Punk rock, world obscurities, and “deranged” mix CD’s from Keiji Yamabe’s Los Apson? record shop in Koenji, Tokyo. The best record shops in the world are much more […]
Upstairs Records & Bar: A Rare Groove Kissa in Shimokitazawa
A cozy record store and bar in Shimokitazawa with Rare Groove records from around the world.
While a relatively new phenomenon in America & Europe, record cafes/bars have existed since the late 1920’s in Japan. These dedicated listening spaces originally played mostly jazz and classical music, but these days, record bars can take on many different forms and feature all varieties of sounds and genres. Given the comparatively lower rent and relative ease of acquiring a liquor license in Japan, almost any space can be transformed into a place for drinking and listening. That lower barrier of entry opens up the door for creativity, and Japanese music lovers have taken that in stride. Bar Nightingale in Tokyo’s popular Golden Gai neighborhood is known for playing exclusively noise music. Reggae / DUB club OPEN boasts a full reggae sound system in their modest basement bar. Obscure Sound’s Chee Shimizu recently added a highly curated cafe/bar program to his revered Physical Store in Shimoigusa.
A new discovery from our recent trip to Japan was Upstairs Records & Bar, a record store and bar in Shimokitazawa that focuses on Rare Groove records. Founded by Makoto Nagatomo, who previously ran the legendary Brooklyn record shop Weekend Records, the cozy space feels more like a home than a shop with its five-seat bar counter and massive wall lined with records from Nagatomo’s personal collection. The store side’s bins are stacked with soul, jazz-funk, disco, AOR, reggae, fusion, and more, largely from America and Japan, but also sourced from around the world. We found out that Nagatomo has been traveling throughout Asia to uncover obscure and largely unknown rare groove records from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Korea.
“Upstairs Records & Bar is a place for people who don’t like dancing in clubs but want to listen to music loud.”
Check out this video from walk3000’s Tokyo Vinyl series where Nagatomo shares some of his latest Malaysian Chinese music finds. Nagamoto: “Upstairs Records & Bar is a place for people who don’t like dancing in clubs but want to listen to music loud. They want to sit and talk while listening to music. It’s an all-genre version of a jazz kissa or rock bar. Some people say that this is the Rare Groove kissa.” If you plan on visiting, make sure to go to Upstairs on a Wednesday night (the only day) when the bar is open!
Upstairs Records & Bar
Address: YS Building 2F, 3-27-1 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Business hours: 17:00-25:00 (record sales until 21:00), 21:00-25:00 (Wednesdays)
Closed: Wednesdays (bar is open)
Phone: 03-6754-1052
