It’s actually about love. The love for record players and beer bottles, for wooden stools and cigarette smoke and for these bars, more shoebox than open-plan, that give Japan’s streets their face. However, the charming jazz bars that Philip Arneill and James Catchpole give a forever home with their book “Tokyo Jazz Joints” are disappearing more and more.
Tokyo Jazz Joints
A passion shared is a passion doubled. No wonder, then, that the encounter between the Northern Irish photographer Philip Arneill and the American radio presenter James Catchpole resulted in a book. Their love of Japan and the dwindling culture of the jazz bars in its alleyways welds the two together like a drinker to a bar stool. Arneill photographed 190 bars, produced 56 podcast episodes together with Catchpole and crowned the friendship project with the work “Tokyo Jazz Joints”.
Philip Arneill with James Catchpole, “Tokyo Jazz Joints”, 129 color photographs, Kehrer, ca. 45.-
tokyojazzjoints.com and @tokyojazzjoints / philiparneill.com and @philiparneill
Japan fan? Then you’ll find the best Japanese restaurants in Zurich here and a look behind the scenes of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia, here.
Teaser photo & photos: © Philip Arneill
