Vinyl Shops in Tokyo, Japan and Japan in General

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by mikemoon, Jan 17, 2014.

  1. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    They are all different. Some have everything in one store. Some have different genres on different floors. Shinjuku has a main used store with all genres and several stores that focus on individual genres. All locations have used CD's. If you are in Shibuya, Recofan is worth a visit as well - it's near the Shibuya DU.

    I would use my CD buying time in Tokyo. What area of Shinjuku are you staying?
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2019
    moops likes this.
  2. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I meant what area of Tokyo are you staying?
     
  3. Stump

    Stump Forum Resident

    Location:
    Adelaide Australia
    Are you referring to taking the vinyl out of the sleeve to check the condition??
     
  4. moops

    moops Senior Member

    Location:
    Geebung, Australia
    Thanks for the info :wave: ....... I'll be based at Akasaka.
     
  5. Maccaroni

    Maccaroni Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    There's a Disk Union in Akasaka that's pretty good. Time will be a factor too. Recofan will take half a day factoring in travel, eating etc and the Disk Unions in Shinjuku another half day.

    There are several Disk Unions in Shinjuku, but they are all pretty much on the same, shirt narrow street. Most have multiple floors (although the buildings are generally very narrow). Each floor is basically a genre - Japanese indie here, classic rock there etc.

    I used to travel to Tokyo 3 times a year for work so spent many an evening in those places. Thank god for airline status increased luggage allowances... I could take 60kg and only needed to pack for a 4 day trip.
     
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  6. moops

    moops Senior Member

    Location:
    Geebung, Australia
    Ok great thanks ! ...... I guess I'll just have to see how things pan out time-wise once I get over there, but it's good to know one isn't far too from me. :thumbsup:
     
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  7. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    There is no Disc Union in Akasaka - it must have closed a while ago. The closest to Akasaka is going to be Shibuya. Make sure you don't miss the Shinjuku Used Store which is not on the same street as the individual genre stores. It is #4 on the attached map.

    https://diskunion.net/pdf/shop/e_shop_areamap.pdf
     
    Sprague Dawley likes this.
  8. Sprague Dawley

    Sprague Dawley Forum Resident

    Location:
    Japan
    Totally agree, this was the best place on my last visit. Very easy to miss too as for some reason there are now no DU signs outside indicating there is a store in the building.

    For cd's you might want to pop into the Book Off branch very near the DU used store. Handy too as it opens at 10am instead of DU's 11am
     
  9. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    They had a big sign on the side when they were in the building next door. Audio Union was also there.
    That building was under renovation last time I went. I think this new location might be temporary.
     
  10. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

  11. porieux

    porieux plook me now you savage rascal

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
  12. Harvey Rickenbacker

    Harvey Rickenbacker Forum Resident

    Post below from Disk Unions twitter account. A new store coming in Shibuya in November. Branded as a UNION store same as the one that opened in Shinjuku last year.

    Disc Union News [Official] @ 20.21.22 Online Members Sale now on!
    ·
    Aug 20
    In November 2019, a record specialty store `` Union Records Shibuya '' opens in Shibuya PARCO コ
    Union Records is the predecessor of Disk Union, which was born in 1967. This is the second store following Union Record Shinjuku, which was revived in Shinjuku last year.
    Please look forward to the transmission of a new record culture
     
  13. Audionerd

    Audionerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England, US
    Interesting, though the Disk Union in Shibuya already has a (small) floor dedicated to vinyl. If I’m in that area, I’m heading to Recofan anyway. Shinjuku’s the best spot for Disk Union. Will have to check out the Parco store next time I’m there.
     
  14. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I just saw the Recofan in Yokohama closed. Looks like Shibuya is the last one standing.
     
  15. Audionerd

    Audionerd Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England, US
    Oh wow! I only made it to the Yokohama location once and found a bunch of good albums, but still like the Shibuya shop better. Rarely do I walk out of there empty-handed.
     
  16. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    The whole building was sealed off when I visited 3 weeks ago.
    Perhaps there's still a chance they'll be moving somewhere else
    [​IMG]
     
  17. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    Anyways I've been to Tokyo for a few days in August and I really thought that this time I wouldn't be able survive the heat and the sweltering humidity :)

    Went digging to Kichijoji, Ochanomizu, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Yokohama, Takadanobaba, Nakano, Ikebukuro and Shimokitazawa.
    Skipped Tachikawa and Machida from my usual rounds and completely forgot about HMV in Studio Alta, Shinjuku.

    Most of the DU shops were having Obon sales
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  18. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    Loved this Suspiria spoof hyping some Claudio Simonetti show
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    Not really into this Yellow Submarine x Pro-ject abomination
    [​IMG]
     
  20. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    The department store they were in had seen better days. Not surprised the whole building is going.
     
  21. MightyVinyl

    MightyVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Wow, hope they reopen. Certainly isn’t room in the Shibuya store for all that inventory.

    Found some great stuff hiding three ove4vthe years, and really liked the older couple that ran the place.

    22 days until wheels up on my next annual pilgrimage.
     
  22. MightyVinyl

    MightyVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Nope, it looks like they closed for good January 31:

    Yokohama Record store - RECOfan

    “Thank you & Good-by!! Closing sale!!  October 1, 2018 ~ January 31, 2019!!
    We are looking forward to seeing you!”

    What’s weird about that is I was there last October and had NO IDEA they were closing. No signs or special prices I saw when I was there around October 15.
     
  23. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I was there the last week of October last year and didn't notice any signs either. I'm going on my annual pilgrimage Oct 9 - hope there is enough music in Tokyo for both of us :D
     
  24. MightyVinyl

    MightyVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Ok, we MIGHT actually be on the same flight....

    I leave SEATTLE October 9th arriving SFO that AM, and then JAL 1 to HND that afternoon (arriving 7:15PM the next evening.)

    PM me if my suspicions are correct, might be fun to meet up either at the gate before the flight, or sometime in Tokyo.

    Staying at the same hotel I always stay at in Shinjuku.

    Hope to get a chance to meet. That might be kind of fun.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2019
  25. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I'm taking JAL 1 on the 8th, staying in Shinjuku also. Sent you a PM.
     

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