Shimokitazawa is a magnet for young musicians in Tokyo. Virtually every other kid you pass on the street totes a guitar, and it sometimes seems like half the bars — big and small — are equipped for staging live music.
Toshiro Otomo aims to cater to these musical souls with his Shimokitazawa Bar On, which will celebrate its first anniversary on Oct. 22. "On" is a play on words and kanji readings, representing ongaku (music), with other interpretations including "adult" and "respect."
Bar On is tiny. And dark. Almost all interior surfaces and furnishings are black, with the exception of the wall behind the bar, which is bright red. The counter seats six; a row of low sofa seats and coffee tables accommodate the same number. A few band posters are taped to the walls. A row of kanji stating the bar's "ideology" of music, adulthood and respect are hand-painted on a board that hangs above the bar.