago
    Oh, trust me, it's an absolute delight. It's tingly, ASMR-like and you hear stuff in a completely different way. One of my friends just goes to town with his synesthesia and usually keeps his eyes shut for a big part of the evening. One of the most mind-blowing experiences I've had there with a well-known piece of music that many can relate to: the bass on the 2018 mix of The Beatles' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'. In a room with almost no resonance it's just so nice and warm. Similarly, with the clean bass, you fall for these hidden gems, even among contemporary top 40 pop, like Dua Lipa's hit 'New Rules' from a couple of years back. Also, a fair chunk of pop sounds quite airy and nice compared to ten years ago. My point is though that it's very self-selecting crowd we've attracted. Not even everyone who loves music enjoy sitting still and quiet for an evening, save for our quick remarks and giggles of pleasant surprise, for example when we describe how good some cheesy 80s pop tune actually sounds. There are no guilty pleasures if the production is good :D Now with the Tool discography coming to streaming tomorrow(!!!) I suspect our next session is going to be quite the orgy.
- fastcucumber 7y ago
  I think this might be my dream
jedimastert 7y ago
If anyone knows of something like this in the Boston area, do let me know. I'd love to see it.
JayJee 7y ago
What kind of freak stores records spine-in?
- erikig 7y ago
  There are always people on the other side of the rack...(in my freakish mind)
supernova87a 7y ago
I find it really fascinating how small local decisions like how many square feet a store can be, influence what kind of companies form, and thus, how good your local breweries, cafes, bookstores, restaurants, groceries are. Like they hint at in the article, I guess small store footprints make it not worth large "faceless" corporations opening shop and therefore the stores that do pop up are run out of more passion for the thing (some, at least). Traveling in EU a bunch, I was always interested why in Italy, for example, small restaurants are on every residential block run by essentially mom and pops, and still surviving, serving up reasonably good food. Versus this kind of restaurant has largely been displaced (if not number, at least in consciousness) in any of our US large cities by corporate backed entities. Versus if your zoning allows big box 100,000 sq ft stores, you're just by nature going to get something a little more bland.
- bsder 7y ago
  > Traveling in EU a bunch, I was always interested why in Italy, for example, small restaurants are on every residential block run by essentially mom and pops, and still surviving, serving up reasonably good food. Versus this kind of restaurant has largely been displaced (if not number, at least in consciousness) in any of our US large cities by corporate backed entities. Population density. Thinking about one of the restaurants I was in in Paris, it had seats for about 40 people (tightly packed!) and remained filled for about 4 hours and we turned about every 2 hours. So, about 80-100 people a night roughly 6 nights a week. So, call it 400 people per week being dinner customers of that restaurant to keep it alive. That's roughly 200 apartments or houses nearby needed to keep that restaurant alive. You don't need many of those restaurants before you exceed the local suburban density in the US. In Paris, that's probably exceeded by the number of people on a couple blocks.
AChamarthy 7y ago
Beautiful Concept. Recent article about In Sheep's Clothing and Gold Line in LA: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-hi-fi-bars-20181004-story.html https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-hi-fi-b...
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
Svperstar 7y ago
A bar that plays nothing but experimental and drone sounds amazing.
PepperAssassin 7y ago
I visit Japan every year and spend a lot of time at these venues and at the so-called Jazz kissas (ジャズ喫茶). These places are amazing. Usually operated by older Japanese women and gentlemen, they have walls lined with records - many of which are out of print. They include obscure, but excellent, Japanese jazz of which there is plenty. The patrons sit quietly and focus on the music while sipping whiskey and/or smoking a cigarette. It is interesting to not that most of these places include detailed specs of their audio setups on their business cards. My friends and I often have listening parties at our lodge in the woods near Yosemite. My Jazz playlist for any who wish to enjoy. Please listen on shuffle, and no skipping! https://open.spotify.com/user/pgoonghang/playlist/54Zec8Roc93sywnGUmqDQX?si=sdohZSg0Q5-2kvRTxPZMLQ https://open.spotify.com/user/pgoonghang/playlist/54Zec8Roc9...
jalessio 7y ago
A venue like this opened recently in Oakland, CA (which I haven't had a chance to visit yet). https://www.barshiru.com/ https://www.barshiru.com/ > The Bay Area’s first hi-fi vinyl listening bar. We focus on playing records in their entirety on a fully analog sound system in a space that was built with acoustics as a first priority. Our aim is to provide every guest with a unique and intimate experience that allows for both intentional listening and conversation at normal volumes. If you like good music, good drinks and good company, come through, we’d love to see you!
- djstein 7y ago
  thanks for this. does anyone know of any kinds of bars like this in the bay or sf area?
__sy__ 7y ago
I'd like to add one to this list: La Crema, in Taipei (克立瑪咖啡). It's technically not in Japan, but the concept is exactly the same. The owner has run the place for 30+ years, and he's fanatical about two things: coffee and his custom-built tube amp audio system. Worth a visit if you are ever in Taipei.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

