Jazz Bar Samurai is a small fifth-floor jazz bar near Shinjuku Station, tucked into the Mori Building at 3-35-5 Shinjuku.
The room is dense, old-school, and personal, with jazz ephemera, maneki-neko figures, and records surrounding the seating. It feels closer to a Shinjuku jazz kissa than a polished cocktail bar, though it runs in the evening and serves food and drinks rather than operating as a formal listening cafe.
Music is the reason to go. Jazz plays from a large record and CD collection through JBL speakers, with free jazz and improvised music sitting alongside more straight-ahead selections. Samurai also hosts occasional sessions and events, including a regular free-jazz night.
Go for a drink, a quiet seat, and the records. It is intimate, eccentric, and very specific to Shinjuku.