TOKYO SWING DANCE SOCIETY

Every Wednesday at 7 PM at Studio Necola. We’re gonna enjoy dancing lindyhop and blues to DJ’ed swing music with Necola’s super PA sound system.
Booking is required. Please check out TSDS Swing Calendar for the details.

However, recently we’ve been dancing at Lindy at the Jam Session in Kagurazaka on the first Wednesday of the month, so please be sure to check the TSDS Calendar.

Luup’s port is available at the studio.

LINDY AT THE JAM SESSION, OCTOBER 1, 2025

This is a traditional jazz session held at MASH Records, a music studio in Kagurazaka, Tokyo, organized by clarinetist Makiko Tamura and saxophonist Satoshi Ito. Both are professional jazz musicians, but most other participants are amateur musicians in training. Lindy hop dancers are warmly welcome to join and dance!

Please note that this is not a typical concert for an audience but a session for aspiring jazz musicians—a practice gathering. The cost is 2,000 yen per person, and no reservations are required. The dance floor is relatively small, accommodating only a few couples at a time. However, the organizers are very welcoming to dancers.

Notably, Makiko Tamura is one of Japan’s finest professional clarinetists, but here she primarily supports the amateur musicians and may also use the session to practice the piano. That said, you’ll likely get to enjoy at least one piece featuring her exceptional clarinet performance.

The session starts at 7:30 PM and ends around 10:00 PM. Since there’s no Necola Wednesday Night Hop at Studio Necola that day, some of us will head to MASH Records to dance. See you at MASH Records!

Since TSDS is not the organizer of this session, please refrain from directing additional questions about this event to TSDS. We are merely participants, and all the information we have is provided here.

Google Maps: Mash Records
TSDS Calendar

To learn Lindy Hop at TSDS, please follow these simple steps:

1. Choose a convenient class from the TSDS Calendar and click on it.
2. Click on “Booking.”
3. Book via email as instructed there.
4. TSDS will send you a confirmation email.
5. Attend the class!

毎日開催！要事前予約。詳細はカレンダーからどうぞ。

Event: Necola Premium Hop
Date: Saturday, June 28th, 2025
Doors Open: 12:30 PM
Show and Dance Start: 1:00 PM
Ends Around: 5:00 PM
Venue: Necola in Tokyo

Advance reservation required:  HERE
Languages: We speak English and Japanese.

Price (tax included)
・With advance reservation: 6,000 Yen
・Without reservation: 10,000 Yen

Please pay in cash at the venue. Credit cards are not accepted.
Wine, bread, cheese, and snacks will be available and included.

Piano: Hajime Kobayashi　小林創
Drums: Oji Kimura　木村おうじ
Double Bass: Nobuyuki Yano　矢野伸之
Clarinet and vocals Makiko Tamura 田村麻紀子

Also please see:

TSDS calendar
Feedback from the world
Overview of the History of Lindy Hop in Japan

On the final day of Golden Week, May 6th, Tokyo is in for something special. Swiss boogie-woogie and blues piano sensation Silvan Zingg will be performing at Necola. Silvan has shared the stage with musical legends such as B.B. King, Chuck Berry, George Benson, and Quincy Jones, who once said of him, “Your piano playing is monstrous!”

Silvan with B.B.King

Facing off against Silvan is Japan’s own boogie-woogie maestro, Hajime Kobayashi. This incredible collaboration between the top boogie-woogie pianists of Japan and Switzerland is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Accompanying them are two premium musicians: Oji Kimura on drums and Nobuyuki Yano on bass. The evening will be packed with boogie-woogie, swing, and blues galore.

Let’s wrap up Golden Week with a dance to remember!

Event: Necola Premium Hop
Date: Tuesday, May 6th (National Holiday)
Doors Open: 12:30 PM
Show and Dance Start: 1:00 PM
Ends Around: 5:00 PM
Venue: Necola in Tokyo

Advance reservation required:  HERE
Languages: We speak English and Japanese.

Price (tax included)
・With advance reservation: 7,000 Yen
・Without reservation: 10,000 Yen

Please pay in cash at the venue. Credit cards are not accepted.
Wine, bread, cheese, and snacks will be available and included.

Piano: Silvan Zingg (from Switzerland)
Piano: Hajime Kobayashi　小林創
Drums: Oji Kimura　木村おうじ
Double Bass: Nobuyuki Yano　矢野伸之

The fact that top jazz musicians from Switzerland and Japan are gathering at Necola is already incredible…
And & and (lol!), on this special day, some amazing Japanese professional musicians are scheduled to drop by Studio Necola just for fun. We’re pushing the studio to its limits—will it survive?! (lol)

Natsuko Furukawa (古川奈都子): A pianist and vocalist specializing in New Orleans jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, and swing, representing Japan. She’s said to be even more famous in New Orleans than in Japan—a true legend!

