Welcome to Jazz of Japan#
This site is dedicated to showcasing modern jazz albums from Japan and Japanese musicians.
On Jazz of Japan, my motivation is to provide straightforward descriptions of jazz recordings from Japanese musicians with photos, audio clips, and links to more information. Rather than a music critic’s album reviews, these are simple, honest introductions of new music to enjoy related to Japanese jazz.
In addition to albums, in some articles I also explore the world of Japanese jazz in real jazz bars, clubs, and live spots in Japan.
Subscribe to the newsletter#
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About this site#
Jazz of Japan is a website at www.jazzofjapan.com with an email newsletter. (There is also this companion site, docs.jazzofjapan.com, where this “About” page is located.)
You can view, browse, and search the website for free without an account. And, if this topic appeals to you, then you can sign up for the free newsletter to get updates in your email.
About the albums#
The album articles relate to jazz albums from Japan and are free and readable by all. Subscribers to the newsletter will get an email each time a new article is published.
I strive to make each article brief but descriptive: a straightforward overview of an album with photos of the CD and links to audio and video. I include short audio excerpts to get a taste of the album, and sometimes I translate and include portions of the liner notes as well.
The focus of each article is on the music itself with the goal of sharing it with a wider audience. In most cases, these are modern-day albums from current musicians who are still playing in Japan and can be seen at live performances.
About the clubs#
In addition to albums, I also write about live jazz venues including clubs, bars, cafes, and similar places in Japan. For both albums and clubs, all of the information is gathered first-hand through my direct experience, and all photos were taken by me (excluding official album cover art images).
These club articles are mostly about specific venues in Japan, and also occasionally feature extra information for interested readers, with more photos and guides about Japanese jazz.
Reach out#
Future features and updates are always possible, so don’t hesitate to reach out with your suggestions or comments. An easy way to contact me is by replying to the newsletter email.
Publishing since 2018 as “J Jazz: Modern Jazz From Japan” (WordPress from Jan 2018), “J Jazz Substack” (Substack from May 2021), and “Jazz of Japan” (GitHub from Jan 2022, Substack from May 2023, Buttondown since Feb 2026).