INFORMATION

• address2-1-9 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
• access1-minute walk from JR Ochanomizu Sta.
  2-minute walk from Subway Ochanomizu Sta.
  4-minute walk from Shin Ochanomizu Sta.

Its reputation is well-established in the world. The guitar maker ESP's prestigious guitars are here.

Nearby Ochanomizu Station lies a music instrument shop, BIGBOSS, which has prestigious guitars.
On the first and second floors, you see the long, narrow room spreading to the back with full of guitars. They display Paul Reed Smith and Japanese maker SAITO GUITARS products as well as their original ESP guitars.
Among them, for ESP guitars, "They are so carefully made that you might think that we go so far as to make a guitar. Also, we focus on the fact that you can play the guitar comfortably.", says the shop manager, Mr. Takuya Hashimoto proudly. "It's the best way to choose the first guitar by appearance. As you keep on playing it, you'll foster your taste and knowledge and you'll be particular about sound.", he told a tip to choose a guitar.
The repair booth and custom-made counters are equipped on the second floor.
You can have your guitar with bad condition repaired. You can have one and only custom-made guitar with carefully selected woods. These are what only ESP can offer.

The domestic guitar maker, ESP was established in 1975.
Due to their high technical skill, artists inside and outside Japan put their deep trust in them and they sell a number of signature models.
The base of ESP is this building.
They have everything necessary: development, engineer training and sales.

ESP Guitar Craft Academy Tokyo is located on the fourth floor and higher.
This place is like a secret base for music lovers.
The academy is located inside the guitar maker's studio and the instructors are all professional guitar artisans.
"During the first year, we encourage you to make one guitar a term, and after the second year, we want you to make seven or eight guitars a year", says the curriculum coordinator, Mr. Masanori Takayama. You can learn from scratch like technical drawing, selecting materials and how to use carpenter's tools such as a chisel and a plane. It's more like learning skills and training that classroom lectures. There are people beyond generations who are making efforts to learn a skill.

As for one-year course, you can learn the basics and they have two-year and three-year courses in which you polish your skill and try making your original guitars. They also have a weekend course in which you can learn while working. A team of instructors give you pieces of advice according to your progress as required.
After they graduate, they belong to ESP, Gibson, Fender, Yairi and so on. "Almost all guitar makers have our former students", says Mr. Takayama. Some of them have become independent and make their own guitars.

In 2023, they opened an event booth, "ESP GROOVE LOUNGE TOKYO" on the third floor.
As they have a lighting system, PA, guitar and bass amplifiers and drum set equipped, it is perfect for holding a small live performance. They have slat wall, so they occasionally hold pop-up shops of musical instrument makers and talk shows.
You can rent their equipment one day or even by the hour. It is convenient because you can use what you need according to your purpose.