Just a short ride on the Chuo line out of Shinjuku opens up a refreshingly different kind of place, called Kichijoji. Call it Harajuku-Shibuya for adults, Aoyama-Azabu for individualists, or Roppongi for grown-ups, if you will. But go there and see for yourself. It’s one of those places that seem to be going strong 24 hours a day — well, almost. Tokyo Journal followed the life of the "Elvis of Kichijoji" from the moment he was born to the day this goes to press. Join us, and have fun.
Kichijoji, Japan, October 17, 1975: Takahito Enomoto sees the light of day, and he sees that it’s not good. A club is missing, or a bar — a place for young people to go to and dance, drink, and have fun until late.
Twenty-one years later: Takahito Enomoto can’t stand the emptiness. Going out in Kichijoji means dining, drinking, and karaokeing — but where is the dance floor? The decision is made: Kichijoji needs a club and Enomoto is the man. Bar Drop opens its doors in a modern-style concrete building somewhere behind Kintetsu Department store . . . aah! Sweet relief for the kids from the surrounding area.
Enomoto has always been interested in architecture, and he put all his fantasy and power into the interior design of Bar Drop. A somewhat cool, post-modern place for designers and schoengeisters is the result. In the beginning the visitors were a little uncomfortable with the strange mixture of club, cafe, and bar. Was this a place to dance, to drink, or just to hang out and become part of the decor? Not that it wasn’t a good place in the early days, but Enomoto wanted the crowd to dance and sweat, so he decided to re-design the whole thing. Lower the lights, thicken the walls, pump up the volume, and away we go. Bar Drop re-opened in November of last year, and now every guest knows what he or she wants right after entering the hall: sit down and drink at the counter while enjoying some small-talk with the owner, seek a cozy place in one of the seating corners while enjoying incense and a cocktail, or dance ’til you drop.
The Bar
The bar offers more than 50 different types of drinks served in real glasses. "The drinks are cheap, but we’re not a cheap kind of place. Places like Club So-and-So might be hip, but they serve drinks in plastic cups."
Two drinks are usually included in the admission price of ¥2,000. Additional drinks start at ¥500. Also available are light snacks and — depending on the day and on the event — incense sticks.
The Cozy Corners
Come early and secure your cozy place on one of the sofas or on the simple chairs under square, yellow lamps. Combined with the view of constructivist pictures and other early 20th-century interior design objects, the spirit of ’60s and ’70s psychedelia takes over, especially on days when they play that Latin-flavored Italian soundtrack music.
The Music
Just imagine any kind of music you might want to dance to — Bar Drop plays it. The number of DJs playing over the course of a month is impossible to count, and so is the number of musical styles. Basically, each day of the week has its theme, and the style of music they’re playing is roughly decided, but the variety they dig up on a typical Soul Day is incredible. Bar Drop specialties include rock, guitar pop, neo-acoustic, and punk; ’60s and ’70s soul, soundtrack music, Latin and dance; techno, goa trance, digital rock, drum & bass. Everything the creative mind can imagine.
Bar Drop is a rather visual kind of place, and besides being the place to meet people, and enjoy music and drinks, Bar Drop occasionally shows videos or exhibits works by young, up-and-coming artists.
"Visuals, such as film or light, are very important for a club. We play around a lot with lighting. The red light at the entrance and in the bar section, the mirrored ball, video, and colored lights in the dance-floor section, and the warm, yellow lights in the corners match perfectly with the artwork and architecture, don’t they?"
Asked about the choice of the location, Enomoto says:
"The building we’re in belongs to my company, and when I decided to open this club, the location was already decided. Sure, the area behind Kintetsu has that certain ‘area-behind-Kintetsu’ reputation — cabarets, hotels, night clubs, bars, etc. But it has changed a lot recently. Kichijoji grew up from its Harajuku kiddy-style to an almost Aoyama-type of atmosphere. Also, we don’t have much trouble with the authorities concerning noise, opening and closing hours — as we might if we were in a more ‘solid’ kind of area. The fact that we spent a lot on the noise-absorbing materials in our 20-inch walls, might also play a role, of course."
"I had no say in the location, but it worked out nicely to be true to the underground scene. We have been very successful at avoiding becoming that kind of club with the large entrance onto a main street, where any punter could stop by, hop out of his jalopy, and amble up the red carpet. A good club should be a place you have to dig around for and say: "Hey, I dug up that great place, come on, I’ll take you guys there!"
Ichibei Bldg. 2F
1-29-6 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi
Tel 0422-20-0737
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