I bought a couple of albums there and price was about the same as UK, maybe very marginally more expensive but for me it was worth it to get cool looking Japanese versions with the Obi strip
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Really depends on the shop and what youâre buying. New pressings of Japanese stuff were cheaper there than in the UK but still pricey, for example I bought new copies of Pacific and Paraiso for about ÂŁ30 and ÂŁ50 iirc. Second hand stuff was very reasonable and in immaculate condition.
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The exchange rate was very much in the UKâs favour when I was there. In general, I felt there might have been more bargains to be had, but obviously that was dependent on the shop. So, Revelation Time, for example, is nicely curated but you pay a price for it.
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Brilliant! Thank you!!
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Fourteen Days Through Japanâs Record Shops, Kissaten and Back Alleys
This itinerary is built from mentions and recommendations made in this thread and fed into Claude AI (therefore, it might read as typical AI slop, but it also might be useful in parts)
Tokyo neighbourhoods known for vinyl, a couple of Kyoto record shops, a music bar built into a Kanazawa hotel, and a wildcard finish on Yakushima. For general orientation, this Substack piece on a day spent digging through Tokyoâs record stores is worth reading before you land; it covers a lot of the same ground this trip does. A note before you pack: several of these bookmarks point to small businesses that come and go fast, so double-check opening hours close to your travel dates.
Days 1-2: Shibuya, first pass
Land, drop your bags, and let Shibuya do the work of shaking off the jet lag.
Start slow at Meikyoku Kissa Lion, a classical music kissaten that has occupied the same Dogenzaka building since 1926. Rows face two enormous speakers, talking is kept to a whisper, and the whole room feels like it got left behind on purpose. This account of an afternoon inside captures the mood well if you want a preview.
Coffee stop: Espresso D Works does a tight, well-pulled shot without the queues of the bigger chains; their Instagram is a decent way to check whatâs brewing before you go. For an evening drink, Jazz Blues Soul Bar is a short walk from the record shops and does exactly what the name promises.
For dinner, Ichiranâs Shibuya store is the reliable, slightly touristy tonkotsu ramen option, ordering from a vending machine and eating in a solo booth. If youâre after something more atmospheric, look up Chopstick Cafe Shirube. Thereâs a separate Chopsticks Cafe with its own write-up covering both a Shibuya spot and a Shimokitazawa branch, worth checking against current listings since the naming overlaps and shops in this space turn over fast.
On day two, widen the net. Hands is the department store for stationery, homeware and the kind of oddly specific gadgets you didnât know you needed. In the evening, take the train up to Shinjuku Golden Gai, a warren of about 200 tiny bars packed into a few narrow alleys near Kabukicho. Most seats fit six people, some charge a cover, and a few donât take newcomers at all, so pick a bar with an English sign in the window and settle in.
Day 3: Shimokitazawa
Shimokitazawa is the neighbourhood the record-shop bookmarks kept circling back to, and it deserves a full day on foot.
Start at City Country City, a fourth-floor cafĂ© and record shop run by musician Keiichi Sokabe. Every record on the shelf carries a handwritten note from the owner, and you can drop the needle on anything before buying. Order the pasta while youâre there; it has its own small reputation. A few doors down, Upstairs Records & Bar runs the same listening-bar format with a heavier rare groove lean.
Catch a gig if the timing works at Shelter, a basement live house thatâs been part of the Loft groupâs Shimokitazawa footprint for well over a decade and still books strong touring and local bills.
Use this Shimokitazawa area guide to fill in the rest of the day; the streets around Shimo-Kitazawa Station are dense with vintage clothing, small theatres and curry shops. If the Shimokitazawa branch of Chopsticks Cafe from day oneâs review is still trading here, itâs worth a look for dinner.
Day 4: Nakameguro and Daikanyama
Slower, leafier, more design-shop than record-shop, though thereâs still vinyl to be found.
Walk the Meguro River through Nakameguro, then cross into Daikanyamacho for its quieter, more boutique version of the same energy. Look for Organic Music, a small ambient and left-field record shop connected to the Planet Baby label, tucked into a residential stretch of the area.
