Because Yanagi-san and I would be flying to Miyazaki that day, I had to check out of the hotel around 10 in the morning. Luckily it was no problem to leave my luggage at the hotel until it was time to head to the airport, as our flight was only scheduled for around 14:00. Tokyo had started to feel strangely familiar after more than a week of travelling through the city, and while packing my bags that morning I realised the second part of the tour was already about to begin.
At 12:22 I met up with Yanagi at Otsuka Station. Like almost every day so far, the station was filled with movement: people rushing to work, tourists dragging suitcases around and the constant sounds of train announcements echoing through the platforms. From Otsuka we took the Yamanote Line toward Ueno and changed trains at Hamamatsucho Station to catch the monorail toward Haneda Airport.
Even after several visits to Japan, the monorail ride toward Haneda still feels futuristic to me. The scenery slowly changes from dense city blocks to wider industrial areas and stretches of water surrounding the airport. The whole trip from Otsuka to Haneda took around 45 minutes and before long we arrived at the departure terminal, where we dropped off our luggage and made our way toward the gate.
Because we had plenty of time before boarding, we grabbed some drinks and relaxed for a while. Airports always create a strange in-between feeling for me — mentally already leaving one place while not yet arriving in the next. Tokyo had been intense, crowded, musical and full of encounters, but now the trip would move toward a more rural part of Japan.
The flight itself took around one hour and forty-five minutes. Looking out of the airplane window, I could slowly see the landscape changing beneath the clouds. Tokyo’s endless urban sprawl eventually gave way to greener scenery, mountains and coastline.
Arriving in Miyazaki immediately felt like entering a completely different world. Palm trees welcomed us outside the airport and the warm air had a softer, more tropical feeling compared to Tokyo. The pace seemed slower right away. Even the light somehow looked different.
Because our schedule was fairly tight, Yanagi-san suggested taking a taxi directly to the hotel instead of figuring out local transport. During the short ride I could already notice how much quieter everything was compared to Tokyo. Less traffic, fewer giant buildings and a much calmer atmosphere overall. After checking into the hotel we dropped our bags in the room and quickly headed back downstairs to make our way to the venue.
Jazz Bar Lifetime has a long history and has been active for more than fifty years. Walking into the place felt almost like entering a museum dedicated to jazz culture. The walls were covered with old posters, faded photographs and signatures from musicians who had passed through over the decades. Every corner of the club seemed to carry stories from another era.
The owner, Mr. Kusano immediately added to that atmosphere. He was a funny, teasing kind of guy who clearly loved both music and conversation. Clubs and bars built purely around love for the music, surviving decade after decade because people keep returning to them.
This concert would mark the beginning of the second part of my Japan tour. Together with Shunichi Yanagi on piano, Tomo Nakayama on double bass and Katsunari Furuchi on drums, we would play four concerts together. Katsunari runs his own jazz club called Old Earth in Miyakonojo, where we would perform the remaining three dates. The Lifetime performance had actually been added later during the planning process.
It would also be my first time playing together with Tomo Nakayama. One of the beautiful things about touring in Japan is how often you end up playing with musicians you have never met before, yet somehow the music almost immediately finds its own direction.
After a quick soundcheck we were served homemade Japanese-style curry backstage, exactly the kind of comforting meal needed before a concert. Small details like this always stay with me during tours. The hospitality at jazz clubs in Japan is often incredibly warm and personal.
Musically this band had a very different energy compared to the groups I had played with in Tokyo. Katsunari played with a fiery intensity that constantly pushed the music forward, creating space for me to respond and take risks. Meanwhile Tomo-san proved to be a strong and steady anchor underneath everything. Even though we had never played together before, the music quickly settled into a natural flow.
The audience in Lifetime listened with deep concentration but also with warmth and enthusiasm. That balance is something I encounter often in Japan: people truly listening while still creating an atmosphere that feels relaxed and welcoming.
After the concert I spent quite some time talking with the Kusano San about the history of the club and how things had changed over the years. I asked him if jazz had become less popular compared to when he first opened the venue decades ago. His answer came quickly and confidently: no, not really. According to him, there had always been a steady flow of jazz lovers and musicians passing through the club during its more than fifty-year existence.
One of the stories connected to the venue involved Sonny Rollins. Several signed posters of him were hanging on the walls. Apparently, Rollins had once travelled to Miyazaki for a jazz festival, but the event ended up being cancelled at the last minute because of a typhoon. In the end he only managed to do a soundcheck and some promotional photos on the beach before leaving again. Stories like that somehow become part of the mythology of places like Lifetime.
Miyazaki itself is known for its sunny atmosphere, relaxed lifestyle and excellent food — especially the famous Miyazaki wagyu beef. Many Japanese people travel there for holidays, weddings and golf trips. Compared to Tokyo, everything felt calmer, warmer and much more connected to nature and the countryside.
I was already looking forward to travelling to Miyakonojo the next day. Yanagi-san and I would take the train there together, a ride I already knew from a previous visit in 2024. Back then the journey had inspired me enough to write a tune about it, and I was curious to experience that landscape once again.
