A tiny and welcoming jazz bar in the middle of the hustle-and-bustle of Shinjuku Sanchome, Polka Dots is a great place to listen to live music at close quarters with the musicians and other customers for a fun night of jazz and drinks. A pleasing menu with a variety of home-cooked dishes (popular choices include the Okinawan stir fry chanpuru and the butter soy sauce rice butter shoyu gohan) awaits hungry customers or those who just want to snack, all prepared carefully and with love by the friendly Junko-san. ...

All of Me is a classy and dependable jazz joint in rowdy Roppongi. Many live shows at All of Me feature a singer or several singers with a jazz band; the musicians are usually top-notch. The food is nice, restaurant-quality food, better than the average bar fare. This bar is also famous for all-night live shows and jam sessions on selected Fridays and Saturdays, starting just after midnight until about 3:00 am. Check the schedule for details. ...

Popularly known as “the smallest jazz bar in the world”, Hot House provides a fun and unique experience. Although the history here is long and rich, like a much-loved old car, I’m not sure how many more years are left on the engine, so it’s best to make it here while you can and experience something truly like nowhere else. While jazz is the main item on the menu, Hot House is a tiny bar that can also satisfy a huge appetite. During the performance and intermission, you will be served a variety of homemade food. Aki-san, the owner and chef, spends most of the time in the kitchen cooking up the dishes and bringing them out while you enjoy the music. Follow the lead of your neighbors and take a paper plate and a pair of chopsticks and watch the food appear, coming around the table like an indoor jazz picnic. ...

Vocalist Naoko Akimoto’s debut release No One Else is a seven-song introduction to the popular singer, a presentation of standard jazz and Japanese pop arranged with care and performed by top musicians from Tokyo. The arrangements are nice, particularly on the opening track “Moondance” which opens with a deep bass, piano, and vibes setting up a grove for Akimoto to lead the listener through the atmospheric drama of the tune. The decorated arrangements include vocal harmonies with trumpet, flute, and other instruments adding beautiful layers to the music. ...

Our Delight is a relatively newer entry on the scene, a clean and modern jazz space with a unique characteristic: the room sports a high ceiling directly above the performance area, spanning about 5 floors and creating a large open space where the sound of the musicians can expand and flow upwards. This creates a natural reverberation effect which is especially enjoyable during solo piano concerts. The admission ticket system can vary but often includes two prepaid vouchers for drinks such as beer or soda, or you can supplement the voucher with money to pay for more expensive orders as well. The food menu features various dishes such as a delicious house pizza and a snack bowl filled with nuts and chips. ...

Well worth visiting for top-quality jazz and an enthusiastic and friendly owner Morikawa-san, Birdland is a top choice for authentic live jazz. While Birdland no longer features live jazz on a nightly basis, the shop has special live shows on occasion, typically once a week. The interior space is cozy with a nice bar which may seasonally sport a large green plant rising from the bar and spreading branches and leaves up towards the ceiling. Facing the bar is an upright piano, and snug in the corner is a drum set, in front of which an upright bass, with space for a horn player or two to just squeeze in, right up against the front bar and tables. ...

Clean, neat, and organized, Into the Blue is one tidy jazz spot. The overhead vaulted ceiling is awash in the cool blue light, arching almost like a church roof, with jazz instruments set up at one end up above like statues around an altar to jazz. Here at Into the Blue, the sound is upfront and close, like a mini concert hall or listening room with a kitchen in the back. Like the clean and blue atmosphere, it can be a refreshing change compared to some other cramped, dark big city jazz bars. ...

A neighborhood jazz bar in Tokyo’s bustling Ikebukuro district, P’s Bar may be very small but that results in a cozy, comfortable family-feeling setting. Upon entering the bar you may be greeted and given a seat along the bar or right up in the front table area next to where the musicians perform. The stage area features an upright piano, and that’s about it. Due to the small space, the musicians are usually playing as duos (piano & horn, piano & vocals, guitar & vocals) but occasionally there is a special event with a bassist and sometimes even a drummer squeezed into the corner. Also featured here are occasional afternoon jam sessions and vocal workshops. ...

Paco is a tiny jazz bar in the central Hanzomon/Yotsuya area that features excellent food and comfortable jazz performances. Upon entering, one feels literally surrounded by jazz, encountering walls covered with jazz CDs and record covers. In this small room, the performers (often a singer plus a guitarist or pianist) will sit or stand right in front of the seated customers for two or three performance sets starting at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30 PM. The audience area holds about 12 customers at most; at certain times for popular performers, reservations are recommended, although the gracious bar master will try to squeeze in anyone who arrives on crowded nights. ...