260 points by PokemonNoGo 7y ago

Thank you for sharing! I remember reading about this years ago, and it's nice to rediscover this article. > "The aim from the beginning was to play non-dance music, whether it's jazz, prog-rock, experimental and avant-garde," Shimizu says. "Nobody understood this kind of listening party at first, but we just continued doing it. Then a few years later, some younger DJs began to follow our lead, and they started similar parties at the other venues."

sanjams 7y ago

Cool article. I was fortunate enough to experience some places similar to these first hand during a visit to Tokyo. One of the most impressive things to me was the bartenders’ uncanny ability to pick the perfect next song. In a sea of old, unidentifiable records, they were able to pick out exactly which record and subsequent song they wanted. And the timing of their transitions between songs...incredible. All while serving you drinks.

OstrichGlue 7y ago
That sounds amazing! I'm taking at trip to Japan in the coming months. Would you mind sharing names of any of the places?

mlacks 7y ago

I went to a place like this in Sasebo. Very cozy venue, warm atmosphere, and quiet conversations amongst the jazz in the background. I didn’t realize there was a term for “Jazz kissa”, so thank you to the author for providing a stepping stone to research more pleasant experiences like this.

Deimorz 7y ago

(from 2016) There was a good article a couple of months ago about some of these Japanese-style listening bars opening in America: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/dining/vinyl-records-listening-bar-kissaten.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/dining/vinyl-records-list...

WarDores 7y ago
One just opened near me, but you can't go to just enjoy the music because most patrons see it as "just another bar" where they can loudly gab with their coworkers, sometimes even yelling to one-up each other. It's super annoying that they're not getting the purpose of it, because I was excited when it opened. Now I might as well just go to the sports bar because I'm less frustrated.
- magduf 7y ago
  >where they can loudly gab with their coworkers, sometimes even yelling to one-up each other. That's just typical American culture. Americans are very loud.
  - WarDores 7y ago
    Makes going anywhere there's going to be more than a handful of people incredibly tiring. That's probably the introvert in me talking, but it's got to be possible to be an extrovert without giving every outing a frat party vibe.

SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago

Just adding my experience. We found ourselves in one of these places in Kanazawa. There was only us and another couple in there. Of course there was plenty of music that I'd never heard before but very much enjoyed, but Sting's "Englishman In New York" always instantly takes me back there.

agent008t 7y ago
How did you end up in Kanazawa? Is it worth exploring? I would love to see more of Japan (have been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, visited lake Toya, Hakone, Himeji castle), but unsure where to go / what to see next. Any ideas?
- jack_arleth 7y ago
  A few places come to mind: - Kusatsu Onsen (basically an onsen with the hot-watersource in the centre of the town) - Hiroshima, I cannot stress how nice this city is. - Arima Onsen (another onsen resort, the oldest of Japan) - Nikko (the most lavishly decorated temples combined with mountains, touge, a beautiful lake and one of the highest waterfalls in the country) Nikko is my absolute favorite place in all of Japan. I highly recommend it.
- weatherperson 7y ago
  long time lurker, just created my account to reply to your comment! I just got back from a Japan tour so it was my first time in the country, but Kanazawa was one of my favorite parts of the trip that I wasn't expecting! The city has a nice blend of history as well as a decent downtown area. I think it is an authentic destination and seems like more of a spot for Japanese tourists than for the usual gaijin. All of the schoolchildren I saw tried to speak English with me and said "hello" which would never happen in the big cities! I also saw the smallest bars and restaurants I have ever seen in my life, with room for 4 people, in the back streets of the downtown area. There were many good things to see in the city. The Kenroku-en Garden was a huge and beautiful park that you can meander about, that's on top of a small mountain. It is also connected to Kanazawa Castle which had the largest lawn I ever sat on. I also enjoyed the Museum of Contemporary art. The fish market is also famous, as is the Higashi Chaya District. I can't recommend Kanazawa enough! Anthony Bourdain also visits Kanazawa in the beginning of the episode "Japan with Masa" on Netflix if you want a glimpse of the city.

lukey_q 7y ago

I used this list as a starting point when I went to Japan last year, ended up visiting a few of the ones on the list and a couple of other "music bars" as well, including a hip-hop/funk/soul bar in Shinjuku ("Bar Box" I think it was called) one in Osaka dedicated to 80s rock and hair metal, "FREAK." If nothing else it's worth it to listen to one of these hi-fi soundsystems if you (like me) spend your time listening to compressed audio from a streaming service on a normal pair of headphones... the difference is night and day.

