Tokyo Jazz Joints

Tokyo Jazz Joints documents a vanishing world of Japanese jazz culture.

Japanese jazz bars and coffee shops are insular worlds where time seems to stand still, offering a reprieve from the speed and chaos of the modern urban landscape. This book is a visual chronicle of this unique culture, capturing the transient beauty of these spaces. Established in 2015 to document Tokyo's myriad jazu kissa, the project has gradually expanded to cover the whole of Japan. These dedicated jazz listening venues are slowly disappearing due to changing trends, an ageing clientele, and gentrification. This book aims to preserve these living museums before they vanish forever.

Tokyo Jazz Joints is a documentary photography project by Northern Irish photographer Philip Arneill, in collaboration with American broadcaster James Catchpole, both of whom are long-term residents of Japan.