There are two things which always impressed me regarding the fun fact that Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami ran a jazz café together with his wife in his early twenties. Number one: there were Japanese youth in those days (1970s) who loved jazz music so much, they would run a jazz café. Number two: Haruki Murakami ran a café business at such a young age. Impressive indeed. It turns out, even in today’s world there are young people with an interest in jazz music and capable of such an endeavor.

At the time this article is posted, Retro Café ELLA & LOUIS is a newly opened café located in Hakusan, Tokyo. Personally, I learned about it from Twitter. Apparently, the background story is that the café space was originally a coffee house and after 48 years of business, the space was taken over by a 20-year-old young woman from Kumejima island of Okinawa.

I followed the ELLA & LOUIS Twitter account and found it exciting to see how day by day, leading up to the opening, the young owner brought new life into the café space. With that and the fact that she named the café after two prominent figures in American jazz, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong, I thought it was only natural that I visit at the earliest opportunity.

That opportunity came one afternoon in mid-July. I exited Hakusan station and slowly walked up the slope leading to ELLA & LOUIS. As I walked, I noticed a couple of other jazz cafes along the way. Could it be there is a jazz loving community in Hakusan? The thought made me more excited as the distance between ELLA & LOUIS and I became less and less, until suddenly, there it was: two welcoming signs—one sign, orange with white lettering and a vinyl record, and the other sign on the side—brown, wooden, with the same white lettering and adorned by a warm, yellow light. After taking a photo, I nudged my sunglasses and proceeded to climb the stairwell carefully.

I’m always a little nervous entering a new place for the first time, but perhaps because I had seen the Twitter posts before I came and the signs really were quite welcoming, and the café was named after Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong—two people who made music which I had enjoyed listening to since the early days of my youth—and I was wearing sunglasses, perhaps because of all of this, my courage was greater than my nervousness and I felt fairly at ease as I opened the door.

It was a little after five o’clock—less than an hour before closing time—when I entered and looked all around. I heard a welcoming greeting from the owner and smiled. To my delight, the café was not packed and it was quite spacious. Time to choose my seat. When choosing a seat, some people prefer to sit on a stool at the bar, while others prefer to sit tucked away in a quiet corner. The seat which most appealed to me was the one by the window, under the wind chime. I made my way over and sat down.

Here was the menu at the time of my visit.

For once, it did not take me long to decide on my order because I had also seen the menu options on Twitter, so I was able to decide on my order in advance. As you can see, the menu is mostly written in katakana. Perhaps for many foreigners who live in Japan, this is convenient since katakana is one of the easier Japanese writing systems to read. Kanji mostly appears on the menu when it reads that an ingredient is from Kumejima island (久米島産).

As I waited for my order, I quietly thrilled at the fact that I was in such a charming, well put-together space with vinyl records of jazz music streaming throughout from handmade speakers and the 1956 album cover of “Ella & Louis” warmly watching over me. I noticed another customer reading a book and made a note to remember to bring a book for my next visit. At one point during my reverie, I suddenly noticed something green on my hand. Light? Where did it come from? Wow—the window was made of stained glass and the sunlight shining through turned my skin and the plants nearby into surfaces of colorful illumination.

I was so mesmerized by the dazzling colors of light I forgot to sketch in my sketchbook and didn’t remember until mere moments before my Taco Rice arrived.

I am not new to taco rice as I have eaten it before, and the taco rice at ELLA & LOUIS does not disappoint. Apparently, the taco rice is prepared in the style associated with Kumejima. The mango hibiscus tea was also delicious, not to mention incredibly refreshing on such a sweltering summer day.

Since I arrived with less than an hour before closing, I didn’t order dessert this time but I do intend to try the desserts in the very near future, especially seeing that mangoes (which in my humble opinion, are the tastiest fruit ever) from Kumejima are used!

All in all, in my opinion Retro Café ELLA & LOUIS could appeal to a wide spectrum of people: from those who are long-time lovers of jazz music to those who have yet to take the time to listen to jazz and hear what jazz music and all its varieties has to offer. Even a long-time lover of jazz such as myself discovered a new artist to appreciate (during my visit, songs which especially caught my fancy were those played from the album of the harpist, Brandee Younger). People who are new to visiting jazz cafes could visit ELLA & LOUIS as a start since the vibe is so relaxed and welcoming, and the opening hours are before dark. (I have this sense that visiting a jazz café during the evening or late-night hours for the first time with no real knowledge of jazz could be intimidating to say the least!) In addition, this café is well worth the visit if you want to discover the delicious taste of Kumejima cuisine. Follow the café’s Twitter account to stay informed on current menu options.

Hopefully, by enjoying the wonderful music and food thoughtfully selected and prepared by the young owner of Retro Café ELLA & LOUIS, similar to the fond memories Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong sing of in “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”, you yourself will discover an appreciation for jazz music and Kumejima cuisine that no one can take away from you.

Photo and Composition: P. Bae

Tweets by レトロ喫茶 ELLA & LOUIS 
https://twitter.com/Kissa_E_And_L

Instagram of レトロ喫茶 ELLA & LOUIS  https://www.instagram.com/kissa_e_and_l/