Jazz Kissa: Japan's Jazz Revolution

Jazz was banned in Japan in 1927 to stop the spread of American Culture. This however didn’t stop it from attaining a cult following by the 1950s. American and Phillipino jazz bands visiting American troops had spread the word. The genie was out.

Small houses and expensive records prevented most people from playing jazz at home. Instead, they sought it at their neighbourhood Jazz Kissa (Jazz Cafe) that mushroomed across the country. A modern Jazz Kissa is a combination of a coffee house, a bar, a record room, and a concert venue.

Jazz Kissa’s allows you to immerse yourself to jazz played off a record over a good HiFi system. Music is not a solitary pursuit; discovering new music in the presence of other aficionados is special.



Meditative listening is a Japanese tradition - and watching a turntable play adds to that experience.

“When you are in a Jazz Kissa, you can forget about the real world”, says Katsumasa Kusunose, a photographer and the founder of the Jazz Kissa publication.

There are over a hundred Jazz Kissa’s in Tokyo alone. The Jazz Kissa culture is spreading internationally with venues opening across Europe and North America. The Revolver Club brings the Jazz Kissa culture to venues across the country where we play carefully curated jazz off a record over a great HiFi.

The perfect way to discover extraordinary music. And an experience to savour.