Spend the afternoon at the Japan Folk Crafts Museum (Nihon Mingeikan) in nearby Komaba. Itâs a quiet counterpoint to the record shops: a purpose-built 1936 building holding the mingei folk-craft collection assembled by Soetsu Yanagi, all ceramics, textiles and everyday objects treated as art.
Day 5: Koenji, Nakano and Suginami
West on the Chuo line for the scruffiest, most rewarding record-digging day of the trip.
Koenji has been a centre of Tokyoâs underground and secondhand scene since the 1980s, and Los Apson? is the shop that best represents it: odd pressings, self-published zines, and a crowd that knows exactly what itâs looking for. In the evening, Forest Limit is a small ambient and experimental listening bar worth checking on Instagram for that weekâs line-up. Spend a couple of hours working the surrounding blocks around Koenjikita, the northern half of the station strip.
For something completely different, Kosugi-yu is a renovated public bathhouse in the area, worth an hour if you want a proper local sento experience rather than another shopfront.
From there itâs a short hop to Nakano Broadway, the multi-storey shopping arcade better known for anime and manga than vinyl, but worth the detour for the sheer density of collector culture under one roof.
Day 6: Sangenjaya and Akihabara
Two very different record-shopping registers in one day.
Morning in Sangenjaya for Kankyo Records, a small shop and label built almost entirely around ambient music, from Italian library records to newer American ambient acts. Itâs less about crate-digging speed and more about finding one record that changes the mood of your apartment. Pianola Records sits in similar territory; the In Sheeps Clothing write-up on Pianola and its sister label Conatala is worth reading before you go, since it explains the curatorial angle better than a shop visit alone will.
Afternoon in Akihabara for RECOfanâs Akihabara Seekbase shop, a secondhand outlet with a deep, well-organised stock across genres, and if youâre back in Shibuya later in the trip, thereâs also a RECOfan branch inside Magnet by Shibuya109. If youâre still chasing specific import pressings, Newtone Records runs as an online import shop worth browsing before or after the trip for anything you couldnât find in person.
Day 7: Aoyama, Omotesando and Kappabashi
A design-and-craft day to close out the Tokyo stretch.
Start at the Sogetsu Foundation in Akasaka, home to one of Japanâs major ikebana schools and a building with a striking Isamu Noguchi stone garden in the lobby. Walk down through Omote-Sando Station for the architecture as much as the shopping, then check Tokyo Art Beat for whatever exhibitions are running that week; itâs the most reliable listings site for smaller galleries that donât show up in general tourist guides.
In the afternoon, follow this walk through Kappabashi, Tokyoâs kitchenware district, for knife shops, plastic food-sample makers and restaurant supply stores stacked along a few blocks near Asakusa. A genuine Kappabashi knife travels well if youâve got room in your bag. Close the Tokyo leg with dinner at CoCo Ichibanya, the curry chain where you build your own plate from spice level, toppings and rice portion; not fancy, but a fair way to send off the city.
Days 8-9: Kanazawa
Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa runs a little under three hours on the Hokuriku line. Check into Kaname Inn Tatemachi, a small hotel built around its own ground-floor listening bar, Kanazawa Music Bar, which plays vinyl every evening and mixes a decent cocktail list even if youâre not staying upstairs.
Spend day nine on the cityâs better-known ground, Kenrokuen Garden and the Higashi Chaya geisha district, using this Kanazawa travel guide to plan the order. Fold in Record Jungle, a local record shop listed on the cityâs official tourism site.
Days 10-11: Kyoto
Train down to Kyoto and use the first afternoon for Nishiki Market, a narrow covered arcade lined with food stalls selling pickles, skewers, knives and tea. It gets busy fast, so go either early or late. In the evening, wander Pontocho for dinner; Hello Dolly is one option along the alley worth trying.
On day eleven, get to Fushimi Inari Taisha before 8am if you want the thousand-plus vermillion torii gates without the crowds; the full loop up the mountain takes two to three hours, but even the first twenty minutes gives you the classic shot. In the afternoon, hit Kyotoâs two record shops: rare groove, whose full stock list is worth a scroll before you go if youâre after something specific, and Workshop Records, a secondhand shop that also buys collections and does house calls for larger ones.
