NewOldStock Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 I'm off to Japan for a few weeks from next week and I'd like some recommendations! I've seen the thread on Tokyo from earlier on this year, but as I'll be exploring outside to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama etc I thought I'd ask for a few more recommendations! What do you reckon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesewoodenideas Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Here's a few useful older threads on this: http://boards.vinylcollective.com/topic/104639-a-vinyl-pilgrimage-to-japan-seoul/?hl=tokyo#entry1994669 and http://boards.vinylcollective.com/topic/118127-record-stores-in-tokyo/?hl=tokyo I went to a few of the Disk Unions, a Recofan and the Shibuya HMV (not like the shit HMV's over here!) and they were all good. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raynerho Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Kyoto has a record store called Jet Set records, which I have been too. Not sure what genres you are into, but they do have a pretty huge selection, spent almost 2 hours crate digging. Prices are not very cheap but they do have some rare items if you do look hard enough.Address: Japan, 〒604-8006 京都府京都市 中京区下丸屋町410番地 ユニティー河原町ビル6F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korgull Of Morgoth Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Tokyo is the best place in the world for record shopping. Period. Kyoto, not so much. Osaka is way better. Yokohama has 2 Disk Unions and a Recofan that's pretty much the same as the one in Shibuya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron666monkey Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Tokyo is the best place in the world for record shopping. Period. Kyoto, not so much. Osaka is way better. Yokohama has 2 Disk Unions and a Recofan that's pretty much the same as the one in Shibuya. Lol, you're delirious. Kyoto has some killer shops. I have a map that has a cluster of around 15-20 stores in a mile + radius. I hit up most of them and found some really good records. It's funny dude up above mentions Jet Set records, that place was one of the worst stores I went to in Japan, but not surprised it was deemed awesome by VC standards since it's mostly new junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korgull Of Morgoth Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 If you had such a killer time over there you better post some names and addresses! Personally, I hit up central Kyoto a few years ago (Jan. '11) after LONG research and only came up with a few spots to hit. Besides this one place that had a semi interesting selection the rest was mostly overpriced crap/stuff I was not interested in. Yes, one of them was Jet Set which I didn't like as well. They also have another branch in Shimokitazawa. They do carry some killer merch tho'. Plus the city has a terrible trasportation system. Again I had much better luck with Osaka (Time Bomb, King Kong, 8-Beater and the JJ shops in Namba). They also a have a Disk Union now. Should be visiting again in August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron666monkey Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 If you had such a killer time over there you better post some names and addresses! Personally, I hit up central Kyoto a few years ago (Jan. '11) after LONG research and only came up with a few spots to hit. Besides this one place that had a semi interesting selection the rest was mostly overpriced crap/stuff I was not interested in. Yes, one of them was Jet Set which I didn't like as well. They also have another branch in Shimokitazawa. They do carry some killer merch tho'. Plus the city has a terrible trasportation system. Again I had much better luck with Osaka (Time Bomb, King Kong, 8-Beater and the JJ shops in Namba). They also a have a Disk Union now. Should be visiting again in August. I have the map from Kyoto. Shoot me your e-mail address and I'll scan it and send it to you with some recommendations. I plan on sending it to the OP as well tomorrow. Jet Set was probably my least favorite store of all that I went to, and I think I hit something like 30 stores b/w Tokyo and Kyoto. It was all new stuff that seemed priced really high, and the used stuff they had was nothing special. It got really good reviews, too. I don't know, I guess to each their own, but it wasn't for me. I didn't think the transportation in Kyoto was terrible, we were able to get everywhere we wanted to go on the subway and walking. Seemed really easy to me. I lucked out finding that map in a really small store in Kyoto, my wife actually stumbled upon it. I personally thought the shopping was a little better in Kyoto over Tokyo, though both were epic. It's really a toss up, but I think overall I enjoyed Kyoto more than Tokyo so maybe that's where my bias comes from. We didn't make it to Osaka, but will be going back this year in August as well, so your recommendations are definitely noted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jnaught Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 King Kong is Osaka gets my vote! Picked up some rare 90's stuff for cheap, I would have bought more but was afraid of traveling with it for a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewOldStock Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Thanks everyone for all the posts with advice and suggestions. Seems like there is so much that I can't go too far wrong with it! Off today and I've got some maps and store names etc downloaded and ready to go. I'll let you know how I get on - we are going to be in Osaka as well but I doubt the gf will appreciate too much record shopping... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korgull Of Morgoth Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Drink Calpis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewOldStock Posted April 8, 2016 Author Share Posted April 8, 2016 Thanks for all the information folks! I struck out everywhere except for Tokyo. A couple of places had a few bits but it was way overpriced in Tower Records and some other places - and two chaps in one store were so pissed off that I had looked at some records on the floor which weren't for sale (they weren't marked up just said 'Rock' that I left without buying what I had in my hand so that was a shame. Got some great stuff in Tokyo but I didn't have much time to shop! So missed the Shinjuku Disk Union and ended up in Shibuya DU and Recofan. Need another clean day or two - sadly just ran out of time. I'll be considering a dedicated trip some time in the future I think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron666monkey Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Thanks for all the information folks! I struck out everywhere except for Tokyo. A couple of places had a few bits but it was way overpriced in Tower Records and some other places - and two chaps in one store were so pissed off that I had looked at some records on the floor which weren't for sale (they weren't marked up just said 'Rock' that I left without buying what I had in my hand so that was a shame. Got some great stuff in Tokyo but I didn't have much time to shop! So missed the Shinjuku Disk Union and ended up in Shibuya DU and Recofan. Need another clean day or two - sadly just ran out of time. I'll be considering a dedicated trip some time in the future I think... Assuming you went to Kyoto and struck out after all the info I gave you, you're doing it wrong...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammertime Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Tokyo IS the best city in the world for record shopping, but my #1 favorite record shop in Japan was in Mito. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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