CD Shops in Japan

So, my wife and I are currently in Japan and sadly, the big CD stores HMV and Tower Records haven't had a big selection of Go!Go!7188 cd's...

However, we ran across a big chain of used CD stores called Disk Union, and I managed to find a first press Ruriiro single that still had the 'tapestry' gift inside it!

Also found a copy of Dasoku Hokou and both of the Mass of the Fermenting Dregs cd's and some of Hyde's solo stuff. Very nice finds, in my opinion :) Below is a pic I took of the single and cloth poster.

(Posted Image)

OMG I LOOOOOVE Disk Union. In fact, I have one of the bags hanging up as a pseudo-poster in my dorm room.

I found Weezer's Maladroit album ON VINYL for about $13. I have never been able to find a Weezer vinyl in stores ANYWHERE in America and online, they run for over $30.

I also picked up a Weezer bootleg DVD of a show I saw clips from on YouTube sometimes. Good stuff.

Also, on the day that I was out while my girlfriend had summer classes at her university, I brought back a Pearl Jam live bootleg of a CD for 100 yen (despite being Japanese, and living in Japan practically her whole life, she never listens to Japanese musicians, only American).

Because of my lack of money/space to bring back things, I couldn't buy too many things, but when I'm studying abroad there next year... It'll be scary.

Also, check out the chain Book-Off. They're in a lot of places. They sell new and used CDs. They have racks of special 250 and 500 yen CDs. Don't expect to find GO!GO! on those racks but they'll have some other stuff. I've found Judy and Mary there, and they always seem to have a lot of B'z.

Also, Tsutaya is a good place to look too. They're actually a CD rental store (seriously) but they sell used CDs too.

Yeah, the stores are pretty cool, though it took me a few minutes to realize that the different locations cater to different styles of music.

Wow, that's crazy cheap for vinyl! Awesome find!

It's easy to go completely nuts here... I somehow managed to buy another guitar while we were here... thankfully for the bank account, we're leaving tomorrow :(

I did see Book-Off too, though I didn't pick anything up. It's a good thing that I don't live here, or I'd constantly be broke between shopping and live shows.

I didn't see a Tsutaya while we were here, but I do remember that when I bought Go!Go!'s ああ青春 (aa seishun) single off of ebay, it said it was a former rental cd and it had a Tsutaya sticker on it. No scratches though! That wouldn't happen with a rental anything in the US!

Thanks for the tips! Next time we're here i'll be sure to check back at those places!

with the CD rental and used shops, I dunno how Japan's music business stays afloat. As you guys have stated, you can actually find what you want, at a more realistic pricepoint, and in basically new condition.

Well, it certainly seems that (in Tokyo at least) consumerism is alive and kicking here. The big shops like HMV and Tower Records have been packed to a point of not being able to browse the entire time that i've been here. Though, so have the used shops...

Well, it certainly seems that (in Tokyo at least) consumerism is alive and kicking here. The big shops like HMV and Tower Records have been packed to a point of not being able to browse the entire time that i've been here. Though, so have the used shops...

Yeah I gues I should have said "don't know why Japanese consumers continue to buy music at regular retailers".

I mean, I guess someone has to for the discs to end up in the used and rental shops. But at some point you'd think there'd be a price rebellion or something.

Fans of the band/artist won't care about the price. They'll just buy it because it's new and they're fans and they want to OWN the album rather than just rent it or wait until it becomes used. MP3 downloading isn't as well-known as it is in America.

I actually like the music stores in Japan are run. Even the giant Tower Records stores in Shinjuku still feel like an independent record store. They actually put out CDs by upcoming artists and write about them. When's the last time you saw that in say, FYE?

True. Price seems to be a non-factor at least in my spending on new CD's of the bands I like/follow. I just love the fact that you can find intact first press items in the used shops, that's mainly what I would shop for.

I didn't really get a good look in Tower Records, again since it was packed to the gills and I couldn't even move through the store, but that's cool that they give some spotlight to upcoming artists. You would NEVER see that in FYE, at least from my memory of the store. I haven't been to an FYE in over 7 years... I don't like that place ^_^

Yeah. FYE sucks. It's terrible that that's the only major "music" store around now. I mean, everything else is like a department store/electronics store/book store with a music department. Like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Borders, etc.

Independent Music Stores FTW.

FYE certainly does suck. Though with the advent of iTunes and all that, the independent stores around here seem to be dropping like flies. I can't even remember the last cd I bought in a store here. It's probably been at least 5 years.

Though the folks at cdjapan, yesasia and amazon japan must love me!

There's a really good independent record store in my hometown. If a CD comes out that I want, I always buy it from there since it has the cheapest price. They have a lot of new vinyl too.

In Albany, the only independent store is just used stuff. So, if something comes out when I'm here, I have to go to the mall and go to Best Buy or FYE.

I dunno, there's something just so soulless about buying music from those types of stores.

Though, Hot Topic surprisingly has a decent music selection these days. They're probably the closest thing to a "chain record" store these days. And that's a streeeetch. Of course, most of the CDs they sell aren't really my type of music. But, these days, (I don't know if they still do, actually) they offer a lot of new vinyl (including reissues) at much cheaper prices than other places. I bought "...And Justice For All" for around $15 there.

The FYE here is also selling vinyl... ridiculously overpriced.

I wish there was s decent place like that around here. New vinyl is difficult to find here...

Unfortunately, you don't have much of a choice when it comes to new stuff. Best Buy is a bit better than FYE (in my opinion) since at least their prices seem to be better... You'll never strike up a conversation or learn anything new from someone working at Best Buy though :)

$15 for a new album isn't bad at all. But as you said, Hot Topic doesn't really cater to my tastes in music all that much.

We need a Disk Union here, complete with all the awesome jpop/jrock that they have in Tokyo!

To be fair to Hot Topic, I found a Japanese Indie Rock sampler there for $10 once. That's how I got into to Tsushimamire.

So, I mean, it pays to take a look. But usually it's just nu-metal/screamo shit.

I have to say though, once at Borders a guy in the music department recommended a band. He even admitted that he didn't care if I bought it and looked them up on YouTube or something. That was kind of a cool moment.

Oh wow, that's unexpected. Very nice. Was it one of the Japan For Sale discs? Or something similar?

Thats cool of him. Very rare for something like that to happen around here... needle in a haystack!