Welcome to my blog page, full of musical adventures in the land of the rising sun.
With my Japanese band of brothers, I travels around Japan playing in cool jazz clubs and meeting new people. Through this tour blog, you will get a chance to follow me on my journey and discover the vibrant Jazz scene in Japan. Whether you are a music lover, a traveler, or simply curious, you are in for an exciting ride! So sit back, relax, and join me on these musical journeys in Japan.
Travel Day 1: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024
Travel Day 1: Japan Album Release Tour 2024 As with most of my tours in Japan, this one began the same way—my driver, super fan, and dad drove me to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. After a brief goodbye, I grabbed my alto sax...
Day 2: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 - Salt Peanuts, Ekoda
Waking up early, I stepped outside the hotel for my morning ritual: coffee. In Japan, vending machines cater to almost any need—hot meals, cold drinks, you name it—but for me, it’s all about finding good coffee. It didn’t take long to...
Day 3: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 - Tagen, Tokyo
Woke up early, as my gig at Tagen would start at 4 PM with a rehearsal, and the showtime would be 6 PM. My plan for the day was to visit Kyu-Furukawa Gardens, which I had found during my trip preparation. It...
Day 4: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – No Room For Squares, Tokyo
Waking up late this time—after staying up until 6 AM with Johan the previous night—I finally got some much-needed sleep and woke around 2 PM. This evening, I’d be performing a Quartet gig with pianist Shunichi Yanagi, bassist Daiki Mishima, and...
Day 5: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Jazz Inn Lovely, Nagoya
This day would involve some traveling to Nagoya and a gig at Jazz inn LOVELY. As a routine, I usually pack my stuff the night before, so all I need to do is take a shower and get out of the room...
Day 6: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Travel Day to Miyazaki
This day, me and Shunichi travelled to Miyazaki, located in the Miyazaki Prefecture on the eastern coast of Kyushu. Me and Yanagi San were invited by Katsunari Furuchi, an amazing drummer that has his own club, Old Earth. We had a flight that evening from Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya...
Day 7: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – First Show at Old Earth, Miyakonojō
I woke up early, refreshed from what felt like the best shower ever, and ventured out in search of caffeine. A coffee vending machine quickly fulfilled my need. Walking along the streets, I noticed the sub-tropical vibe of this part of Japan. At 18 degrees Celsius, it felt...
Day 8: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – 2nd Show at Old Earth, Miyakonojō
Sometimes the body just says no. I woke up after sleeping nearly 13 hours straight—something I hadn’t done since arriving in Japan—and realized I had missed my plan with Johan to visit the Sekinoo waterfall. A shower helped me shake off the...
Day 9: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Travel and Gig at Piano Hall Avenue, Kurashiki
The day started early as we checked out of the hotel by 10 AM. After packing my small case and storing everything in the hotel lobby, I met up with Shunichi and Johan. We planned to meet Katsunari at the train station around 11 to begin the journey to Kurashiki for...
Day 10: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Travel and Gig at Jazz Bar Coltrane, Kusatsu
The day began around 10 a.m. with plans to visit a ramen shop Satoshi had recommended, Shinakan, known for its authentic flavors and local charm. I met up with Satoshi and Katsunari in the hotel lobby, ready for an early culinary adventure. Shunichi decided to spend the morning exploring the sights...
Day 11: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Gig at Jazz on Top, Osaka
Around noon, I woke up and after a quick shower went outside the hotel to explore the surroundings and grab some food and coffee. While I had been to Osaka before, I had never really stayed there. This day was particularly special as it marked the last gig before starting my...
Day 12: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Free Time in the City
I had to check out at 10, so I packed my suitcase the night before. Early in the morning, I grabbed a coffee from a vending machine and picked up some food at Lawson. After breakfast, I dropped my luggage at the hotel lobby since I planned to meet Johan around...
Day 13: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Nature and Panoramic Views of Kyoto
I woke up to bright sunshine, a perfect start to my second free day. After meeting Johan in the hotel lobby, we walked to Umeda Station to catch the rapid express to Kyoto. From there, another short train ride would take us to our first stop of the day—the Arashiyama Bamboo...
Day 14: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Haircut & Ramen in Osaka
Waking up late, I had no big plans for my last free day in Osaka—except for giving the whole "getting a haircut in Japan" thing a second try. My first attempt back in Miyakonojō had been a failure, so I figured, why not try again?
Around noon, I set off...
Day 15: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Shinkansen to Tokyo & Surprises at Naru Livehouse
Around 9 in the morning, I woke up, took a shower, and stepped outside the hotel to get some coffee. Although breakfast was included at the hotel, I never use it—grabbing food at a 7/11 or Lawson is just more convenient. Since I like to be on time and knew the...
Day 16: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – News from KLM and Three Horns of Joy at Studio Wuu
Waking up in the morning, I checked my phone and saw a message from Johan: Did you see the email from KLM? Somehow, the email had landed in my spam folder, but the gist was that our flight back to the Netherlands on Monday had been canceled due to a broken...
Day 17: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Soprano Heaven and High-End Venue, The Moment
This morning, Johan and I planned to visit Ginza in search of a Yamaha soprano saxophone he wanted to buy. We met at Ueno Station Starbucks around 10 AM and took the Ginza Line, to visit the Yamaha store.
Ginza is a renowned upscale district in Tokyo, home to luxury...
Day 18: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Ueno Park, Percussion, and a Night Out with the Strong-Eyed Master
This morning started at the local Starbucks across Otsuka Station. The sky was clear and blue. It wasn’t exactly warm, but nice enough to have a coffee outside. With only a couple of outdoor seats available, I grabbed one and watched people pass by. Since it was Sunday, things were fairly...
