A great restaurant to visit in Morioka City! Cafe Jazz - Run by the owner who is fascinated by jazz music.

  • Iwate
  • Sightseeing
Cafe Jazz Kaiunbashi no Johnny is located just across the Kaiun Bridge over the Kitakami River in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. It is a slightly mature jazz cafe where you can enjoy coffee, drinks, light meals, and conversation with the owner along with jazz music recommended by the owner. We interviewed Akira Terui, aka Johnny, the owner, who is an enthusiastic fan of world-renowned jazz pianist Akiyoshi Toshiko Akiyoshi.

Johnny's treasure trove of Akiyoshi Toshiko collection

Cafe Jazz Kaiunbashi no Johnny is located on the fourth floor of a building near Kaiunbashi Bridge. When you enter the store, you feel as if you have wandered into a secret base, a different world. It is like a movie set!
The ceiling is covered with posters.
The store is crammed with various Akikichi Toshiko collections, including records, posters, magazines, and newspapers featuring Akikichi Toshiko, a world-renowned jazz pianist and 14-time Grammy Award nominee. All of these items were collected by the owner, Mr. Terui, over a period of about 50 years! The interior also has a large pendulum clock, many stereos, a grand piano, and a gramophone, all of which you don't often see, creating a sense of the unusual.
Johnny" labeled sake in the store.
And since it is called "Cafe Jazz," the background music in the store is of course jazz. Surrounded by the owner's collection, listening to jazz music is an elegant experience. Even if you do not usually listen to jazz music, we hope you will enjoy this unique atmosphere!

The craziest fan of mine in the world.

The owner, Mr. Terui, was first attracted to jazz pianist Akiyoshi Toshiko in 1974. When the Akiyoshi Toshiko Piano Trio was scheduled to perform in Japan in 1980, Terui-san invited Akiyoshi-san to Rikuzentakata, which was not originally planned, and the performance was a turning point, according to Terui-san. Since then, every time Akiyoshi comes to Japan, Terui has invited him to Iwate to give a concert.
The reason why I was fascinated by Akiyoshi Akira's "Lone Gun".
Akiyoshi gave him the nickname "the craziest fan in the world" as a sign of affection for Terui's enthusiasm. Whenever Akiyoshi invited Terui to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York or the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which is every artist's dream, Terui was always there at Akiyoshi's invitation.
It was clear that Akiyoshi Toshiko and Terui had more than a musician-fan relationship; they trusted each other. There are many more episodes, so if you are interested, please visit "Cafe Jazz Kaiunbashi no Johnny" and talk to Ms. Terui directly!
Part of Ms. Terui's collection.

Johnny's Dreams and View of Life from Akiyoshi Toshiko

Terui-san has a collection of "things" related to Akiyoshi-san, but he also keeps her "words" in a safe place. She told us about one of them. She said, "If you work hard at what you love and do not give in to any difficulties, you will become the best in the world. Ms. Terui herself is also motivated by the desire to "listen to music! is the driving force behind his activities up to the present.
Ms. Terui is transcribing Akiyoshi's words.
With this in mind, Ms. Terui has succeeded in fulfilling one of her dreams, the creation of the "Akiyoshi Toshiko JAZZ Museum" at the Morioka Bus Center in October 2022! The museum displays Mr. Terui's Akiyoshi collection, which is open to all visitors. Also, "Cafe Bar West38" is located next to the museum, where you can enjoy coffee, light meals, and drinks. Every Saturday from 7:00 p.m., live jazz performances are held! Ms. Terui's desire to convey the appeal of jazz and Akiyoshi Toshiko to as many people as possible can be felt.
Akiyoshi Toshiko JAZZ Museum" on the 3rd floor of Morioka Bus Center.
Terui's next goal for the museum is to "help young people, the future leaders of our society, to find what they love and work hard at it.
Museum exhibits are also part of Ms. Terui's collection.

The place where you can meet Akira Terui, "Johnny of Kaiunbashi".

Cafe Jazz Kaiunbashi no Johnny

Open only from 11:00 to 23:00 every Tuesday and Wednesday
Entrance to the building where "Cafe Jazz Johnny of Kaiunbashi" is located.
Cafe Jazz Kaiunbashi no Johnny

Cafe Bar West38

11:30 - 21:30 (LO 21:00) No regular closing days.
* "Cafe Jazz Kaiunbashi no Johnny" is here on regular closing days.
Inside Cafe Bar West38
Cafe Bar West38

I want young people to visit here!

While listening to Mr. Terui's story, he asked me, "Is this what you want to do now?" He asked me. I was supposed to be listening to him talk about his life in jazz, but it turned out to be like a life consultation. Talking with the soft-spoken Mr. Terui and his wife made me feel nostalgic, and when I left the restaurant, I felt like saying, "I will come back again! When you leave the restaurant, you will have a heartwarming time, and you will want to say, "I'll be back! When you visit Morioka, why not feel the charm of these two people as well?
Akira Terui, owner of Cafe Jazz Kaiunbashi no Johnny
The contents and services in this article are subject to change.
All images are for reference only.
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