Vinyl Shops in Tokyo, Japan and Japan in General

1. Haneda is closer to the city, much closer. Narita is cheaper and has more frequent flights but is a good 1hr train ride away.
2. If you wanted to stay in Shinjuku record stores left in the area are mainly on the east side of the station and there are some basic business hotels around there. Most of the more modern, expensive international brand hotels are on the west side which is quieter.

 

Vinyl shopping in Japan rocks. Many stores there unlike the west are sort of "genre specific"

My suggestion for jazz- pick up any King and Toshiba reissues that aren't available on Music Matters/Analogue Productions for music you enjoy. At least when I was last in Tokyo the Japanese King/Toshiba Blue Note LPs were much cheaper than the asking prices on Ebay. And for the most part they sound great.

 

1. Haneda is closest and easiest to navigate. However, most flights from the US come into Narita. Also, US flights get into Haneda very late in the evening.
2. Stay in Shinjuku - it is a main transportation hub and is close to all the areas mentioned above. There are many good hotels at reasonable prices - check the Trip Advisor Tokyo fourm. I've stayed at the Hotel Sunroute Plaza a few times and have been very happy with it.
3. Only you can answer this question

 

You must tell us about all your experiences later on in this thread when you return! I would love to read about them.

 

You know I didn't think about the airport yet but I know there is more than one. I will purchasing tickets in the next few day. I think I'm going to have a budget of $500 for starters at least.

 

I knew about Narita but figured I'd ask.... Your thread has me talking to my wife about a trip there with the only purpose being to shop for records... Of couse we'll probably end up doing other things...I've always wanted to ride the Shinkansen. I have a thing about trains after having ridden the TGV a few times....

 

I usually choose Narita over Haneda for a couple of reasons. Flights from the US get in very late to Haneda - just enough time to catch the last train into Tokyo. If your flight is delayed you risk missing the final train - you do NOT want to have to take a cab from Haneda to Shinjuku. Even though Narita is further away most flights from the US land in the afternoon, so you'll be at your hotel in Tokyo in time to go out the first evening.

Enjoy your trip.

 

If you like trains you might want to try to land at Haneda. The monorail to the city is pretty eye popping, hyper urban madness.

If you go via Narita you can get downtown in about 40 mins on the Skyliner service.

 

You may want to take a number of empty cardboard LP mailers there to ensure things make it back in good order on the way home and also when you are hauling them between cities. The ones Soundstage and some of the other record stores use for their shipments are great for this especially the larger ones you get when you order 5 or more at a time. By bringing the mailers with you it will also set aside storage space in your luggage or carryons for the records. You will have to think about logistics as if you are wanting to purchase a good quantity of LP's rather than a select few because as we all know records can start to weigh a lot. If you are running between towns to see the many sights will hauling all the records with you be a pain and if so should you wait to the end of the trip to hit the shops in Tokyo? If you have a large number of records will you run into excess baggage fees if you have to check them in? Is there a Plan B to ship them home and what would that cost?

 

A couple hints:

1. Map out how to get there ahead of time, so you can budget for getting there.
2. Know when they open/close (online) and how much time it will take to get to the other places. The record shops in each area are very near each other (max 5-10 min walk between them), but save for the obvious Disk unions, you have to know where they are and recognize them, unless you can read Japanese.
3. Plan to spend at least a few hours in Disk Union's main LP area (or CD if you want them too) or Recofan. It is overwhelming.
4. If you want accessories (plastic CD/LP bags, jewel cases, boxes, LP player stuff,etc.) get it at Disk union in Shinjuku. They have everything!
5. Make sure you know to get them home.
6. These places actually appreciate you as a customer, even if you don't speak Japanese. A Domo arigato, then thank you, is usually understood and very appreciated.
7. I'm a CD guy, but be prepared to find stuff you can't find anywhere, but also they know what it is worth. Gold CDs are often in stock - even the hard to find. And priced as such. But them have them.

I always feel very welcome in Japan.

Japan is a great place to visit. Enjoy your trip!

 

With that sort of money, you could buy not only one but TWO vinyl copies of Zombies' O&O UK original in EX condition AND an EX+ UK copy of Pink Floyd DSOTM with the "solid blue" label but that's all.

If you were a jazz fan, you wouldn't want to miss the DiskUnion's Jazz Tokyo store in Ochanomizu although it's quite possible, as someone has stated, that US albums are more expensive than in US.
http://diskunion.net/shop/ct/jazz_tokyo

 

Narita is where most international flights land, but it's far from the city. Do not take a cab to the city- its $250!!!! Haneda is closer, but I don't know which international flights land there.
I stayed at the ANA Intercontinental (around $200 a night), but I was on work. For a truly fun experience, stay at a capsule hotel, at least for one night.
Any budget is too small for shopping there. I saw a King Crimson record for $700. On the other hand, there were mint Van Halen first Japan pressings for $5.

 

The Shinkasen is really dull. It's elevated for the most part, so you see very little of the countryside whiz past. You also feel no acceleration at all, so it's like being in a stationary train compartment. The regular trains are pretty fast, much cheaper, and allow you to see the countryside.

 

Good thing I'm only a moderate King Crimson fan!

 

I don't know if you like jazz, but there are a lot of jazz clubs in Tokyo- they're like cafes with vinyl spinning, and great coffee. Go to the Golden Gai district in Shinjuku for bars- there are 200 of them in six streets. Presumably one of them will be the kind you like- Albatross G has a great indie rock vibe, and Bar Plastic Model has a fantastic retro-80s thing going on.
There's tons of history in Japan, hidden away among the madness. Go to the Meiji shrine in Shibuya- there was a wedding happening when I went. Very peaceful.

 

Shinjuku is a good place for a day of shopping and to see crowds and the lights at night. It is probably the last place in the city I would want to stay.

 

What time is good time to head to the shops? Seems like a lot open at noon? I though my vinyl app was off, when it showed 20 stores with the same name!!! I am in shibuya by the tower. Where should I hit?? Rock/alternative mostly.

 

Also how is it picking up a cartridge here? Any good deals to be had? Haven't seen many hifi stores though

 

I think we were all asleep when you wrote this. Hope you found Recofan and Disk Union while you were in Shibuya.

 

Japanese MC cartridges can be less expensive in Japan.

 

There's a Disk Union used gear store at Shinjuku. Quite good and cheap. Check for 100 V gear though - it may not work without a transformer in the States (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter).

 

Was in Tokyo last Nov when the big typhoon struck. So spent a whole day around Shinjuku mostly at the Disk Union outlets clustered around there. Plenty of treasures at their jazz and classical sections. Really envy the Japanese music fan.

 

I went to Ochanomizu the other day. The Disk Unions are wide and spacious there and the Jazz shop is bigger than other areas. Had no trouble finding some CDs of interest.

 

Thanks guys checked out disc union. Some serious treasures! Any others I should see? Rock etc.

 

Recofan in Shibuya is great, there's another Disk Union nearby. Both CD & LP.

The many Book-Offs have lots of used CDs.

New stuff for mainly CDs: Tower Records and Ishimaru/Eiden Denki electronic department store in Akihabara electric town has everything in electronics (A/V, hifi, appliances, accessories) and nice new CD selection, as does Yodabashi camera.