Jazz & Booze

A Jazz Bar in Kitano-zaka, Kobe
Sarigenaku

Since 1965
Kobe, Kitano-zaka

The sound of ice in a glass.
The needle tracing the groove of a record.
Here, there is
only good music
and quiet time.

A quiet jazz bar on Kitano-zaka, Kobe

Sarigenaku is a small jazz bar in Kitano-zaka, Kobe. We opened in 1965 in a back alley of Motomachi, then moved up the slope to where we are now — a quiet half-hour’s worth of years, kept softly.

There is no loud music or showy performance here. Only records of 1950s–60s jazz, gently lit hours, and a small room a little removed from the noise of Sannomiya — a hidden retreat for adults who prefer the quiet side of the evening.

You don’t need to know jazz to come in. Whether you’re a longtime listener, a first-time visitor to a jazz bar, or someone who just wants a drink alone, you’ll find a seat at the counter and time to yourself.

Visiting for the first time

No jazz knowledge required

You don’t have to know the title, the player, or the album. Just let the music play in the background of the evening.

Easy to come alone

Many of our guests sit alone at the counter, with a glass in front of them and the night around them. Solo visits are very welcome.

Quiet drinking is fine

No one will press you to talk. If you’d rather spend the evening listening, that’s perfectly natural here.

For listeners more than talkers

This is a room where the records matter more than conversation. If you’d like to hear the music itself, you’ll feel at home.

For your Kobe evening

A short walk up Kitano-zaka, a small second-floor room. A good place to fold one quiet hour into a Kobe night.

On the music and the drink

Music

Records from the golden age of jazz — 1950s and 60s. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Anita O’Day… A single record chosen from the shelf shapes the air of the night.

Audio

YAMAHA NS-1000M. A speaker more than half a century old, faithfully carrying the grain and the quiet of vinyl.

Drinks

Whisky, bourbon, cocktails. A glass chosen to keep company with the music, served from the inside of the counter.

The shop

Jazz & Booze Sarigenaku 1-8-19 Nakayamate-dori,
Chuo Ward, Kobe
Miura Building 2F
(Postal code 650-0004)
Tel. +81-78-331-9762
Access
About 5 min on foot from
JR Sannomiya / Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Stations,
toward Kitano-zaka
Hours
18:00 – late
Closed
Sundays
Since
1965