Jazz Record Buying in Tokyo (Episode 351)

Allan is back from his trip to Japan, with the lowdown on buying vintage jazz vinyl in the world's biggest city.
Recommended must-visit stores include:
- Disk Union Jazz Tokyo (near Meiji University)
- Disk Union Shinjuku Second Hand
- Disk Union Shibuya Jazz Rare Groove
- Hal's Records (Shinjuku)
Echo Records is also highly recommended but is closed Wed-Fri and I was unable to visit. Tower Records Shibuya is worth a visit if you have time once you have visited the above stores.
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[@yokosomike]

… and that is one of the reasons why I love living in Tokyo. Nice finds… and there is more! Enjoy the listening…

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Yup, looking forward to going back sooner rather than later.

[@idianmansjur2673]

i really enjoyed your video and congratulations on your precious haul. i am not surprised at all of you finding so many gems on your expedition. Japan has been and still is consistently number one physical ( CD & vinyl ) sales in the whole Asia for years. I remembered during my time at one of the major record label ( this is before digital and streaming ) when we all get together to do the annual budget, not one country in Asia ever beat Japan year after year.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

That makes a lot of sense. Plus I would say the Japanese tradition of fastidious care for personal possessions means that a lot more vinyl has survived, in better shape, than in a lot of countries.

[@johng.4711]

What a dream trip.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

It very much was!

[@mariomarques9951]

OMG what an enjoyable video. I love vinyl shopping trips (I live in Costa Rica - try finding a record store there!) and you have given me an overwhelming urge to alter our 2024 plans and head east. The record stores seem incredible, and I think I would love the jazz bar experiences too. It looks like it may be challenging to find your way around - I imagine your trip required quite a bit of advance planning.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

It is actually very easy to navigate the transportation system. Most signs are also in English and everything runs on time. It took us about a day to figure out the ticketing systems, but in retrospect, there’s nothing particularly complicated about them. My son did most of the planning, and that ensured that we spent quite a bit of time in the countryside as well as in big cities. I recommend that, as places like Tokyo really are concrete jungles. I would strongly recommend brushing up on a little bit of Japanese via Duolingo at a minimum, if only to be able to have basic conversations in restaurants, as it is very common to encounter places where no one speaks any English at all, and there may not be English menus (or photos).

[@brucevinyl3504]

You mirror my very recent experience record shopping in Tokyo, Allan. Very nice presentation. It hit a raw nerve when you showed Hal's Records. The (sweaty) day I got there, they'd taken a four day break! A similar thing happened at Jazz Record Seeed in Osaka. Anyway, I shouldn't complain because like you I came home with quite a haul.😉

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks. Yes, particularly unfair as a sweaty Westerner to labour to a sought-after destination only to encounter disappointment! as I did at Echo Records. But thankfully there are many other options, as you suggest. Glad you did well!

[@YoungLPLovers]

Great video. I love my Japanese pressings. I visited Japan twice before I had my turntable. Man, I’d love to go back now for some high quality 70s Reggae. All the best

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks, I’m glad you liked it.

[@Kezleu]

I have been dreaming of Japan for years, for many subjects, and jazz cds and vinyls. And that from izns l to tualite bravo..

[@frentetv]

Great video and thanks for the shoutout! You definitely covered the main spots. I moved to Japan about ten years ago and in my first year my wife used to work at Meiji University in Ochanomizu. That year I think I visited the 4 Disk Unions in Ochanomizu (classical, metal, jazz and the main all-genres one) at least once a week. I learned a lot about music just browsing the racks and checking what was played at the stores. I really want to hear and see what you got to say about Blue City, I had that one in my hands several times but never ended up grabbing it. I got the feeling that I think I should have.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks very much and yes that was definitely ground zero. When asked the woman in the jazz listening bar in Kanazawa where one should ship for records in Tokyo, she said “near Meiji University.” I take it you have since left Japan?

[@frentetv]

Pretty much have been here since. I stopped collecting vinyl about twenty years ago and switched to CDs, but last year caught the vinyl bug . I haven't ventured that much into original pressings, though. The area near Meiji Univ, Ochanomizu, is well known all over Japan for its books, records and musical instrument stores, also curry shops. I read somewhere that curry became popular in Japan first in that area because it was easy to eat it while reading. It doesn't require the focus of chopsticks-eating.

