Peculiar Culture Of Jazz Kissa In Japan Is it a Cult or What?
Even if Jazz Kissa was mostly men dominant, beautiful women were always there to serve you GUYS! haha. This is taken from one of the articles of Swing Journal in 1967. They featured some of beautiful girls working at Jazz Kissa including Funky.
Yes, we talked about Jazz Kissa history in Japan.
But...Jazz Kissa had a really peculiar culture, most of the people call it
That is Cult!
An English man, who later became Japanese and famous Music Journalist, Peter Barakan came to Japan, Tokyo for the first time in 1974.
At that time, he was working at a music company. And, with having not enough money to buy records and equipment to listen to music he loves, he got a rumor about Jazz Kissa, yes, the one I featured,
Funky in Kichijoji Tokyo
He went there for the 1st time, and, he requested a song to play,
Herbie Hancock, Chameleon Headhunters
You know, the Headhunters was released in 1973 and the album, at that time, was really popular. But...
At the time the song, Chameleon started playing,
All the customers in the Funky started frowning and left the shop!!
Yes, that is the culture of Jazz Kissa those days.
Patrons of Jazz Kissa strongly believe that Jazz is the Hard Bop!,Fusion, Soul Jazz, Free Jazz, Jazz Funk are not their Jazz at all and they really detested them!
In addition, Jazz Kissa back in 60's and 70's had a kind of "TESTAMENT".
That is a common culture of Jazz Kissa at that time. Actually, most of the high schools in Japan banned the students to step in to those Jazz Kissa that THEY (SCHOOLS) considered Jazz Kissa as "Immoral" to the kids, haha.
In some sense, I think it is true, the patrons are there in Jazz Kissa for hours just listening to Jazz and never talk, smoking and sipping just a cup of coffee with loud Jazz music played!
Despite of this odd, peculiar culture of Jazz Kissa, I think this trend really helped to make a strong foundation of Jazz Music Culture here in Japan. I tell you, now , very few Jazz Kissa inherited this old style culture. Even with Funky, it has been changed and really become like an ordinary Jazz Bar. by Takashi
Another interesting chapter in the Jazz Kissa story. Keep them coming. I have a question Takashi. During the 1950’s did the records stores in Japan import Blue Note albums and the like from the United States or did the private collector/fan have to make these orders themselves?
Peter Lambert
Peter, thanks for your great comment! Back in those days, it was really difficult for you to get Jazz vinyl records. There were no reissues and most of the Jazz Kissa owners got a connection with the US military people to get the Jazz LPs from them. Some, like the owner of Funky had their relatives who were living in the US and they were importing them. In anyway, it was a difficult time.