Iidabashi’s BAR MEIJIU, a perfect listening bar where everything is inevitable

Established bar with the solidified concept 

It has been three years since a bar I happened to find on Twitter and became my favorite place to hang out. I have no connection to Iidabashi, which is far from my home. But I had a hunch that I should go there. That was BAR MEIJIU.

I was attracted to BAR MEIJIU because every detail was taken care of, and it was infinitely complete as a restaurant. And that “perfection” includes their music selection.

There are a number of stores in Tokyo with a high degree of perfection. For example, Nishiogikubo’s JUHA and Shibuya’s Bar Music. Although these two establishments play music of various genres and eras, the music selected has a common taste, texture, and feeling in line with the atmosphere and worldview that the establishments want to create, creating a strange sense of unity. Even the interior design and furnishings are designed to match the music and atmosphere perfectly. The “well-designed” music selection, including the music itself, gives the restaurant an originality that cannot be found anywhere else.

Various contexts in the harmonized music selection

BAR MEIJIU is a bar with a high degree of perfection that has just such “originality unique to that bar.

Keisuke Matsumoto, The owner of the bar, has selected a variety of old and new genres of music, mainly jazz and post-classical, to be played here, and the music selection can only be described as BAR MEIJIU-like music.

My personal favorite is the array of records on the wall. The titles from the prestigious jazz label Blue Note are lined up in a row, and they include not only classic records, but also records that have been reevaluated by DJs, new jazz from the 21st century, and good records from a time when they were often overlooked. Blue Note’s tasteful choices are directly indicative of the store’s music selection tendencies.

The records are chosen to match the relaxed atmosphere of the so-called “bar,” and the tastes are often similar, but there is a fine mix of various contexts within the similar tastes. Personally, I was impressed by the fact that the music of famous players from the 1980s and 1990s, who influenced the current jazz scene, were played. The music is casually brought in where it is completely missing from the existing context of “Tokyo’s background music. On the other hand, there are also jazz records that could have been sold at a record store for less than 1,000 yen, but all the records sound like they belong in the interior of the store, which has a “simple, wooden, warm, and a bit rugged” atmosphere.

The audio equipment that provides high sound quality and at the same time plays with a gentle touch is also a special feature of this place. The Tannoy speakers softly convey the nuances of the restaurant’s mood.

Perhaps because of this environment, records that were trendy a long time ago sometimes sound fresh, and new releases sometimes sound as if they have been around for a long time. The music is not in an existing context; rather, it sounds like it belongs here, creating a very special space.

The cocktails have their context, just like Like the music selection

That’s the case for the drinks, too. Not knowing much about alcohol, I always tell the staff a rough idea of what I want and they tailor a cocktail for me. The cocktails are of various types, such as craft gin cocktails, arrangements of classic international cocktails, and cocktails made with tea or coffee, all of which reflect the atmosphere of the place.

Each drink has its own history, and each cocktail has its own context. The cocktails are undoubtedly delicious, but there is always a reason behind them, backed up by Matsumoto’s in-depth knowledge, which ties in with the concept of the drinks at this restaurant. Just like the records on the wall, the selection and combination of craft gins has its own inevitability of being served at BAR MEIJIU. After listening to Mr. Matsumoto’s explanations, I am finally beginning to understand the depth of this concept.

Everything about BAR MEIJIU, from the décor, to the records, to the audio, to the drinks, is well thought out and makes you feel that there is a meaning to it all. That’s why you can relax and immerse yourself in the mood and world of this place. I don’t know any other bar like this. It’s only been three years, but for me, it’s a place I wouldn’t trade for anything.

BAR MEIJIU’s top 5 vinyls

・Siril Malmedal Hauge & Kjetil Mulelid 『Blues and Bells』
・Chet Baker & Wolfgang Lackerschmid “Ballads For Two”
・Valtteri Laurell Nonet “Tigers Are Better Looking”
・Larry Willis “Steal Away”
・Alan Broadbent & Putter Smith “Continuity

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5zx51Ay0TFP7pugSZmzhZI?si=2e57831dec7d415fu0026nd=1