After finally getting some proper sleep, I woke up somewhere around 14:00. Jet lag had completely taken over, leaving just enough time for a shower and the urgent search for coffee before meeting Yuki Nakae at Ōtsuka Station.
As most live events in Japan start relatively early, there was not much time to wander around. I grabbed some snacks at the local Lawson and picked up a quick coffee at my now regular spot before heading back to the hotel to change and get ready for the evening’s performance at Salt Peanuts.
The venue is located in Ekoda, not too far from Otsuka, so it only required a short metro ride. Together with Yuki, I navigated the endlessly busy Tokyo train system during peak hour, surrounded by streams of commuters silently moving home after work. Trains arrived with perfect precision, doors opening and closing to station melodies while crowds flowed through the platforms in organized chaos.
Also on this day, my friend Johan had also arrived in Japan together with his girlfriend, Marie. Johan would join me for parts of the tour and, unlike me, actually speaks Japanese properly — something that would prove useful many times during the trip.
I have played at Salt Peanuts many times before, and it has always been one of my favorite venues in Tokyo. The piano is beautifully maintained, the acoustics are great, and the owner is one of those people who seems to do absolutely everything himself, from running the bar to organizing the shows.
The club has been around since 1980 and hosts live music almost every night of the week. It also serves as an important starting point for many younger musicians playing their first serious gigs in Tokyo’s jazz scene.
Once all the band members had arrived, we did a short rehearsal while the first audience members slowly entered the room. Instrument cases lay scattered across the floor, cables ran between amplifiers, and the familiar smell of coffee, old wood, and cigarette smoke lingering from another era filled the tiny club. For this gig we had a late step in by Kent Yokota on double bass and it worked out great. Together with Yuki Nakae on tenor, Shunichi Yanagi on Piano, Gaku Hasegawa on drums and myself on alto we formed a strong Quartet.
Not long after, the room was completely packed. Sold out.
The energy that night was incredible. Japanese audiences listen with a level of focus that still surprises me every time I play there. During solos, the room becomes almost completely silent, every note hanging in the air until the applause finally breaks the tension.
After the show, Johan, Marie, and I wandered through the streets around Ekoda searching for a late dinner spot. Neon lights reflected off the wet pavement while small bars and restaurants buzzed softly behind sliding doors.
Before long, we found the perfect little place to end the night.
