I enjoyed the "travelogue" of Japanese magic bars in the October issue..

I was particularly jealous of the atmosphere for the performance. People come to see magic - quite a difference from the good ol USA.

I enjoyed reading the article too. Kaufman's descriptions of each bar and the pictures give us a sense of how the bars must be like.

Also, you can watch the performance of "Straw Warp," one of the two tricks included in that article, here.

http://geniimagazine.com/forum/cgi-bin/u......t=002966

Best,
Charles

I breezed over the coins and purse routine last night before going to sleep and I intend to look at it closer this weekend!
I've watch some stuff on YouTube staring Shoot and a handful of others and Asian audiences are always so enthusiastic and polite! I love the looks of awe and astonishment I see on the specs faces. So much nicer than a drunk heckler in a US venue! LOL

I will be reading this section of the mag this week-end.

I know this isn't exact, but Mike Close said in one of his interviews "they don't want us to do what we love to do". Hard to accept, but probably truer than many of us realize.

jas

I was shocked to learn that these bars still existed. In the USA they are almost totally extinct. That fact alone saddens me to no end; how refreshing to learn that people go to lounge and drink and watch magic (and paying top dollar for the privilege to do so!) on the other side of the world...

I managed to visit a few of these amazing bars in Tokyo 2008. Had a great time. But the reason I post to this old thread is that I hear some of them are closing due to the problems with the economy. That's a real shame.

I'm hoping to go back this year so if anyone knows which ones have closed I'd be grateful for the information.

s