Tokyo Jazz Joints: The Book

We love a good book here at Flea Market Funk, and when something like this book comes along, well, we want to share it. Reading, like music is good for the soul, and who here among us hasn’t sat down with a good book, popped on a jazz record (or record of your choice) and got lost in both? Here’s a preview of the Kickstarter funded book, Tokyo Jazz Joints by Phillip Arneil with James Catchpole

Jazz and freedom go hand in hand.- Thelonious Monk

A passion project started back in 2015 to document the wonderful jazz bars and cafes in Tokyo, Japan has turned into documentation of over 160 joints in the storied city and beyond. Post WWII, the jazz cafe culture grew in an organic way, fans of jazz would gather to hear the latest records from The States and Europe, imported of course. Let us no forget that after the war these records or a turntable were a complete luxury that most could not afford as they recovered from the war. This new social setting, listening to a new record soon became a normal event, and many of these creative spaces popped up around Shibuya, Shinjuku and central Tokyo. A tradition began. With the impetus behind the project to capture these special jazz “kissa” coffee shops and bars before they disappear, we’re excited to experience these past and future images all together in one book, a memory for both those who frequented these establishments and those who are interested in keeping this practice alive on their bookshelves among their most prized publications.

“Often photographing after a full day’s work in almost virtual darkness, using a handheld camera in dusty, cramped and cluttered spaces has undoubtedly posed its own unique challenges. Attempting to use a flash or tripod would be futile, and only serve to instantly destroy the very atmosphere that makes these places so very special” says photographer Phillip Arneil.

This one is a special book, and if you’re into vinyl records culture, you’ll understand why. This photo illustrates it all.