chihuazhang 7y ago
Sdfsd

dominicr 7y ago

Somewhat related, my brother is a musician (playing what you might call experimental music) and says Japan is an amazing place to play as the audience pays close attention to what you're doing and remains quiet whilst you're playing. It seems the culture there is that it's music lovers going to these venues for the primary purpose of experiencing the music. Whereas in a lot of places I've been people are going to hang out with friends and the music is secondary.

qzxvwt 7y ago
that has less to do with japan and more to do with the fact that niche music doesn’t attract laypeople. you can find the same kinds of shows all over the united states for example
- mieseratte 7y ago
  I think Japan might actually be different in regards to music performances. I know folks from a few lesser-known punk bands, the kind that might get 50 or so folks at a typical club show on a good night in the US, that did tours in Japan. They described the same kind of reverence at their shows in Japan, and punk isn't exactly known for reverent crowds. This was 10 to 15 years back, so things may be different now?
- mikepurvis 7y ago
  For the local music scene in my city (Kitchener ON), if you want a quiet, respectful, focused environment in which to enjoy, skip the pub sets and go to the house shows instead. Almost all the local artists play them, and there are a lot that are pseudo-public. Like, they're not advertised openly, so you need to ask the artist to find out, but you also don't necessarily need to know the hosts— it's very much a friends-of-friends type affair, and in my experience very welcoming.
- squeaky-clean 7y ago
  If it was just because of the genre, their brother would notice that anecdote everywhere and not just Japan. The drummer in my current band plays with several groups (very common for a skilled drummer in NYC), and he just got back from a 2 week tour in Japan and had the exact same things to say. Crowds were way more respectful and focused on the music. I agree though that in general niche music is more respectful than more mainstream music, at least in the USA. Harsh noise and stoner sludge/doom shows have had the most polite people in the mosh pits in my experience.

thde 7y ago

RA is doing some nice documentaries of a few of those bars. One from Shelter three weeks ago: https://youtu.be/qe5W7zvw10I https://youtu.be/qe5W7zvw10I And one from a Bar called Bridge, released yesterday: https://youtu.be/vs2KF6a7Duw https://youtu.be/vs2KF6a7Duw

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

Audiophile65 7y ago

Oooooooo I'm jealous

Audiophile65 7y ago

Ooooo I'm jealous

Nav_Panel 7y ago

My favorite bar in Tokyo (in the whole world?) was a place like this, called Track Bar in the Ebisu neighborhood. $8 seating charge, no photos or talking above the music allowed, then you can sit at the bar and drink inexpensive but quality whiskey all night and listen to whatever the bartenders/DJs were playing. Lots of rare cuts from the 60s thru the 00s. I also ended up having nice conversations with plenty of other patrons. Most were there for the music as well, a mix of locals and tourists, very friendly vibe. I wish I had a comparable place in NYC. As a side note, the secret to drinking in Japan (or anywhere), known to alcoholics but not to many regular folks, is starting or finishing your night with a little bottle of vitamin C drink. Helps your liver digest the alcohol. I started buying Emergen-C packets when I got back to the States and it's been a game-changer. Routine colds also seem to be less intense...

teachrdan 7y ago
Is there smoking at the bar? That's been my Kryptonite when it comes to visiting cool bars in Japan.
- Nav_Panel 7y ago
  Of course! And fancy brass ashtrays too!
  - ink_13 7y ago
    I think you misunderstand. That's a dealbreaker, not an upside.
    - dmix 7y ago
      For some people...
sgarman 7y ago
If I had a nickel for every "secret to not get hungover"... And anecedata on colds too! Doctors hate him!

thomas 7y ago

If you are in/around NYC I highly recommend Public Records for a top-notch audio experience and relaxed atmosphere: https://thevinylfactory.com/news/new-audiophile-bar-opening-nyc-public-records/ https://thevinylfactory.com/news/new-audiophile-bar-opening-...

Nav_Panel 7y ago
Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out!

apecat 7y ago

Of course the Japanese had this concept figured out. I do this thing with a small group of friends, where we drive like 3-4 grands worth of speakers and room correction DSP (Genelec and DSpeaker) to a summer cottage every 6-8 weeks or so. The place, a big log cabin, happens to have wonderful acoustics. And we just sit back, mostly STFU and listen to a selection of music for an entire evening, DJ:ed by me (I accept requests), and we eat good food. There's no background music, when we cook, eat or clean, because we want to rest our ears for the main sessions. The next day, we drive back, I check everything we listened to from Last.fm, and I create a Spotify playlist of the event, which we all save. Most people look at me like I’m insane when I describe this activity.

