Some fun reads about us.
Ukiyo has been manifesting in our heads, dreams and sketchbooks since 2018. We knew what we wanted to serve on sticks and over ice, what records we wanted to spin and what speakers would spill out their sound. We’re lucky that @ekkystudio liked our concept and designed this brilliant space for us and you, paying such close attention to details and respecting the building itself. We couldn’t have chosen better sidekicks than Kenzo, Elina and their awesome team“It’s literally not touching the ground, you need to walk up a couple of stairs to enter it. And once you enter it you feel it, it’s like there’s a change in the air or something. It’s full of good energy, the kind of energy that makes you smile and say “ohh, I get it!”
That’s how @Christos described the - then - empty space to me in 2020, before all the building, wood and renovations.
“So it’s a bar that doesn’t touch the ground.” I replied, and continued: “You know, I had a dream where I got to do work for a bar on the 30th floor of a building. I remember I got there for a meeting, and clouds were literally going through me, since it was so high up. Its name was Floating World. Then I woke up - it suits your new ‘doesn’t-touch-the-floor’ place. Let’s research the words ‘floating world’ and see what comes up.”
Ukiyo (浮世, "floating/fleeting/transient world") is the Japanese term used to describe the urban lifestyle and culture, especially the pleasure-seeking aspects, of Edo period Japan (1600–1867).
Normal people build their bars first, and then order their speakers accordingly — We ordered ours months before even the architectural plans, and then built our bar according to them.
Some people might call it impulsive, we call it prioritising
Our majestic speakers: @klipschaudio
Why we do it.
We wanted to create a space where you can come solo, on a date or with your friend group and be able to enjoy good music and good conversation simultaneously, either you’re seated next to the speaker or far away from it. A space for lonely eaters, group drinkers, curious audiophiles, after work drinks and everything else in between.
Being involved in music since late 2000's and after already visiting Japan and its listening bar culture, Christos wanted wanted to create this small, intimate safe zone to act as a hub for people who shared the same passion as him. Music, Japanese Whisky, and - as he jokingly calls it - Japanese souvlaki.
Everything needed to be broken down to its most raw, pure and uncomplicated form - from the crackling sound of analogue sound, to the complex yet unpretentious cocktails, to the simple ingredients found in the kitchen.
So Why a Cat?
Long story short, this is our cat - she’s been around for years and has the softest spot in the boss’s heart.
As he does literally everything for Juvia, she also thought he was building Ukiyo for her, so she wouldn’t leave the construction site.
We thought she would stay there forever, so we had to somehow justify her presence if she randomly felt like roaming around the bar during working hours - so we included her in the bar team by putting her on our t-shirt, so people would recognize her and excuse any spontaneous attendance.
I guess that was enough, as Juvia never stepped paw in the bar and limits her royal butt outside.Some Words from the Graphic Designer/social media manager/brand manager/overall crisis control person and the boss’s girl - @nikki from @eggDesignStudio
Having the freedom to create whatever I wanted for this brand was an absolute dream. I was involved during the whole process, created the brief myself, named the puppy after the weirdest dream I had, and had complete creative freedom as far as everything goes with Ukiyo Listening Bar's image. I knew I wanted it to be as flexible and versatile as possible, fun yet professional, serious yet funny. I try to keep Ukiyo's image as truthful, raw and honest as possible, taking candid photos from my iphone and writing short stories in the captions so the viewer can relate to something, feel something, and know that actual real people are behind this bar (which don't consider it just a bar.)