Greenwich House

Jazz joints are intimate in Kyoto, but there’s nowhere quite like this skinny bar. At a push, it can hold 15 people, but the manager still books quartets to perform, so you might find yourself sharing elbow space with the trumpeter. Greenwich House is a fun and friendly place, which mostly hosts vocal jazz. Entrance is free and drinks are cheap. The building houses a school for students of the koto, a traditional Japanese string instrument, and from 3pm each Saturday and Sunday they play in the bar.