The Grit Groovers: Two young Japanese musicians born in 1998, carrying the next generation of Japan’s jazz scene. Boogie-woogie piano by Keigo Takase (高瀬啓伍) and drums by Koichi (チェケラッチョ こういち).

YouTube playlist below.
1: Boogie-Woogie featuring four super pianists
2: Blues
3: Swing: All Of Me
4: Sweet Georgia Brown
5: Shiny Stockings, tribute to Hiroshi Itaya
and more videos will be added to the playlist later.

Also please see:

TSDS calendar
Feedback from the world
Overview of the History of Lindy Hop in Japan

Fumiko Suzuki stands at the pinnacle of Japanese swing jazz vocalists. She has packed Tokyo’s prestigious Suntory Hall to capacity for her concerts and has performed alongside Nobuo Hara and His Sharps and Flats, a legendary Japanese swing big band. Like Ella Fitzgerald, Fumiko enjoys an exceptionally long career. This time, she will make a special appearance with Necola.

Dancing the Lindy Hop to her live voice? A rare chance you can’t miss!

Necola Premium Swingin’ Hop
Sunday March 16th, 2025
The doors will open at 5 PM.
The first set of the show will start at 5:30 PM.
The dance will end at 9:30 PM.
Venue: Necola in Tokyo

Band: Hirofumi Asaba and His Necola Swing All-Stars featuring Fumiko Suzuki
Hirofumi Asaba on jazz guitar
Nobuyuki Yano on double bass
Makoto Ueno on tener saxophone
Yuka Deguchi on jazz vocals
Fumiko Suzuki on jazz vocals

続きを読む Necola Premium Swingin’ Hop

今年、成人式を迎える方々に、TSDSからのお祝いとして、クラスレッスンの料金を大幅に割引くクーポンを差し上げます。この機会に是非、リンディホップを始めてみませんか？

• 今年、令和7年に20歳になる方が対象ですが、お友達と共に参加する場合はその方も割引の対象になります。１グループは本人を含めて最大４人までです。
• 通常3,500円が2,000円になります。
• 20歳になる方は当日、運転免許証が学生証などの年齢が確認できるIDをご持参くだい。
• 対象になるのは 令和７年1月に開催される全クラスです。日程はカレンダーで確認できます。
• 前日までの事前予約が必要です。こちらからどうぞ。なおメッセージの中に、この特別クーポンを利用する旨を記載してください。

To celebrate those who are coming of age this year, TSDS is offering a special coupon that provides a significant discount on class lessons. Why not take this opportunity to start Lindy Hop?

This offer is available to those turning 20 years old this year, but if you attend with a friend, they will also be eligible for the discount. A group can include up to four people, including the individual turning 20.
This offer applies to all classes held in January 2025. Please check the schedule on the calendar. The usual fee of 3,500 yen will be reduced to 2,000 yen.

Those turning 20 must bring an ID that verifies their age, such as a driver’s license or student ID, on the day of the class.

Advance reservations are required by the day before. Please book here.
Be sure to mention in your message that you would like to use this special coupon.

After Reading This Article: A Reflection on Lindy Hop’s History in Japan

What a delightful and insightful article by Shigeru Inatomi! It was both captivating and informative, offering a fresh perspective on aspects of swing dancing I hadn’t known or had forgotten. I was surprised to learn, for example, that only three months had passed from Hiro’s first swing dance experience to Frankie Manning’s visit to Japan. It’s truly remarkable how much progress one can make in such a short time—an inspiring example of passion and dedication!

Inatomi’s article is exceptionally well-written, providing valuable insights into Lindy Hop and the efforts he has made to nurture its growth in Tokyo. His contributions to the local swing dance community are clearly evident, and it’s wonderful to see how the scene has flourished under his guidance. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this piece.

Written by Cynthia R. Millman
Co-author with Frankie Manning of Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop
Temple University Press, 2007

Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop, Temple University Press, 2007

Cynthia Millman with Masahisa Segawa in Tokyo in 2013

これは稲富滋氏による、洞察力に満ちた素晴らしい記事です！

とても魅力的で、情報も豊富で、スウィングダンスに関して私が知らなかった、あるいは忘れていた側面について、新たな視点を提供してくれました。たとえば、Hiro がスウィングダンスを始めてからフランキー・マニングが日本を訪れるまで、わずか3ヶ月しか経っていなかったことを知り、驚きました。短期間でこれほどの進展を遂げるなんて、本当に素晴らしいことです。情熱と献身の素晴らしい例ですね！

稲富氏の記事は非常に良く書かれており、リンディホップに関する貴重な洞察を提供しています。また、東京でその成長を育んできた彼の努力もよく伝わってきます。彼の地域のスウィングダンスコミュニティへの貢献は明らかであり、彼の指導のもとでシーンがどれほど繁栄したかを見るのは素晴らしいことです。この記事を読むことができて本当に良かったです。