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Happy to have been of service ❤

[@tonyharrison2542]

Awesome segment and I appreciate you sharing your trip. You picked up so many great recordings and it was really fun to see them. Thanks

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mortofon]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights, Allan. You've got me reconsidering our future travel plans!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad to have inspired you. You’ll need a cover story as to why you want to go though. Also: don’t go in August! Any other season preferable.

[@Raypirri]

Fabulous little trip away to Japan with you Alan. A Jazz / Whiskey bar combination? Man, I am planning my next trip to Europe with a stopover in Tokyo! As usual, great content, perfect length and incredibly informative without it being “here’s me in a Record Shop.” Keep them coming. Onya from Oz

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Pleased it hit the spot. As for Tokyo, do explore it if you get the chance!

[@Claus-CaptainPhoenixCorner]

I wanna go to Japan too!!! Great video - thanks.

[@Harknotes]

This was great! Love your channel.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks for watching and I’m glad you liked it.

[@georgecvetkovski6507]

Looks like an amazing trip and even better record dig. Bravo!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

It was! Thanks :).

[@KeithWinand]

Great video as always. I really enjoy your videos especially these special edition videos. One silly question, how did you get all those records home? They must weigh a lot and are bulky. Keep up the great work. You deserve more views and subs with the great content you present.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate the support. I planned ahead! Brought a suitcase which had a separate compartment with plenty of room around the perimeter, in order to insulate the records with clothing. We brought little in the way of clothing ourselves because we knew it would be very hot. So there was room! And surprisingly enough, I didn’t go over the bag weight limit. International flights tend to be more forgiving that way.

[@ryanz4772]

Fantastic! I am heading to Tokyo and Osaka in October. Thanks for making this! 😊

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad this was timely :)

[@diegoo.9388]

I throughly enjoyed this one! Thank you for giving me some more Japanese Jazz recommendations. I am not familiar with some of those can’t wait to take a listen! 😁

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

I’m very glad you enjoyed it! I enjoyed making it :-)

[@Drforrester31]

Awesome video, glad that you had such an incredible time! Definitely makes me even more excited to one day also have a chance at shopping for records throughout Japan, I'll be setting the names of these stores aside for future reference when that day does come. I actually had that same Watanabe record with the red obi for a while, very good classic jazz, but I'm now very intrigued to give some of that Japanese bossa nova a try

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

You won't regret it!

[@Drforrester31]

@@TenMinuteRecordReviewsJust added Lyrics of Japan to Apple Music, and it’s fantastic so far. Bossa nova with Japanese production quality is something else

[@philipbolton7265]

Excellent haul! Blue City has eluded me but i'm going to have to bite the bullet and pay the going rate. Are you familiar with the podcast and book called "Tokyo Jazz Joints"?

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

No! But I wish I had known about it. I take it you recommend?

[@philipbolton7265]

@@TenMinuteRecordReviews The book is primarily a photo book, but it’s very good. If you like jazz and like japan I’m confident you’ll enjoy it

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for it.

[@fredrobin2198]

Great video, but I’m more interested in unusual, unique CD jazz recordings that may have only been released in Japan? Did these stores also have extensive collections of CDs?

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Plenty, for the most part, though (I suppose obviously) that wasn’t my focus when shopping.

[@Permitmon]

Very interesting, thank you. My two sons and I will be visiting northern Honshu next year. You mentioned Victor and King, and your plans to possibly do a future video on licensed Japanese pressings of Riverside, Prestige, and Blue Note catalog recordings. That would be very interesting and welcome. I have this year begun to purchase some of these recordings and they are, by and large, excellent.

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad you liked it. I am planning on a Riverside/Prestige primer in the coming months, though I don’t know if I have sufficient experience with Japanese pressings to opine on that specific issue. At some point there are some more Japan themed videos on the way, but I like to feel I have something meaningful to share before I start making Internet pronouncements :-). Enjoy your trip!

[@Permitmon]

@@TenMinuteRecordReviews Thank you. I’ve done some research on Japanese pressings 1970-1990. There isnt too much out there that is definitive. It you were to take it on, it would be a much appreciated contribution.

