Tokyo’s Jazz Bar NARU

On the advice of an American jazz musician who plays professionally in Shanghai, I checked out Naru, a jazz club with locations in Yoyogi & Ochanomizu. The locations are:

(1) Ochanomizu: お茶の水Naru / ジャズハウスナル / Jazz House Naru, Ochanomizu (map)

(2) Yoyogi: 代々木ナル Yoyogi Naru / Naru Restaurant Bar Yoyogi (map)

Photos from the Ochanomizu location:

We had very front-row seats:

Schedule from the Ochanomizu location; the group we listened comprised:

• 大坂昌彦 Masahiko Osaka (drums) (Website)
• 今泉正明 Masaaki Imaizumi (piano) (Website)
• パット・グリン Pat Glynn (bass) (Website)
• 西口明宏 Akihiro Nishiguchi (tenor sax) (Website)
• 山田拓児 Takuji Yamada (alto sax) (Website)

Here’s a listen from the night:

A view of the interior and exterior:

Schedule from the Yoyogi location (2012):

Yoyogi exterior:

Links:

• Naru Ochanomizu website
• Naru Yoyogi website
• Sample from Pat Glynn’s record, “Who’s on bass”:

• While in Ochanomizu, make sure to see the view from Ochanomizu bridge. See: Coming up for air: trains from the tunnel’s mouth