'Tokyo Jazz Joints' Announces Its Eigkan Jazz Kissa Project

Through their Tokyo Jazz Joints podcast and book, Philip Arneill and James Catchpole aim to spotlight, honor and preserve Japan’s storied jazz kissa culture. Now, Catchpole is undertaking his most ambitious project yet: taking over operations at the famed Eigakan (映画館) cafe alongside Tokyo-based DJ and jazz aficionado Hiroko Otsuka.

Though kissas go as far back the late ’40s and early ’50s — they originally served as bars-slash-gathering spaces where jazz fans could come to listen to records, then prohibitively expensive for individual buyers, played on high-quality sound systems — and have enjoyed a recent surge in popularity as jazz (and its surrounding aesthetic) bubbles up towards mainstream culture once again, several are still forced to close due to the increased costs of business, gentrification and retiring owners who don’t have a successor. Eigakan, however, is still thriving, and its founder, Yoshida-san, a former film director (“Eigakan” translates to “film” in English) wants to keep its legacy alive after he retires.

Philip Arneill

That’s where Catchpole and Otsuka’s Eigkan Jazz Kissa Project comes into play. As they take over the space, they’re looking to make necessary updates to its infrastructure while, in their own words, “preserving its long history and unique atmosphere,” including its hand-built sound system, legendary among audiophiles worldwide and collection of over 2,500 jazz records. The space is more than somewhere to listen to music as well, as it’s worked with the local community on events and collaborated with Japan’s NGOs to help the urban poor.

Outside of the trio’s own savings and “small local business grants,” they’re looking to raise five million Japanese yen (just over $33,500 USD) to achieve their stated goals. To this end, they’re offering supporters a chance to give on their Kickstarter page, with rewards ranging from postcards and pins to a chance to be a sound selector for a night or even have your name on one of the venue’s chairs.

Head to the Kickstarter to learn more about the initiative, and, for more info on Tokyo Jazz Joints as a whole, check out its website.