[@dgmono]

Too funny, I was underwhelmed by Ochanomuzu Disk Union. I heard so much about it and walked away with one $6 OJC lol. To me it seemed heavily trafficked, a lot of the Tokyo stores seemed that way. The Shibuya Rare Groove Disk Union was underwhelming to me too, I don't think I bought anything there (certainly not any of the $4,000 originals on the wall). I bought a few things at Tower Shibuya though haha we kind of had opposite experiences. I agree with you on Second Hand Store in Shinjuku though, that had a great selection and great prices. Love Olio 👍 Sooo many copies of Sonny Clark Trio over there, which is great 😊 I was tempted numerous times by beautiful Japanese reissues of that but held out for the Tone Poet. Jealous of your Shiraki plays Silver, awesome score! Those Wave reissues are beautiful, I got Charlie Mariano Jazz Intersession when I was there 😊

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Interesting. Your (excellent) video was one of my resources for planning my shopping. I can’t imagine being disappointed by some of those places. So it may be that our experiences differed because we were simply looking for different things. I mentioned in another thread that these days when in record stores I tend not to buy the kinds of marquee records on the walls - that’s what comparison shopping on Discogs is for - and instead look for quirkier or less well known stuff in the bins. I’d be interested to know what you ended up purchasing on your trip!

[@dgmono]

⁠@@TenMinuteRecordReviews My sweet spot is $50-150 second and third pressings, that was what I missed out on mostly at those popular Disk Unions in Tokyo...and OJCs and Toshiba Blue Notes. I made a video showing my finds a couple months ago, it's on my page!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

@@dgmono thanks, will have a look.

[@edwardevans652]

Welcome back, Allan and thanks for sharing your “Dad & Lad” trip with us. I have serious FOMO watching your journey and vinyl haul from “The Land of the Rising Sun"🇯🇵 It has inspired me to make the pilgrimage and to take in the culture and frequent many Kissas’ across the city. I’ve transported albums from London, Amsterdam, France and from the East Coast. What is your method of getting precious records from afar safely through customs, check-in to carry-on and into your home in Canada safely? Domo Arigato!

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Thanks! I think the most cost-effective way is to have a large hard shell suitcase and pack them in the centre of it, surrounded by clothing. Meaning of course you should pack relatively lightly on the way there, so as to leave enough room!

[@edwardevans652]

@TenMinuteRecordReviews Thanks for the tip. I’m going to look into grabbing a hard shell suitcase, but I need to pack lighter. Maybe I’ll grab one of those Vinyl Record Travel Carrying Bags since the baggage handlers can fling stuff onto conveyers.

[@AlbumInsights]

I spent 3 years in Okinawa and 2 years on the mainland at Yokota Air Base about 40 minutes from Tokyo in the ‘80s. This video has made it a mission for me to go back. Although I was heavy into fusion during my days in Okinawa I was back into hard and post bop when I arrived on the mainland a few years later or in the late ‘80s. The problem then was the yen rate had changed drastically (Reaganomics hit the Far East hard too) and I had switched solely to CD’s. I was fortunate to have seen a lot of concerts including the ‘87 and ‘88 Mount Fuji Jazz Festival. How did you get your albums back if you mind me asking?

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

Glad you enjoyed it. These days Japan is a relative bargain once again, given how their economy has stalled in recent years. Re shipping, I had about 30 to bring home. Having had a tragic experience flying with a ‘62 Blue Note in my stuff in the recent past, I had brought a large hard shell suitcase (with not too many clothes as it was peak summer, so as to leave room). I put the records in the centre of the suitcase and packed clothes all around them. No issues.

[@AlbumInsights]

@@TenMinuteRecordReviews I did that a couple times when I returned back to Okinawa and the Philippines after taking leave, but when I came back to the PI CD's were starting up and I started listening to that too, before switching over completely to CDs around '86.

[@ghankstef]

Logistical question - did you ship records back separately or take rhem with you in the plane? If shopped dis you set that up right at the store?

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

On the plane. Made sure I had a large suitcase to pack records in the centre.

[@edwardsalkin9478]

How many originals did you see at these stores, and were they overpriced?

[@TenMinuteRecordReviews]

If by originals you mean US first pressings, then the answer is a fair number, and not overpriced. I bought three -- Serge Chaloff's Boston Blowup, Jay and Kai, and The Herb Geller Sextette. They were all about $25/30 as I recall, and in great condition. The Chaloff in particular was effectively mint condition or at least the vinyl was; I've rarely heard such a quiet record let alone a used 1955 original! I probably came across another dozen or so first pressings from the late 50s in the racks but they weren't things I wanted. Now, all that said, I didn't spend much time looking at the display records on the walls, where the prized items tend to be displayed, largely because I don't tend to impulse-buy high-value records. If I decide to go after something I know is scarce and valuable, I will normally try and find the best bargain I can on the internet. Not sure I've ever dropped $100 or more in a store on one record that I hadn't deliberately travelled there to buy.