Jazz Nutty

Jazz Nutty jazz cafe, located near Wadeda station in Tokyo, Japan (website, map).

Speakers guard the entrance at Jazz Nutty

Calling all jazz nuts! Jazz Nutty is a small coffee shop near Waseda University in Tokyo where the jazz records are cranked and the coffee flows hot. The shop name is undoubtedly a tribute to the Thelonious Monk tune “Nutty”, similar to other jazz spots which honor famous musicians, albums, or tunes from jazz history, like the bar Salt Peanuts for example. Also in the legume/nut theme is of course the general jazz vibe of “Peanuts jazz” with Charlie Brown and Snoopy that is ever popular and present this time of year.

Welcome to Jazz Nutty

The hand-painted sign next to the front door reads:

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Hear the soul of musicians!

         Not a restaurant
   A jazz cafe where you can 
   listen to records and CDs
                                      
   Coffee, tea, cola, alcohol
           500 yen and up
        Entry fee 200 yen
   (Discounts for students)
 
  Mon-Fri:       11:00 - 19:00
  Sat/Sun/Hol: 11:00 - 18:00
          Closed Tuesdays
            JAZZ NUTTY
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Jazz Nutty is a cozy spot to settle in and listen to great music played through the striking speakers placed near the entrance. Seats are arranged right in front facing the speakers and along the walls with wooden benches on each side.

Coziness at Jazz Nutty

Depending on the music and the mood, the sound may get quite large and loud, but it’s still clear as it is penetrating. Some guests may find that the seats closest to the large speakers are bombarded with the sound waves; many will love the immersion. In any case, the shop is quite small and the sound travels all around, so any seat is a good one for listening.

Changing the music

Furnishings are minimal but this means there are few distractions to enjoying the music and a beverage or two. After ordering and listening for a while, you may even be asked if there’s anything in particular you want to hear.

Listening to Duets by Carla Bley and Steve Swallow

Requests are limited to the shop’s personal collection and whatever’s currently on hand or brought in by regular customers, but both the shop’s stock and the shopkeeper’s knowledge runs deep. Past requests for albums such as Carla Bley & Steve Swallow’s Duets and Chick Corea’s Now He Sings, Now He Sobs were happily satisfied. This is the icing on the cake at a welcoming respite, a comfortable escape from the busy city for jazz nuts everywhere.

Seats, tables, pictures, and speaker