I’d suggest that Technics have a gap in the amplification. That turntable and those speakers are several leagues higher than that amp (well regarded as it may be).
But the room is the biggest issue. No system will sound good in that environment. Or if it did, it would conversely sound awful in a living room. Room correction can only do so much.
Maybe something else is in their pipeline.
Yes, hifi doesn’t gel with untreated smooth modern glass and tile rooms.
Do you have any Japanese audiophile friends in Japan?
Sorry I wasn’t aware of these cafes on our recent trip to Japan, but what really struck me was that just about every meal - from hotel breakfasts to restaurant dinners - was accompanied by beautiful background jazz. It inspired me to create a big playlist to play randomly at dinners back home.
I had one back in Tokyo but we haven’t been in touch in over 6 years. So no.
But other than the other people I worked with in the hifi shop, I didn’t have any in the UK either.
Wow really. You live a very sheltered life. 
(kidding! )
I usually try to stay away from them but I have met some wonderful people in person via online fora all over the world.
I assume that the Technics turntable shown above is a variant of the SP10, which used to have a black ‘stone’ Obsidian plinth.
London’s Capital Radio used to use the SP10, along with a special 12 inch variant of the Linn Ittok tonearm, which must have been quite something to behold!
To be honest, once my kids were born, my social life ended. Entire life is just work, the kids, that’s it. So it’s not just audiophile friends I don’t have.
It’s also a statistical cliche of being a certain age with family. But I like my own company and stealing a lunchbreak or an hour at the cafe with the Altec Lansing amps waiting for the kids to finish swimming lessons or whatever is fine.
I sort of expect that a lot of the clientelle at the dedicated hifi cafes are similar and that for them, this hobby is a solitary persuit.
I think that a hardware pursuit could be a group thing ( like exchanging info, comparing gear etc… ) but the connection to the music is a solitary and very private pursuit 100%.
I have certainly realised just that, after inflicting guests with some of my favourite tracks on my fancy new hifi system in the past. I only play it if someone asks and then ask them what they would like to listen to. None of the “ you’ve got to hear this” nonsense.
Yes they do look much the same. I see that these turntables can be fitted with an outrigger to accommodate long tonearms.
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