Jazz Kissa: The Soul of Japanese Listening Culture

Jazz Kissa: The Soul of Japanese Listening Culture documents Japan's legendary jazz cafés through fifteen years of photography by Katsumasa Kusunose. These intimate listening spaces, which emerged in the 1920s and flourished post-war, centre on rare vintage audio systems and curated vinyl collections. The book explores the design of iconic Hi-Fi equipment—Altec A7s, JBL speakers, and bespoke amplifiers—and how these machines shape the listening experience. Featuring a foreword by Devon Turnbull of Ojas, it connects Jazz Kissa philosophy to today's high-fidelity audio movement. Printed on Japanese paper and wrapped in a traditional OBI strip, it's both cultural document and design object.