Vinyl Shops in Tokyo, Japan and Japan in General

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

  1. Eric_B

    Eric_B Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minnesota
    Hal's is the greatest record store in the world. "Where the young and middle aged baddies hang out."
     
  2. yookmook

    yookmook Forum Resident

    enjoy vinyls dig in tokyo/
    happy hunting

    [​IMG]
     
  3. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    Keep in mind the original purpose of the obi. The obi, of course, to some extent functions like a hype sticker, but I think they were originally developed for a different reason--simply because people couldn't read the Western languages that the recordings were published in. Current generations are much more familiar with and comfortable with non-Japanese text. There is much less need in Japan today for an obi to make the content of a recording accessible to its potential audience there.
     
    candyflip69 likes this.
  4. MightyVinyl

    MightyVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Does anyone have any news or updates on the situation in Japan?

    I've just booked my 2020 pilgrimage, although my wife is laughing at me, certain it will have to be cancelled due to concerns about the virus making a resurgence in the Fall/Winter. Currently booked Oct. 26th arrival thru Nov. 13 departure.

    Are the DU's staying afloat? I have been worried that with the sky-high prices of real estate (especially in Tokyo) it might be cause for store closures and the like.

    If all signs are GO come Sept./Oct., I may have to look into a day or two in Osaka & Kyoto as well. Sounds like fun, and with the lack of deals any longer it would at least make the trip a bit more exciting.

    If anyone has any updates on conditions for business' in Japan - even just from Japanese media - please post.
     
  5. MightyVinyl

    MightyVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    TBH, that's a nice point but I don't think it has any bearing on the question here. Pure & simple, the obi's are fragile, easily torn and/or lost. As collectors want their copy to be as complete as possible - with both the obi & the original insert that usually accompanied a release - the copies with obi's are disappearing into the hands of collectors. The copies that are more prevalent are those that don't have the obi as they are simply less desirable. In some cases, the obi itself can be more valuable than the record it accompanied.
     
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  6. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    I may have misunderstood. I thought the implication in the post I replied to was that obi are less common on NEW releases, too. I was suggesting that that is likely at least in part because they are not as necessary as they once were, hence more releases have no obi to begin with. As you say, though, that has nothing to do with SURVIVING obi on used items.
     
    candyflip69 likes this.
  7. candyflip69

    candyflip69 What's good?!

    Location:
    Melb, AUSTRALIA
    Nope, that's how I understood it too. :righton:
     
  8. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    I get updates and notifications from most of the Disk Union stores and a few other shops: it looks like the situation is getting back to normal and it was announced the imminent lift of the emergency state. All shows and record fairs were obviously cancelled as well.

    I was supposed to have my annual pilgrimage last April, easter week. Booked in late January, got cancelled by the airline in late March, still fighting for a refund. Had to file a chargeback thru my credit card and it should clear in early June.
    Luckily the flight was the only paid for thing I had besides the japanese sim card for which I was able to obtain 70% refund.
     
  9. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

  10. Harvey Rickenbacker

    Harvey Rickenbacker Forum Resident

    Gotta love the Emperor!

    Unfortunately we would still have to quarantine for 2 weeks when we got back to Australia at the moment. But here's hoping this changes before the year is out as we were hoping to go in November. And I'm more than happy to let the Emperor fund some of the trip.
     
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  11. Harvey Rickenbacker

    Harvey Rickenbacker Forum Resident

    Johnny Ryall and candyflip69 like this.
  12. candyflip69

    candyflip69 What's good?!

    Location:
    Melb, AUSTRALIA
    One thing about Tokyo (COVID or not) - it never stops changing. :righton:
     
  13. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    Sad to see Recofan go but rent must be insane in those blocks.

    For some reason I remeber picking up lots of amazing lp's from the clearance bins at the old RF Ikebukuro location over 10 years ago.
     
  14. hockman

    hockman Forum Resident

    Oh that's very sad news...certainly one of my favorite shops although I've not been more recently. Hopefully they will reopen elsewhere.
     
    dlemaudit likes this.
  15. Harvey Rickenbacker

    Harvey Rickenbacker Forum Resident

    Recofan had another massive store in Yokohama but I think that closed a year or so ago. Can anyone confirm?
     
  16. dlemaudit

    dlemaudit Forum Resident

    Location:
    France, Paris area
    massive letdown and so sad , honest , one of the best store i ever visited in the word for my taste . always found great stuff at great prices .
    do we really know why they are closing ?
     
  17. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    Recofan was great years ago, many cheap albums. What a loss. I wonder who else will go down.
     
  18. MightyVinyl

    MightyVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Yes, Recofan Yokohama closed last year when the building they were in was being renovated.

    I'm sooooo sad.... Recofan got slagged a lot on here, but I loved it. I remember running in to the Shibuya store 2 years ago on my last day in Tokyo, and finding not one but TWO Japanese vinyl pressings of Judas Priest's "Sad Wings Of Destiny" album, both at VERY reasonable prices. Sold them both within a month of getting home.

    You had to dig through a LOT of stuff in their, and the filing system was unique with 3 or 4 places in the store for the same sort of items, but I always found some great deals. And their singles bins with most singles going for about $2-3 US after discounts - hard to beat.

    We speculated when Yokohama closed that maybe they would find a new location. Now I'm wondering what has or will become of that MASSIVE inventory from the 2 stores combined? Or were they combined in name only, with different owners?
     
  19. MightyVinyl

    MightyVinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    From their website RECOfan JAPAN TOKYO SHIBUYA BEAM SHOP

    News of store closing sale holding
    We would like to thank our customers for their patronage for a long time since the store opened on December 23, 1996.
    We look forward to your visit.

    In the future, we will continue to expand sales through mail order as RECOfan.
    We are also accepting purchase of important collections.
    We look forward to your continued patronage.

    *We will announce the closing date as soon as it is confirmed.
    Please come and take this opportunity.
    *Due to the closing SALE, [Inventory inquiry] and [Reservation of goods] by phone are I cannot accept it. Humbly thank you for your understanding.
    *You can shoot in the store. (*Please be considerate of the staff and other guests when shooting.)
     
    Harvey Rickenbacker likes this.
  20. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

    :wtf::wtf::wtf:
     
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  21. Johnny Ryall

    Johnny Ryall Forum Resident

  22. Harvey Rickenbacker

    Harvey Rickenbacker Forum Resident

    Well spotted Johnny. Good to see they have relocated rather than disappeared. Now, if we can just get those planes flying again...
     
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  23. Jimmy Agates

    Jimmy Agates CRAZY DOCTOR

    My friend in Tokyo says and i quote "It’s still opened but close around September. Akihabara store isn’t new one" So The Shibuya store is still going at the moment and the Akihabara was an existing store.
     
  24. mfidelity

    mfidelity Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    This is the first I've heard of a Recofan in Akihabara. I'm sure it did not exist on my last annual trip in October 2019. After they closed Shimokitazawa, Ikebukuro and Omori a while ago all that was left was Shibuya and Yokohama. Last year they shut down Yokohama which left only Shibuya. I'm glad they are not shutting down after Shibuya closes.
     
  25. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    Rents have to be killer.
     

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