ERG Media is proud to announce the forthcoming release of Jazz Kissa: The Soul of Japanese Listening Culture, an immersive photographic exploration of Japan’s iconic jazz cafés, known as Jazz Kissa. The book is the result of over fifteen years of dedicated work by photographer and cultural historian Katsumasa Kusunose, who has meticulously documented these intimate spaces and the people who keep their spirit alive.

The first cafés dedicated to playing recorded jazz opened in Japan in the late 1920s, reflecting the country’s early fascination with Western culture and music. Although many closed during World War II, the post-war period saw Jazz Kissa return in even greater numbers, spreading across Japan as quiet sanctuaries for dedicated listening. These spaces preserve an almost spiritual relationship with sound— slow, immersive, and deeply intentional—in a world where music has become increasingly disposable and attention fragmented.

Each Jazz Kissa is built around rare vintage audio systems, towering speakers, and meticulously curated vinyl collections. Woven throughout the book is a special exploration of the design of the Hi-Fi equipment―from the legendary Altec A7s to iconic JBL speakers and bespoke amplifiers—revealing how the physicality of these machines shapes the emotional experience of listening. The aesthetic choices of these cafés are inseparable from the sound they produce, making them both temples of music and showcases of design excellence.

The book features a foreword by Devon Turnbull, founder of Ojas, whose handcrafted speakers and installations have become touchstones of the modern listening movement. His words connect the philosophy of Jazz Kissa with today’s global resurgence of high-fidelity audio culture.

Printed on specially sourced Japanese paper inspired by the texture of Altec A7 speakers and wrapped in a traditional OBI strip, Jazz Kissa is both a cultural document and a beautiful object in its own right.