Record Shopping in Japan... Worth It?

Summary: Japan (Tokyo) record-shopping highlights & tips

Trip overview (context)

• The creator’s first trip to Japan was 13 days in Tokyo, mainly to record shop and explore the vinyl scene, while also enjoying Japanese food and the country.
• The overall Japan content is split into three parts:
  • Tokyo record stores (this video/segment)
  • Vlog-style Tokyo highlights (non-record activities)
  • Haul (the purchases)

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Community & guides (helpful for navigating)

• Shout-outs to the Too Many Records (TMR) community for connecting the creator with locals and store guidance.
• Major people mentioned for in-person support:
  • Julian: provided a map of stores and helped with planning.
  • Hero: connected via a Japanese record touring popup and went store-hopping, then took the creator to amazing sushi.
  • Edwin: showed the creator spots in Shinjuku, then did a long multi-store digging day (~10 hours); also helped get purchased records packed/shipped to the nearest Japan post office.
  • Brian (Tokyo Record Style): suggested a service idea—a chauffeur/guided record-shopping package that helps with:
    • Reaching stores off train/taxi routes
    • Navigating stores (including Japanese language help)
    • Communicating with clerks, checking condition, keeping records safe while traveling
    • Planning shipping records back home

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General Tokyo record-store advice

• Expect overwhelming variety: Tokyo likely has 50+ record stores (possibly more), and a thorough visit can take half a day per store.
• Pricing note
  • Rare records tend to be expensive, often near or above Discogs value.
  • Some stores have inconsistent pricing, so the creator advises caution about overpaying.
• Shopping etiquette / “custom” difference
  • Don’t open records to inspect in the bins.
  • Preferred method:
    • Bring records up at the checkout counter for condition checks
    • You can cancel/return unwanted selections at the counter
  • This differs from the US style of opening records immediately in the browsing area.

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Featured store types & what stood out

Disc Union (multiple Tokyo areas + genre-focused sections)

• The creator visited several Disc Union locations:
  • Shibuya
  • Shinjuku
  • Kijiiji
  • Ojanizu (spelling as auto-captioned)
• Key highlight:
  • Disc Unions can be massive with multiple floors/areas, sometimes dedicated to specific genres (e.g., metal, jazz/rare groove, rock).
• Personal picks:
  • The creator found a big stack at every Disc Union visited.
  • Favorite mentioned: Kichijoji (as transcribed: “Kitschy Joi”) Disc Union
    • Newly remodeled/expanded used vinyl section
    • Large selection across genres—so big the creator had to “cut themselves off” to keep going.

Book Off (media-focused thrift shop; “secret hidey-hole”)

• The creator’s “favorite chain” wasn’t a pure record store—it was Book Off, with dozens of locations.
• What it sells beyond vinyl:
  • Books, CDs, games, DVDs, records
  • Nerdy extras like models and figurines
• Vinyl specifics:
  • Not every location had vinyl, but most do.
  • Selection varies by store—some sections are small, others take up multiple aisles.
  • Many of the creator’s best/rarest finds came from Book Off.
• Strategy:
  • Make time for Book Off.
  • Going further out of the city may mean less pick-through—potentially better availability.

Tower Records (nostalgia + mixed value)

• The creator visited Tower Records in Shibuya (targeting a used-focused location).
• What was good:
  • Enormous selection and a very nostalgic/visual store experience.
• What was not:
  • Pricing for rare items felt like a tourist trap:
    • Many items were far above Discogs value
    • Conditions didn’t seem to match the price (beat-up records priced near “near mint” levels)
• Advice:
  • Not a priority for spending money on used vinyl—more of a quick stop for historic/iconic value.

HMV (decent deals, but “watch the pricing”)

• The creator found:
  • Great deals in bins across genres.
• But also:
  • Nearby overpriced items
• Tip:
  • Do a yen-to-USD mental check and verify Discogs/condition to avoid overpaying.
  • Beware the “stars in your eyes” mistake: buying an impressive record that you later realize was cheaper elsewhere.

Coconut Discs (plants + strong hip-hop/electronic focus)

• Visited two Coconut Discs locations.
• One stood out as:
  • Lush and beautiful, filled with plants and lots of sunlight
• Music focus:
  • Especially good for hip-hop and electronic.
• They had:
  • A large 12-inch section and some interesting LPs.
• Time constraint:
  • It was near the end of the digging period, so browsing time was limited.
• Still, they found a grail for them (shared in the haul video).

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End-to-end “record shopping flow” takeaway

• Tokyo record shopping uses a different browsing/checkout system:
  • You generally review and choose at the bins, but condition inspection happens at checkout.
  • Returns/canceling are handled at the counter.

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Notable locations / products / speakers mentioned

Tokyo areas/streets

• Shinjuku, Shibuya, Kichijoji (auto-captioned as “Kitschy Joi”), plus “surrounding areas outside the city”

Record stores / chains

• Disc Union, Book Off, Tower Records, HMV, Coconut Discs

People / speakers & channels

• Brian (Tokyo Record Style) — YouTube creator and guide idea for record-shopping chauffeur service
• Edwin — local guide and shipping help
• Hero — record touring popup link + sushi trip
• Julian — provided a store map
• Too Many Records (TMR) community

Cultural stop

• Super Mario Brothers themed bar

Shipping reference

• Japan post office (help with getting record boxes shipped)