Independence

Independence jazz club, located near Ikebukuro station in Tokyo, Japan (website, map).

Maki Fujimura with the Yuichiro Aratake Trio at Independence in 2012

Independence is a cool underground jazz bar in Ikebukuro, a long and narrow room like a tunnel with a door at one end and a stage at the other. The friendly proprietor offers small homemade appetizers and the usual drinks, bar snacks, and dishes including pizza, pasta, and rice dishes. The middle of the room is filled with small tables and chairs lined up against the long wall, with a small facing bar that also provides great views of the stage.