Exploring the history of Tokyo through its deep-rooted relationship with music, told through the city’s ongaku kissa: music cafés created for listening. These cafés, unique to Japan, have been places of quiet connection for nearly a century. From the classical-focused “meikyoku kissa” of the 1920s and 30s, to post-war jazz cafés and the rock cafés of the 1970s, each space offered a way for people to come together around sound. Not for conversation or distraction, but to really listen.
Each episode focuses on one of these venues, using it as a lens to understand Tokyo’s evolution across the last 100 years through war, rebuilding, subculture, and change. More than just a look at a niche corner of Japanese culture, the series also explores the universal role music plays in our lives - how it connects us to memory, to one another, and to ourselves. It asks timely questions about how we engage with music today in an age shaped by digital streaming and AI, and what we may have lost in the process.
A Century in Sound offers a thoughtful reflection on how music spaces have shaped Tokyo and how this quiet listening culture is now inspiring a new movement in cities across the world.
The filmmaker and Director Nick Dywer will be joining us to introduce the films and to hold a Q&A after the screening. The first 3 episodes of the series will be screened.
Duration: 1hrs
Wednesday, 5 November 2025
Doors open at 7.00 PM
Film starts at 7.30 PM
Klymax, Desa Potato Head
