Natural
Natural music salon, located near Mitaka station in Tokyo, Japan (website, map).
Music Salon Natural is a concert venue in Mitaka, a small town to the west of Tokyo. The town itself is probably most well-known by tourists to Japan for its Ghibli Museum, a widely-mentioned essential top for fans of anime and the popular Studio Ghibli movies.
As for this jazz spot Natural, the venue’s name is inspired by the goal of delivering music naturally (described as a natural sound/acoustics environment in ナチュラルの音環境) through an interesting variety of events, musicians, and styles.
On their blog, the owner of Natural introduces himself as a jazz lover for 55 years who opened Natural as a result of that legacy. All customers are welcome regardless of age and gender.
Natural has been in business for only a few years (est. 2023) but has established itself as a solid choice for live music due to its vibe and a well-chosen, consistent scheduling of popular local acts.
Those acts include piano solos and duos (twin piano performances with two pianos for occasional “four-hands” concert series), vocal groups, and small instrumental groups. In addition to jazz, there is a focus on classical and Latin music. Like with other venues, most performances are nighttime events, but Natural also has frequent daytime shows scheduled for weekends and holidays.
The wide-open and spartan interior of Natural creates a nice, clear sound with an immediate presence. The natural reverb of the room’s open space and higher-than-your-average-basement ceiling may be another motivation for the choice of name.
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