The Moment Jazz Club
Perhaps the most acoustically well-designed club in Japan.
〒157-0066 東京都世田谷区成城2-39-7 すみれビルB1F
Sumire Building B1F, Seijo 2 chome-39-7, Setagaya City, Tokyo, 〒157-0066
03-3417-1700
https://www.facebook.com/themomentjazzclub
https://www.instagram.com/themomentjazzclub/
Seijogakuen-mae Station (Odakyu Line) (about 15 minutes from Shinjuku)
One-minute walk from the Central Exit of the station. Turn right, south, and you will see the small sign. You don’t even cross any streets. It’s just across the open plaza.
Jazz mainly on Friday and Saturday nights, with some exceptions. Entry typically ranges between Y5,500 and Y6,600, but check carefully. Be sure to make a reservation in advance. Food is very delicious, and the selection of top-shelf drinks is amazing.
The appropriately named The Moment jazz club is small-ish but feels bigger due to its sleek design and comfortable seating. The furniture looks functional, at first, until you notice its designer style. It’s important to make a reservation as it can fill up quickly.
But what appeals most to jazz fans will be the sound. It is near perfection. Designed by sound engineers, with no expense spared. Sound-absorbing materials were embedded into the walls even before the cedar wood on the interior walls and ceiling were installed. The angles are set so that there is no single focal point for reflected sound and no sound frequency is left out.
If you don’t quite believe me, check out this page: https://themoment.tokyo/gallery/audio/. (Japanese only)
These custom-built walls, which are in fact hyperbolic paraboloid shells, produce an impeccable and full sound that is tuned to fit your ears and body. It’s as pristine a sound as you'd get from any high-end audio equipment. Even if you’re not an acoustic engineer, or a sound wonk, the effect is still amazing. I felt as if the music truly surrounded me—really as if I were inside the music itself, literally and figuratively.
The food is delicious and all handmade. The bar has an impressive selection of whisky and other liquors, along with a bespoke selection of beer and wine. Service is excellent. You’re met at the door and on your second trip, the owner will probably remember your name. Return customers are the norm, and for good reason. Just sitting in the interior is a pleasure.
Musicians love to play there as the equipment, like the tuned walls, is excellent. Needless to say, the performers are all carefully selected—top-notch only. All seats are relatively close to where the musicians stand or sit, and the audience really listens—really can listen. You can see and hear from anywhere. Everything is balanced: the drums aren’t too loud, the amps are set just right, and you can sink deeply into the flow of the music.
The Moment is an experience in itself.
