Bon Courage

Intense listening room with pristine sound and a great line-up

160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷1-11-20 陽臨堂ビル B1F

Yorindo Building B1F1-11-20 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-to

090-4391-9319

sesamefujii@gmail.com

https://bon-courage.tokyo/
https://www.facebook.com/sesamefujii/
https://x.com/BonCourage2020

Yotsuya Station (Chuo Line, Sobu Line, Marunouchi Line, Nanboku Line)

Just a three or four-minute walk from Yotsuya Station on a back street, one block from either direction at the large four-way intersection. It’s cattycorner across from the JR station.

Entry is Y3000 to Y4500, depending on the act, with discounts for students and those aged 65 or older. And an even lower price for students, and students under middle school age. Make sure to reserve online in advance. It’s not a large space, but very comfortable.

Au Bon Courage is a fantastic listening room that used to be near Tokyo Dome, but now is at a very convenient location, a few minutes from Yotsuya Station. It’s worth going for the acoustics alone. The room is acoustically planned like the best classical music halls. The master has seats lined up to keep the audience relaxed and comfortable, like a top-notch movie theater.

Which it is on some evenings. The master loves two things—jazz and films. About once a month, usually on a weekend afternoon, he shows silent films, often with a benshi (narrator) and live accompaniment. It’s very special.

The owner and “master” set up his club during the pandemic to support musicians who were really suffering from the lack of gigs. He’s now moved to a location that’s even better, in a slightly bigger space. He’s dedicated to bringing in musicians who play the best clubs in the city. He has some sessions on certain evenings, but the main players are the cream of the crop, often in unique combinations, older and younger musicians, different styles, from duos to larger ensembles, but mostly quartets and quintets.

Food is limited to snacks, and drinks are the usual, but that’s all you need. This isn’t a place to hang out and chat with friends; it’s a small concert hall set up to listen intently. Lean back and listen.

It’s a welcoming place, comfortable to hang in, and a place to really listen to the music.