Located behind Shibuya station, across Route 246 in the Sakuragaokachō neighbourhood not far from Gekko, Mary Jane is a small jazu-kissa cum bar situated on the second floor of a non-descript building, and accessed by a flight of stairs with walls invitingly decorated with a collage of jazz posters. Climbing the stairs, I felt almost certain that an interesting experience awaited. I was soon to be disappointed.
At the top of stairs a small hallway contains shelves of records and CDs. Stepping into the bar itself, I was greeted by a drab room of decidedly dishevelled appearance. Bare wooden floors, wood panelled walls painted in institutional pale green, browned with age and tobacco stains, and windows framed with wooden shutters stained in faded racing green. Upon the walls a few forgettable pictures were mounted, the only one I can recall being in black and white of a semi-nude woman with resplendently pert breasts.
The centre of the room is dominated by a large oval table upon which is a row of books placed for the pleasure of customers. Lining the room are benches covered in old green vinyl pock marked with cigarette burns. Before the benches, small sturdy looking tables and chairs. In the left corner of the room, more books, magazines and CDs, and speakers hidden behind a wooden grill. The sound from the speakers is average at best. In terms of music, although when I first entered Miles Davis’s Seven Steps to Heaven was playing, he was soon replaced by some kind of jazz-rock fusion and then something tribal, it roots in Africa I don’t doubt. Noisy, I found it hard to relax.
The master of the place, a bored looking middle-aged man wearing an apron, seemed uninterested if not outright cold. Perhaps after 37 years running the place he’s had enough. The menu with which he provided me offered a selection of hot and cold beverages, alcohol and food. With Tokyo Ale at ¥900, Yebisu, Kirin and Asahi beer all at ¥750 and ice coffee for ¥800, prices are a little on the steep side, although not unusual for jazu-kissa. Granted, the ice-coffee was freshly made and quite delicious. I then opted for the cheaper Carlsberg beer, at ¥600 for the first glass and then subsequently ¥400.
Mary Jane lacks both character and atmosphere. Neither cosy or inviting, it feels unloved and thus is uninspiring. Whereas I can spend hours relaxing with book, beer and music in Masako, Volontaire or Meg I could hardly wait to leave Mary Jane. Is there something about Mary Jane? No.
Tel: 03-3461-3381
Web: http://maryjane.cocolog-nifty.com/
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 1:13PM | 
The only place that didn’t have a queue outside it was T.G.I. Friday’s, and so (being in need of a drink) that’s where we ended up.
Along with the appallingly slow and ill-timed service (my dining partner and I had thought eating lunch together, at the same time, might have been nice), and the weak G&Ts, the food wasn’t up to much either.
