With only a few days to go before the start of EDCON Tokyo, the conference is holding a Shibuya-wide scavenger hunt, offering rewards for finding and collecting the most EDCON NFTs, with venues such as AMBUSH Workshop, Centrum Studio and Nox Gallery participating.
Michelin Guide recently updated their “Best Ramen in Tokyo”.
Check out which shops and signature styles made the cut.
Meikyoku kissas (名曲喫茶), or “classical music cafés,” are a distinctive part of Japanese culture, particularly in Tokyo. These establishments emerged in the early 20th century and provided a unique space for music enthusiasts to enjoy classical music in a café setting.
Heralded kissas like Lion Cafe have been garnering media and tourist attention as of late, with some calling it Tokyo’s “worst best kept secret.”
A brief history of these wonderfully unique establishments may help contextualize why they are so revered by enthusiasts and regulars, yet also so often misunderstood by non-Japanese visitors.
Jazz Kissas in Tokyo, also known as jazz cafes or jazz bars, are unique and cozy establishments that cater to jazz enthusiasts and music lovers.
These intimate venues offer a relaxed and intimate atmosphere where patrons can enjoy listening to jazz music on high-quality audio systems while sipping drinks and subtly interacting with the cafe’s proprietor and other patrons.
Jazz Kissas are an integral part of Tokyo’s vibrant jazz scene and have a rich history dating back to the pre-WWII era, rising to prominence in the 1960s and 70s in Japan, as music connoisseurs huddled in comfortable settings to listen to the latest Miles Davis or John Coltrane records in high-fidelity.
Japan’s capital city is massive, with over 14 million people, but that doesn’t create an overpowering atmosphere. Instead, Tokyo is one of the world’s friendliest, most welcoming capitals, with a vast array of neighborhoods just waiting for visitors to explore.
For close to three years, pandemic border controls halted foreign travel to Tokyo, leaving its cityscape, sights and scenes exclusively to locals.
Now, with international tourists welcomed back in full, those willing to explore beyond the busier districts of Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku and wander down mazes of side streets in Sangenjaya or Shimokitazawa will find their own version of happiness sipping coffee in a charming kissaten, shopping the racks of a specialty boutique or taking refuge in many of Tokyo’s natural sanctuaries.
We like to think of Tokyo as “the capital of concealed treasures”, where you can imbibe at an intimate bar tucked up in a small office building or enjoy ultra-premium sushi hidden in plain sight.
Truly effective design bridges the gap between needs and requirements.
In this case, the needs are neighborhood access, convenience and practicality. The requirements are thoughtful, understated design, fair pricing and cohesiveness in experience.
Simple yet striking, MUSTARD HOTEL delivers a pronounced “secret ingredient” to Shibuya and its newly adorned Shibuya Bridge complex, as well as parallel properties in Asakusa — 1 & 2.
Whether the intense energy of Shibuya draws you inward or outward on any given night, it’s always wise to stop in to Aoyama Tunnel — an uncommon venue known as one of Tokyo’s finest for mingling with creative clientele and enjoying expertly-curated musical selections.