It is perhaps inevitable that Japan, a country famed for its ingenuity, technological innovation and focus on precision, would be the origin of the listening bar – a place where music was not an afterthought, but where it was the purpose.
In the 1950s, at the dawn of what would become the Japanese Economic Miracle (two decades of societal and economic growth following a disastrous World War II) a unique way of absorbing music was emanating from the capital, TokyoMeikyoku Kissa Lion or Cafe Lion in the bustling district of Shibuya, was the birthplace of 20th century conscious, communal, listening. Over seventy years on, and the concept has never been more alive and kicking. Hundreds of listening bars now exist globally, with it proving a rapidly growing niche in cities across the world. These are the best London has to offer.
