Kobe, the city where Japan’s first professional band performed jazz. Jazz remains vibrant here today, with live performances available at numerous venues.
After enjoying a beautiful night view, why not relax and listen to the soothing melodies of jazz?
Click here for information on how to enjoy jazz in Kobe and frequently asked questions.
This jazz event takes place every October at multiple venues around Sannomiya, Kitanozaka and Tor Road. Instead of an admission ticket, you will be given a wristband that allows you to access each venue.
This is an annual contest for female jazz singers held in Shinkaichi, Kobe. Open to professionals, amateurs, and all nationalities.
This annual jazz festival is held at Kobe Bunka Hall. Its highlight is the passionate performances by junior high and high school big bands.
An outdoor event held every autumn at Kobe Harborland under the philosophy “Let’s liven up jazz and Kobe with the hands of university students!”
Search “JAZZ TOWN KOBE” to find spots to enjoy jazz in Kobe.
Since opening its port, Kobe has actively embraced Western culture and customs. Against the backdrop of jazz beginning to be played in Japan from the early 1910s as background music for dancing, violinist Ichiro Ida formed the Laughing Stars, Japan’s first professional jazz band, in Kobe in April 1923. They performed jazz at venues like the Oriental Hotel and the Toa Hotel. Because of this, Kobe is considered one of the birthplaces of jazz in Japan.
As World War II drew to a close, jazz—deemed enemy music—was banned from both listening and playing. However, after the war, the situation changed completely, and numerous jazz clubs sprang up around the exotic Kitano area. “JAVA” (opened in 1953), the oldest among the jazz cafes still in operation today, and the jazz live house “Sone” (opened in 1969) both began during this era.
Since the 1980s, Kobe has hosted numerous jazz events. Kobe Jazz Street, which began in 1982, and the Kobe Shinkaichi Jazz Vocal Queen Contest, which started in 2000, are held annually. The year 2023 marked 100 years since the Laughing Stars, Japan’s first professional jazz band, performed jazz in Kobe.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1923 | Violinist Ichiro Ida forms Japan’s first professional jazz band, the Laughing Stars, in Kobe.They perform at the Oriental Hotel and the Toa Hotel, among other venues. |
| 1952 | Louis Armstrong performs at the Jurakukan in Shinkaichi. |
| 1953 | “JAVA,” the oldest jazz cafe in Kobe that is still in operation today, opens. |
| 1969 | Jazz live house “Sone” opens. |
| 1971 | Japan’s first high school jazz band is formed at Kobe Murano Technical High School (now Saisei Engineering High School). |
| 1980 | Koyo Music Academy (now Koyo School of Music and Dance), a specialized school for jazz education, opens. The Academy signs a partnership agreement with Berklee College of Music (first in Asia). A graduate from the Academy wins a Grammy Award. |
| 1982 | The first Kobe Jazz Street is held. |
| 1994 | The “Student Jazz Festival” held in Osaka is renamed the “Japan Student Jazz Festival,” which has since been held in Kobe. |
| 2000 | The first Kobe Shinkaichi Jazz Vocal Queen Contest is held. |
| 2008 | The first Swing JAZZ Cruise is held. |
| 2014 | April 4 is registered by the Japan Anniversary Association as “KOBE JAZZ DAY.” |
| 2016 | The Kobe Youth Jazz Orchestra, a big band made up of junior and senior high school students, is formed. |
| 2023 | The 100th anniversary of a jazz performance by Japan’s first professional band. |
