Japan tour 2018, day 4
City Café, Toyota
We arose from slumber a little later than expected, but we had a fun-filled day ahead of us. Our destination was City Café in Toyota, where we were scheduled to perform that day. Our initial plan was to savor a bowl of supreme ramen for lunch. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, we were disappointed to find that the place was overflowing with customers, and we realized that we would not be able to make it in time for our sound check. So, we decided to proceed directly to Toyota.
Toyota is a bustling city situated in the north-central region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest city in the prefecture in terms of land area, and boasts a unique topography that is characterized by towering peaks, which rise to an average height of around 1000 meters along its northern border with Nagano and Gifu Prefectures. The mountainous northern region of the city is part of the Aichi Kōgen Quasi-National Park, a protected area renowned for its scenic beauty.
The city is home to several of Toyota Motor Corporation’s manufacturing plants, including the highly regarded Tsutsumi plant. The strong connection between the Toyota Motor Corporation and the city of Toyota-shi, formerly known as Koromo, led to the town being renamed after the famous automaker.
It was such a pleasure to see both Gaku and Shunichi reunited after our collaboration at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2017. I had the opportunity to meet Gaku first, but Shunichi, also known as Mr. Bean, arrived a bit later as he was at a local printing shop to retrieve his scores.
The concert was masterfully organized by Masako Hiraiwa, who put in an immense amount of effort to attract a large audience. The City Café, where the performance took place, is owned by the lovely Tomiko Ohya, who is a devout enthusiast of jazz music. I was particularly excited to hear the three horn arrangements I had created for this tour, and I was not disappointed. Gaku and Shunichi blended seamlessly with the group’s sound, and the collaboration with Nana and Yuuki added a beautiful balance to the overall performance. The return of the original rhythm section, with Gaku and Shunichi, made the experience incredibly comforting.
The gig was a huge success, attracting a full house and leaving the audience thoroughly satisfied. I am incredibly grateful for the efforts of Satoshi, Masako Hiraiwa, and Tomiko Ohya, who worked tirelessly to make this early evening a memorable experience. After the show, we took some time to capture group photos and I had the chance to engage in conversations with several attendees.
Check out all the photos from Mr. Kiyotaka Adachi HERE!
Satoshi and I hit the road and made our way to Nagoya, where I would be residing at the Daini Fuji Hotel for the next two days. Gaku and Shunichi had booked a different hotel nearby, so we made plans to rendezvous and enjoy a meal and drinks together. On the way to the hotel, Satoshi and I made a pit stop at the Star Eyes jazz club to catch a performance by our friend and pianist, Shota Watanabe.
We walked in just as they were finishing their last song, and it was great to see Shota again. He and his wife had recently visited me in Holland, and it was a treat to catch up with him. We made plans to meet the following day at the Lovely club. While I was there, I had the chance to meet the owner of Star Eyes and I gave him a copy of the Tokyo’s Bad Boys Album.
After checking into my hotel room and dropping off my belongings, I set out to meet up with Gaku and Shunichi. The venue they were at was closing soon, so we decided to find another place to spend the evening together. That night turned out to be a long and joyous celebration with good friends, meaningful conversations, and lots of laughter.