mrhappyunhappy 7y ago
This sounds wonderful, not at all insane.
- apecat 7y ago
  Oh, trust me, it's an absolute delight. It's tingly, ASMR-like and you hear stuff in a completely different way. One of my friends just goes to town with his synesthesia and usually keeps his eyes shut for a big part of the evening. One of the most mind-blowing experiences I've had there with a well-known piece of music that many can relate to: the bass on the 2018 mix of The Beatles' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'. In a room with almost no resonance it's just so nice and warm. Similarly, with the clean bass, you fall for these hidden gems, even among contemporary top 40 pop, like Dua Lipa's hit 'New Rules' from a couple of years back. Also, a fair chunk of pop sounds quite airy and nice compared to ten years ago. My point is though that it's very self-selecting crowd we've attracted. Not even everyone who loves music enjoy sitting still and quiet for an evening, save for our quick remarks and giggles of pleasant surprise, for example when we describe how good some cheesy 80s pop tune actually sounds. There are no guilty pleasures if the production is good :D Now with the Tool discography coming to streaming tomorrow(!!!) I suspect our next session is going to be quite the orgy.
fastcucumber 7y ago
I think this might be my dream

jedimastert 7y ago

If anyone knows of something like this in the Boston area, do let me know. I'd love to see it.

JayJee 7y ago

What kind of freak stores records spine-in?

erikig 7y ago
There are always people on the other side of the rack...(in my freakish mind)

supernova87a 7y ago

I find it really fascinating how small local decisions like how many square feet a store can be, influence what kind of companies form, and thus, how good your local breweries, cafes, bookstores, restaurants, groceries are. Like they hint at in the article, I guess small store footprints make it not worth large "faceless" corporations opening shop and therefore the stores that do pop up are run out of more passion for the thing (some, at least). Traveling in EU a bunch, I was always interested why in Italy, for example, small restaurants are on every residential block run by essentially mom and pops, and still surviving, serving up reasonably good food. Versus this kind of restaurant has largely been displaced (if not number, at least in consciousness) in any of our US large cities by corporate backed entities. Versus if your zoning allows big box 100,000 sq ft stores, you're just by nature going to get something a little more bland.

bsder 7y ago
> Traveling in EU a bunch, I was always interested why in Italy, for example, small restaurants are on every residential block run by essentially mom and pops, and still surviving, serving up reasonably good food. Versus this kind of restaurant has largely been displaced (if not number, at least in consciousness) in any of our US large cities by corporate backed entities. Population density. Thinking about one of the restaurants I was in in Paris, it had seats for about 40 people (tightly packed!) and remained filled for about 4 hours and we turned about every 2 hours. So, about 80-100 people a night roughly 6 nights a week. So, call it 400 people per week being dinner customers of that restaurant to keep it alive. That's roughly 200 apartments or houses nearby needed to keep that restaurant alive. You don't need many of those restaurants before you exceed the local suburban density in the US. In Paris, that's probably exceeded by the number of people on a couple blocks.

AChamarthy 7y ago

Beautiful Concept. Recent article about In Sheep's Clothing and Gold Line in LA: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-hi-fi-bars-20181004-story.html https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-hi-fi-b...

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

Svperstar 7y ago

A bar that plays nothing but experimental and drone sounds amazing.

PepperAssassin 7y ago

I visit Japan every year and spend a lot of time at these venues and at the so-called Jazz kissas (ジャズ喫茶). These places are amazing. Usually operated by older Japanese women and gentlemen, they have walls lined with records - many of which are out of print. They include obscure, but excellent, Japanese jazz of which there is plenty. The patrons sit quietly and focus on the music while sipping whiskey and/or smoking a cigarette. It is interesting to not that most of these places include detailed specs of their audio setups on their business cards. My friends and I often have listening parties at our lodge in the woods near Yosemite. My Jazz playlist for any who wish to enjoy. Please listen on shuffle, and no skipping! https://open.spotify.com/user/pgoonghang/playlist/54Zec8Roc93sywnGUmqDQX?si=sdohZSg0Q5-2kvRTxPZMLQ https://open.spotify.com/user/pgoonghang/playlist/54Zec8Roc9...

jalessio 7y ago

A venue like this opened recently in Oakland, CA (which I haven't had a chance to visit yet). https://www.barshiru.com/ https://www.barshiru.com/ > The Bay Area’s first hi-fi vinyl listening bar. We focus on playing records in their entirety on a fully analog sound system in a space that was built with acoustics as a first priority. Our aim is to provide every guest with a unique and intimate experience that allows for both intentional listening and conversation at normal volumes. If you like good music, good drinks and good company, come through, we’d love to see you!

djstein 7y ago
thanks for this. does anyone know of any kinds of bars like this in the bay or sf area?

__sy__ 7y ago

I'd like to add one to this list: La Crema, in Taipei (克立瑪咖啡). It's technically not in Japan, but the concept is exactly the same. The owner has run the place for 30+ years, and he's fanatical about two things: coffee and his custom-built tube amp audio system. Worth a visit if you are ever in Taipei.

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