TOKYO SWING DANCE SOCIETY

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).

Also please see:

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

6:30PM, May 3, 2025
Shinjuku, Tokyo
Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall

Here’s a message from Silvan to all the swing dancers in Tokyo!
“Please feel free to find a spot somewhere near the front and dance!”

Silvan Zingg is coming to Tokyo! He’s a boogie-woogie and blues piano superstar, recognized even by B.B. King. The concert will be held at Tokyo Opera City—this is something you definitely don’t want to miss!

Details and tickets

Please check out the calendar here and book your spot in advance.
毎日開催！要事前予約。詳細はカレンダーで。

LINDY AT THE JAM SESSION, MAY 7, 2025

Makiko will be back in town in May!

This is a traditional jazz session at MASH Records in Kagurazaka, organized by clarinetist Makiko Tamura and saxophonist Satoshi Ito. Both are professional jazz musicians, while most of the other participants are amateurs. Lindy hoppers are welcome to dance!

Please note that this is not a regular concert for an audience but rather a session for jazz musicians—a type of practice gathering. The cost is 1,800 yen per person, and no booking is required.

The dance floor is relatively small, accommodating only a few couples at a time. However, the organizers are exceptionally welcoming toward dancers. While Makiko is a superb clarinetist, she may also take the opportunity to practice piano during the session.

The session begins at 7:30 PM and concludes around 10:00 PM. Some of us will be heading there to dance, as there will be no Necola Wednesday Night Hop at Studio Necola that day.

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

Musicians:

Hirofumi Asaba – Guitar
Nobuyuki Yano – Double Bass
Yoshihiko Miyazaki – Saxophone & Clarinet

続きを読む Hirofumi Asaba Trio at Blue Note Place Tokyo

Jazz Auditoria at Waterras, Tokyo
April 26th, 2026

13:00 PM
Meiji University Big Bad

Various jazz bands will perform over the three days of this event, but the only band we can dance Lindy Hop to is this big band from Meiji University on Saturday. The other bands play modern jazz, so they won’t be suitable for dancing.

The stage will have one set, which will likely last around 50 minutes. Not all of the songs will be swing, but based on last year’s experience, there were a few that were right in our strike zone, allowing us to enjoy dancing.

The ground-level area gets crowded, and security staff will be enforcing rules to keep pathways clear, so the best option for us is to dance on the upper terrace, where they are less strict. When facing the band, this area is located in the upper right.

Let’s go to dance to the Ikebukuro Jazz Festival which will take place on May 17th and 18th, 2025. Over 200 jazz bands will perform around the Global Ring Theatre near the west and south exits of Ikebukuro station.

• Event website of the organizer in Japanese 2025 this year
• Google My(TSDS) Maps 2024 last year
• Organizer’s map in Japanese 2024 last year
• Band Schedule in Japanese from the organizer
• Band Schedule in English TSDS will try to come dancing
• Rendezvous with TSDS: Facebook events May-17 and May-18
• Weather Forecast

The bands that performed at this jazz event last year and were suitable for Lindy Hop dancing:

Minato Jazz Club
Pinot Gris
Tokyo Galaxy Jazz Orchestra
Pepoyo Band

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