Suingu jānaru =スイングジャナル (Swing journal)
- Place of Publication: Tokyo, Japan
- Language: Japanese
- Date of Publication: 1947-2010
- Editor: Kohzo Koike
- Publishers: Swing Journal, Ltd.
- Introduction by: Stella Li
Swing Journal is the oldest and longest-running Japanese journal devoted to jazz music, culture, and criticism. The RIPM Jazz collection will initially include the first two and a half years of the journal’s publication, comprising five issues from 1947, eight issues from 1948, and three issues from 1949. Between 1947 and 1949, the journal was issued at irregular intervals—approximately monthly, by the Tokyo-based publisher Sanyō-sha. Each issue ranged from 15 to 25 pages. This text discusses these issues only; future additions to RIPM Jazz will be treated with additional text(s).
Founded in April 1947 under the subtitle “A Magazine of Dance and Swing Music,” the Swing Journal initially served as a platform for serious discussions of ballroom dancing––including dancesport––and its music. The journal’s early editorial team included saxophonist Nagao Masashi 長尾正士 (1947, n.1–1948, n.1), ballroom dancer Sonoda Toshirō 園田敏朗 (1948, n.2–5), and ballroom dancer Ōyagi Michihiko 大八木道彦 (1948, n.6–1949, n.4). Beginning in the 1950s, the journal shifted its focus toward jazz, ultimately establishing itself as Japan’s leading jazz publication and gaining international recognition. The journal ceased publication in June 2010 due to financial straits, marking the end of its 63-year run.
The journal’s early issues allocate equal space to ballroom dance and dance music. Jazz, particularly big-band swing, is covered primarily within the context of dance music rather than as a standalone art form. This editorial approach reflects the journal’s original mission, as stated in the foreword to the inaugural issue: to present responsible studies of swing music and dance for dance enthusiasts who also understand the music.
Articles on music in the Swing Journal focus on jazz records, bands, radio programs, and live performances in both Japan and the United States. Occasional coverage of other dance music genres such as rumba and tango, also appears. Every issue features updates on U.S. jazz trends, spotlighting prominent bandleaders, instrumentalists, vocalists, and their latest recordings. These articles frequently cite leading American music periodicals, including Down Beat and Metronome, serving to transmit information and perspectives from the U.S. to Japanese readers.
A distinguishing feature of the Swing Journal is its extensive coverage of the Japanese jazz scene. The journal regularly includes concert reviews, audition notices, band profiles, and interviews with Japanese musicians, providing valuable records of the country’s jazz activities and culture in the early postwar period. Two recurring columns— “Dance Band Review,” which surveys bands active in local dance halls, and “New Tone,” which introduces emerging Japanese jazz artists—offer rare insight into the lives and careers of jazz musicians in Japan during this time.
Key contributors of music-related content include Nogawa Kōbun 野川香文, Hiyoshi Taka 日吉孝, Tōfuji Isao 遠藤勲男,Watanabe Chūjo渡辺忠恕, Muraoka Tei (Tay) 村岡貞, and Noguchi Hisamitsu 野口久光. Among them, jazz critic Nogawa Kōbun stands out as the most prolific, contributing to nearly every issue in the journal’s early years.
This RIPM Index was produced from copies of the journal held by the Gordon W. Prange Collection at the University of Maryland, College Park.