If youâve got a spare afternoon and want a short detour, Galleria Akka is in Osakaâs Higashishinsaibashi, under 15 minutes from Kyoto Station by shinkansen, and could slot into either evening if you want to add Osaka to the trip.
Days 12-14: Yakushima
This is the wildcard leg, and it needs the most logistics. From Kyoto, take the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka or Okayama and connect to a flight to Kagoshima, then either a short domestic flight or a high-speed ferry (Toppy or Rocket, roughly two hours) across to Yakushima. Build a full travel day into day twelve; donât try to squeeze in sightseeing on arrival.
Yakushima is a UNESCO World Heritage island known for its ancient cedar forest, some trees estimated at over a thousand years old, and for being one of the wettest places in Japan, so pack for rain regardless of season. Use this Yakushima travel guide to plan the Shiratani Unsuikyo ravine trail, a mossy, quiet forest walk that reportedly influenced the setting of Princess Mononoke, or the longer Jomon Sugi trail if you want a full-day hike to the islandâs most famous ancient cedar. Spend the final two days moving between the coast and the forest, and build in slack for weather delays on the ferry back to Kagoshima before your onward flight home.
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In general much cheaper IMO.
Iâd wander through Golden Gai for a look and then eat at an amazing place nearby under a Uniqlo. Took us ages to find it⊠really good though: https://kokekokko.sakura.ne.jp/
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Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing this.
Am currently on holiday in Miyakojima / Irabujima , flying to Tokyo Friday . Tropical Japan is fun , if humid
Any record shopping will be Shibuya focused but will update on preferences and why
Exchange rate is incredibly favourable right now - Izakaya lunches of meaty noodles about a tenner for two of us on these islands
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Los Apson is so good. Iâm not an expert by any means, but I was there on my recent (first) trip and have dreamed about it ever since.
Shibuya Vinyl stores report
Might be of help, might not
Face Record is very jazz soul and hip hop focussed and while decent stock, donât expect bargain finds
Next Records opposite is very 12" singles focussed, and while stock is strong, for the UK based it might not be that rewarding as it felt like a slightly pricey UK store .
HMV upstairs was good and worth a mooch imo. On discogs they stock as the seller " recordshopshibuya" btw so you can save time by showing them your wants list and where they correlate . I got a couple of real bargains there versus what UK discogs sellers try to charge
Tower Records 6th floor remains worth a look - very well sorted with used and new distinctly presented - some keen prices for both . The staff remain obsessed with playing John Lennon really loud through the massive concert grade speakers
Disc Union branch in the basement of Parco store is amongst loads of eateries, and too small a store with too wide a choice to be much use
Disc Union Shibuya Club Music CD record shop spread over 2 floors via a lift remains a great place to dig , and where I also got some rarer edits at bargain prices versus the UK
Food wise Ichiran ramen is still well worth a visit - note when ordering even medium is pretty spicy for a ramen so going hot can be painful. Avoid weekends and the wait time can be far far less . Spain- zaka branch is much quieter than the one on the main drag
Uobei Shibuya - the conveyor belt sushi place is still great, fun and a bargain
Japanese breakfasts remain challenging , and the Viron bakery ( cash only) that opens at 9am is worth a visit to pick up very nice pastries - the breakfast cafe upstairs is a bit spenny
not been to Japan since 2019 - Shibuya is ever more touristy , but still a good base for exploring the wider city
Kappabashi Street is best to visit in the week as some good places remain closed or do very short hours at weekends - 2nd to last stop (18?) on the Ginza line - Best to get there early as the crowds get daft in the knife and crockery shops
donât forget spending some time in the vinyl record bars of an evening - a huge variety around Shibuya
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Many thanks for this helpful info.
For breakfast, Maruichi Bagel near the govt buildings in Tokyo is phenomenal. Not really in the most touristy spot but if youâre nearâŠ.
107 likes! Iâve personally never met this typical guy they speak of, but happened to be watching this when this thread was picking up. Iâm jealous of anyone whoâs been.
Iâm putting together a big list of accomodation tips, record stores, thrifting and markets, food spots, day trips etc etc that is getting to large to post here. If anybody wants the info, let me know and Iâll send over.
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