Did you know that Tokyo ranks first among the cities with the most record stores? The Japanese capital is home to a whopping 93 record shops, followed closely by Berlin at 86.
Get Your Record Fix in One of the Best Record Stores in the Capital
If you are wondering where to get your vinyl fix in town, keep reading and discover some of the best record shops in Tokyo for you to check out this year.
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Disk Union (Shibuya and Shinjuku)
Let’s start with one of the most loved record and CD shops in the capital, Disk Union. Disk Union was established in the late 60s and now has dozens of outlets all around the city. The flagship store is located in Shinjuku, but Disk Union has rapidly expanded, especially in the Shibuya neighborhood.
Shibuya has three different Disk Union shops: one specializes in Jazz, funk & groove (5th floor), and club music (4th floor); the second is located inside the Shibuya Parco shopping center, and the latest one, called “Rock in Tokyo,” opened at the beginning of 2021.
Rock in Tokyo, which has a floor area of around 1,000 square meters, focuses on international rock music from the 1950s to the 2020s, including hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hardcore rock, and Japanese rock, and also offers a good selection of books, apparel, memorabilia, merchandise, and accessories – all music related.
If you are a connoisseur of punk and hardcore rock music, Disk Union Punk Market on the 7th floor of the Shinjuku branch is definitely not somewhere you should miss out on visiting.
The shop deals with both new and used vinyl, CDs, and even cassettes, and you can find everything from classics to rare copies and releases from both international and domestic artists.
Disk Union Shibuya Jazz Rare Groove CD Record Store
Store location: 30−7 5F, Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Opening hours: 12 pm to 8 pm
Disk Union Rock in Tokyo
Store location: 32−7 HULIC & NEW UDAGAWA B1F, Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Opening hours: 12 pm to 8 pm
Union Record Shibuya Parco Record Store
Store location: 15−1 Shibuya Parco B1F, Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Opening hours: 12 pm to 8 pm
Next Records (Shibuya)
Next Records in Shibuya is a store specializing in club music, but more specifically in 12-inch hip hop, r&b, dance, and house records. The shops stock around 10,000 used vinyl records, ranging from more common records to very rare titles. All their records are used, but Next Records tries to collect only the best condition items possible. You can even listen to a sample of every record in stock on the official website, or of course, directly at the store.
Next Records
Store location: 150-0042 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Udagawacho, 11−11, Ryukou Building, 2nd Floor
Opening hours: 1 pm to 8 pm
Face Records (Shibuya)
Face Records started as a mail order store in Yokohama in 1994 and was able to open its first physical store in Shibuya in 1996. Their collection is centered around soul, funk, and jazz from records purchased in Europe and the U.S., as well as records collected in Japan.
Face records currently has 2 shops in Shibuya, the original in Udagawa-cho, and one recently opened in Miyashita Park.
Face Records
Store location: 10-2,Udagawa-cho, Shibuya, Tokyo
Opening hours: 1 pm to 9 pm
Face Records MIYASHITA PARK
Store location: MIYASHITA PARK South 3F, 6 Chome, Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Opening hours: 11 am to 9 pm
Reggae Shop Nat (Nishi Shinjuku)
Reggae Shop Nat, as the name suggests, specializes in reggae and all its subgenres (dub, ska, dancehall, roots…) from the 60s to the 00s. the website is updated every Monday and Thursday with new LPs in stock and updates on what is sold out and gone.
The shop also buys vinyl records, including singles, LPs, and reissues from the 90’s onward.
Orders can also be placed online and can be either sent by mail or picked up at the store.
Reggae Shop Nat
Store location: 7−9−5 オークビル1F, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo
Opening hours: 1 pm to 10 pm
Image credit: Canva
Coconuts Disk (Kichioji)
From the indie rock music selection to the palm tree and wooden-shelved interior decoration, entering Coconuts Disk in Kichijoji instantly transports the customer into an American West Coast/California atmosphere. The store is divided into CDs and vinyl records, and it deals with a wide genre of music, starting from indie pop and rock to jazz, world music, and much much more. You can find some good bargains in your favorite genre or discover something new!
Coconuts Disk
Store location: 2-22-4 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino, Tokyo
Opening hours: 12 pm to 9 pm
The Best Record Stores in Japan and The World
Tokyo is the capital city with the most record stores not only in Japan but in the world! The city is home to genre-specific specialty stores as well as large stores that carry everything you need. It’s a huge record city that attracts collectors from all over the world, so don’t miss your chance to browse the best record shops in Tokyo in 2022.
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Featured image credit: Canva
