Sapporo After Dark: A Jazz Evening at Slowboat

Diary

Sapporo After Dark: A Jazz Evening at Slowboat

November 2, 2025

It was my first time stepping into the northern part of Japan. Since I was a kid, Hokkaido had always felt like a distant, almost mystical place—beautiful, expensive, and known for its skiing and scenic landscapes. We flew to Sapporo as our first stop and planned to spend the next eight days exploring the central area around Asahidake and the southern part near the city.

Somewhere deep down, I had this quiet urge to visit a jazz bar in Sapporo, probably because of Greg Girard. He once told me that Sapporo had many interesting jazz bars when he worked on assignments there years ago. That conversation stayed with me, and I wanted to see it for myself.

Originally, I had planned to visit a small, intimate jazz vinyl bar, but I changed my mind. After my experience at Salon10 in Hong Kong, I wanted to hear live jazz again—to feel that energy up close. That’s when I came across Slowboat.

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Slowboat was opened by Ryo Fukui and his wife. Ryo is one of my favourite jazz pianists, and his album Scenery often plays when I need something soothing in the background. The space itself is intimate—enough for seven or eight small tables and a modest bar area. The stage holds a drum set and a grand piano. The walls are lined with posters documenting the bar’s long history and the musicians who’ve performed there. I love how every jazz bar has its own identity—the logo design, the decorations, the way they use the space—it all tells a story.

There were two sessions that night, at 8pm and 10pm, and entry was only allowed between sets. We rushed from our hotel and arrived just in time, around 7:45pm, grabbing seats in the front row. We ordered drinks, and asked the staff about taking photos there. No video recording, but photography is okay. Perfect.

I brought only one setup that evening—my Leica SL2-S paired with the Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. I had considered bringing the Voigtlander 28mm APO but decided to stick with just one lens. The colours were adjusted later in post, and overall my experience with the SL2-S was very positive. The shutter feels satisfyingly firm with each actuation, and the viewfinder is far better than I expected, especially when using fast lenses. That said, its bulk compared to the M system made me lean more toward shooting film than digital on this trip.

That night’s performance featured the Youichi Fujisaki (藤崎羊一) Trio, with Mr. Fujisaki on bass, Masaki Minamiyama (南山雅樹) on piano, and Osamu Uno (宇野修) on drums. I’m still a beginner when it comes to jazz, but I’m slowly learning what I enjoy. I loved watching how Mr. Fujisaki improvised with the trio—how a few scattered notes gradually shaped into a song. You could feel their passion in every piece. As I listened, I couldn’t help but admire how much they loved what they do, how they constantly refine and play with the music. It’s a privilege to witness that kind of dedication up close.

All the photos that night were shot with the Noctilux at ISO 800, which was just enough to capture the instruments and the musicians’ expressions. I had to be careful with the flickering lights, keeping my shutter speed around 1/125 or slower. The 50mm felt a bit tight in that environment, so I focused on documenting the atmosphere rather than just the performance.

The place felt warm and communal—a little world of its own. You could tell this was a close-knit community of musicians and listeners. It was one of those nights where I left with both my heart and memory card full. I’m already looking forward to visiting more jazz bars and catching live performances on future trips.