'Tokyo Jazz Joints' Spotlights Japanese Jazz Kissa Culture

"Japanese-influenced listening bars" may be the latest, greatest trend in US bar culture, but their high-end sound systems and even more highfalutin aesthetic draw from a much more humble practice: the Japanese "jazz kissa," an unpretentious, no-frills bar offering cheap drinks and a wealth of physical music, played by the owners, for patrons to enjoy. (Think of it as a well-loved, longstanding neighborhood pub with a vast jazz vinyl or CD collection).Though the jazz kissa may be the genesis of ...