Listen to a love letter from a cafe in Japan

Writer director Nick Dwyer was born and raised in New Zealand and was initially attracted to Japanese aesthetics and music through the Nintendo Game Boys that his brother gave him. “The artwork, design, the way the kanji characters are anthropomorphized – it shocked me,” he said. “I bought a Japanese dictionary and taught myself how to read and write, and decided that I would move to Japan as a teenager.”

In his 20s, Dwyer traveled to Japan Making trackhe hosted a TV show about the world’s music culture, which is aired on the BBC and National Geographic. “I fell in love with the music culture here – record shops, small clubs, sound systems – I’ve been here every year since 2004.” In 2014, he did a great job in his childhood determination and moved to Tokyo.

He recalled that at the time, he was “somewhat personally and professionally”. He continued: “I moved to Japan for a number of reasons, but mainly fell in love with music again.” After long immersion in electronic and club music scenes and extensive global travel throughout his 20s scenes Making track – From Trinidad and Tobago to Argentina, South Africa, India and dozens of countries – Dwyer is ready to take a deep breath.

At the end of 2014, he entered Meikyoku Kissa Lion, which is usually the oldest Ongaku Kissa in Japan. This was an encounter that changed him indeliblely. “The cafe put me in a situation where I was forced to listen…I thought, a second – my life and career are music, but when was the last time I was listen music? Just sitting and listening to an album? Dwyer began filling his days at Ongaku Kissa, visiting hundreds of locations across the country from Hokkaido to the southernmost island of the Japanese archipelago. A century of sound Realize.

Meikyoku Kissa Lion | A Century of Voice

Master the classics

Meikyoku Kissa Lion is the right focus A century of soundThe first episode. “MeikyokuIt means “musical masterpiece”, which refers to the classical works of composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Debossi. Out of respect for the quiet, sublime atmosphere of the cafe, it took Dewell years to approach its owner, Keiko Ishihara, Keiko Ishihara, a record about the shooting. Oh my god, until the staff knew me it was routine. ” he told Tokyo weekend.

Ishihara’s late husband was brother son of Yanosuke Yamadera, who founded Meikyoku Kissa Lion in 1926. After the area burned down in the area during an air strike in 1945, the cafe was rebuilt, and Yamadera developed his collection in night markets and record-breaking records.

The child at that time Ishihara recalled the influx of Western culture after the horror of the war, a period when the Japanese public was fascinated by Western music genres. Coupled with the combination of people’s inability to buy expensive hearing equipment, Yamadera’s treasure house is very successful. “People used to line up in front of opening hours and they were eager to sit in designated seats,” Ishihara said.

Meikyoku Kissa Lion’s baroque, stone wall exterior remains unchanged today, with a forgivable and mysterious situation that has witnessed decades of history. Adventure inside reveals a tall cave with over 5,000 classical records. Similar to an old cinema, a row of soft chairs face two stately loudspeakers that are imminent. Like moviegoers, the café customers sit quietly, allowing the melody to wash them while quietly drinking coffee.

For Ishihara and her customers, the lion is rich in academics and spirituality. It’s a place to worship, learn and appreciate this type of genre. “I learned classical music here, not classical music taught in the school,” she said.

Play with your ears

In the Ongaku Kissa category, there are a variety of subcategories – not only Meikyoku Kissa, but also Jazz Kissa, Rock Kissa and countless others. The second episode of the documentary delves into the story of Masahiro Yoshiro, founder and owner of the legendary jazz Kissa eigakan (“Jazz Café Cinema”), who opened in 1978 near Hakusan Station in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.

In the 1930s, jazz and records existed in Japan, but most were confiscated or destroyed during the war. After the war, Bebop (a new type of jazz characterized by adventurous improvisation, fast pace and complex harmonies) took over the center stage, occupying many jazz and clubs around Tokyo.

“I think this genre is still popular because it’s more complex and layered compared to modern music – the more you hear, the more you find it,” Yoshida advises. To create a warm acoustic landscape that is essential for this genre, he spent decades perfecting the architectural sound system from wooden corners and vacuum tube amplifiers. “[The audio system] Yoshida tells Dwyer is my own masterpiece.

Jazz Kissa eigakan

It needs a village

Ongaku Kissa’s elastic foundation depends on “Qiao Lun” – Dedicated regulars. For these regulars, listening cafes serve as a safe haven for urban living labor. “All major urban centers need these places, but especially in Tokyo, the third space is very important,” Dwyer said. Indeed, Ongaku Kissa Foster foster foster foster foster sance for and to hisse ofter for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse for hisse of hisse of hisse for hisse of hisse of hisse of hisse of hisse of hisse of hisse of histe of histe of his party.

The third episode of the series shows a rock-focused bird cafe, a rock-rolling “Dojo” that was emulated by Shibuya’s legendary Black Hawk, a rock-rolling “Dojo” known in the 1970s for its intense listening sessions and loyal “Black Hawk Kids.” “Black Hawk is a place where you can meditate on music. This place is more academic than other rock bases,” explained Junichi Umezawa. “It’s like a continuation of college.”

Interviews with several regulars reveal the resonance of these listening spaces: a former Black Hawk kid, now in her 60s, lost touch with her passion for rock after marriage, but rediscovered it on Bird Song. Salary and avid record collector, calling Umezawa his “music teacher”; a woman who finds comfort there after tragically losing her son. “I couldn’t listen to any music I’ve been in the past during that time… [Umezawa] She recalls helping me heal through music. ”

Umezawa learned that Bird Song Cafe is more than just a place to hang out – it has a crucial purpose for many customers. “In the past, Japan was a village society…but times have changed.” “I think people still need each other. It’s a commune.”

Auditory Renaissance

As a regular person in one of Ongaku Kissa’s zodiac signs, Dwyer’s goal is to create A century of sound It is to share with the world his love for the unique aspects of Japanese fever culture. More broadly, he hopes to inspire conversations about the fundamental value of music in our lives. “When music loses a lot of meaning, there are things we all need to consider,” he said.

Despite the dominance of streaming culture, Dewell sincerely sees the bright future of simulated listening art. When I asked him if Ongaku Kissa could stand the test of time, the answer was yes. “There are a lot of people who inspired themselves from Ongaku Kissa,” he told me. “There are generally thought that this culture is a culture for older people, but it is not. It is younger and energetic than ever before.

“It takes a simulated way to create memories. When I sit at home and feed something from the algorithm, I never form memories of music,” Dewell continued. “To me, Ongaku Kissa is a school, a church, a hospital. They are the portals of other dimensions. The recorded music has the power to be so transcendent, and these places unlock its full potential – something we all need to live again.”

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