Photo: Shota Nagao | Owner Rui Nakahira
Shinjuku DUG (hereinafter referred to as DUG), a jazz cafe/bar located on Yasukuni Dori in Shinjuku, will close on June 27, 2026. The store ended its 65-year history due to the demolition of the building it occupied due to its age.
Photo: Manabu Morooka | At DUG on the last day of business on June 27, 2026
Since the news of the store's closure was posted on social media on April 1st, people who were sad to say goodbye visited the store every day. On the final day, a live broadcast without an audience was held from 8:00 pm, with appearances by Tatsuo Sunaga, Naruyoshi Kikuchi, and Grace Maya.
Photo: Manabu Morooka | Store interior taken on closing day
Photo: Manabu Morooka | Store interior taken on closing day
The store's roots date back to ``DIG,'' which was founded in 1961. Since then, we have moved many times, and since 2000 we have continued to operate at our current location on the second basement floor. It was founded by Hozumi Nakahira, who was also a jazz photographer, and has since developed into one of the shops that symbolize Shinjuku's jazz culture. Inside the store, Nakahira photographed legends such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane, quietly watching over the store.
Photo: Manabu Morooka | Store interior taken on closing day
The store's logo was designed by Makoto Wada. Writers such as Shuji Terayama and Kenji Nakagami have visited, and Tamori, who just moved to Tokyo, used to frequent the school, and it is filled with anecdotes of various famous people and jazzmen. It also appeared in Haruki Murakami's ``Norwegian Wood,'' and has become a sacred place for Murakami's fans.
Photo: Manabu Morooka | Store interior taken on closing day
Photo: Manabu Morooka | Store interior taken on closing day
At the end of June, just before the restaurant's closure, Time Out Tokyo interviewed Rui Nakahira, who took over the restaurant from Nakahira in 2007 and serves as its president and master.
-Please tell us how you feel now that DUG, which has been in business for over 50 years in the center of Shinjuku, is closing.
To be honest, I suddenly received the news that the building was going to be demolished, and I was busy dealing with it every day. It would be a great shame to lose the space designed by architect Katsuteru Iwabuchi and created together with our customers. It was a great place where famous musicians from Japan and abroad stopped by and asked, ``Hey, how's Rui?'' with their cheerful smiles and voices, and a positive breeze instantly blew by.
-What changes have you seen in your customer base as the number of tourists visiting Japan has increased in recent years?
In recent years, the number of young people in particular has been increasing. A "jazz cafe" culture that specializes in "listening." This is Japan's most unique feature. In America, jazz was a place to dance and drink alcohol, but in Japan it developed as a place to quietly face the music.
Huge speakers and tons of records. Private conversations are strictly prohibited, and he listens to great records for hours over a cup of coffee. It seems that this style of viewing was considered unusual from overseas.
Now that the cycle has come full circle, things are lighter and more free. Without going into complicated logic, I feel that the younger generation has naturally come to accept it as a spice that makes everyday life a little more luxurious, just like the aroma of coffee. Rather than the way I approach the music of jazz changing, I feel that it has finally "fitted in" with the lives of today's young people in a good way.
The ``free spirit'' of jazz has always touched the hearts of bored people, and its essence has not changed one bit. That's the most interesting part.
âPlease tell us about any musicians or stories that have left a particularly strong impression on you among your customers.
We are very happy and honored that famous musicians from Japan and abroad stop by. In particular, my good friend Terumasa Hino always has his autograph and illustration drawn on the back of his white cutter shirt every time he comes to the store, and it is a treasured treasure.
Looking back, in 1968, Terumasa Hino, Motohiko Hino and others' live concert at DUG was attended by Stan Getz and Chick Corea, who were visiting Japan, as well as Albert Mangelsdorff's Diggin' (1971) and Mal Waldron's performance. Live performances at DUG remain as masterpieces, such as ``Meditations'' (1972) by John Waldron, ``AS TIME GOES BY'' (1973) by Carmen McRae, and ``Barry Harris Live At "Dug" (1995) by Barry Harris Trio.
Many jazz musicians visited our store, including Sadao Watanabe, Keiko Lee, and Yasuko Agawa.
Makoto Wada, the illustrator who designed the logo, had been coming here since he was a student, and he had developed a close friendship with his predecessor.
Photo: Manabu Morooka | Store interior taken on closing day
âUp until now, you have continued to operate your business through several relocations, but do you have any plans or plans to reopen in a different location in the future?
``The previous master Hozumi Nakahira's DUG is bringing down the curtain.'' The next new development that seems to be the second generation, Rui Nakahira's, is "To be continued...". We are currently actively exploring. The building was set to be demolished on July 1st, so we had no choice. It's a trend of the times, and we can't resist it.
DUG, which was created in 1967 as a cozy space in Shinjuku through a collaboration between the late architect Katsuteru Iwabuchi, the late graphic designer Makoto Wada, and the late jazz photographer Hozumi Nakahira, has come to an end. I feel that the time has come.
Photo: Manabu Morooka | Store interior taken on closing day
Another famous Showa restaurant that symbolized the underground and jazz culture centered in Shinjuku has disappeared. Although it is a trend of the times, there are many people who wish to go back to another place. Now that Japan's jazz cafes are being reconsidered, let's look forward to Mr. Nakahira's ``To be continued...''.
