Jazz record shops in Japan: where to dig for jazz vinyl

Jazz collectors come to Japan for two kinds of records: Japanese pressings, often with their obi strip, and imported originals that shop owners have bought abroad. The shops below sell both. This guide covers the specialists, shops where jazz is all or most of the stock, plus two shops Hori watches that carry jazz. One of the owners, UNIVERSOUNDS' Yusuke Ogawa, also supervises a reissue series.

A few general things before the list:

• Grading is shop by shop. UNIVERSOUNDS grades jacket and disc separately on a scale that runs from SS through M− and VG++ down to G−; seeed uses S, A, A−, B and B−; diskunion uses S/A/B+/B/C. Read each shop's own scale, and see our guide to Japanese grading terms.
• Japanese pressings come with an obi on many LPs, and whether it's there changes the price. The grading guide explains that too.
• Listening: seeed says every record can be played in the shop. Elsewhere, ask at the counter.

Japanese pressings: what to check

Most of these shops sell Japanese pressings next to imports, and a few details change what a Japanese jazz LP is worth:

• The obi (帯), the paper strip around the left edge of the sleeve. Shops note whether it's there (帯付き) or missing (帯なし), and Music First's glossary notes how much it affects rarity and price.
• Liner notes (ライナー, 解説). Japanese releases usually came with Japanese notes, and copies without them sell for less.
• Promos (見本盤), often with a white label. Some collectors look for them specifically.
• Reissue or original (再発). Reissues often have a different catalogue number from the first pressing.

Our grading guide has the full list of terms you'll see on price cards.

Tokyo: diskunion's jazz floors

diskunion has several jazz shops in Tokyo, each a separate store with its own stock, so it's worth doing more than one.

Shinjuku Jazz-kan, on the third floor of the Jurakutwin B Building in Shinjuku 3-chome, sells new and used CDs and a large record stock, from cheap staples to out-of-print LPs. Its page calls it one of the world's leading jazz shops.

diskunion Shinjuku Jazz-kanNot watched yetShinjuku Public holidays: weekend hours.Not watched yet Public holidays: weekend hours.Shop page →

JazzTOKYO, in Ochanomizu, has more than 50,000 CDs and records and a corner of jazz books, and shares its floor with diskunion's soul and rare groove shop.

diskunion JazzTOKYONot watched yetOchanomizu Public holidays: weekend hours.Not watched yet Public holidays: weekend hours.Shop page →

Shibuya Jazz/Rare Groove, in Udagawacho, sells jazz alongside soul, Brazilian, Latin and rare groove, mostly records, with frequent overseas buying. There's also a jazz shop-in-shop inside the Kichijoji store, focused on modern jazz, and one in Yokohama Kannai. Weekday hours are 12:00–20:00, weekends and holidays 11:00–20:00. Our diskunion guide maps the chain by genre.

diskunion Shibuya Jazz/Rare GrooveNot watched yetShibuya Public holidays: weekend hours.Not watched yet Public holidays: weekend hours.Shop page →

Tokyo: the independents

UNIVERSOUNDS opened in Shinjuku in 2001 and moved to Koenji in 2008. It sells used jazz with dedicated sections for Japanese jazz, plus soul, and Time Out describes its focus on spiritual and free jazz, with shelves sorted by major label and then alphabetically. The owner, Yusuke Ogawa, supervises the Deep Jazz Reality reissue series, and the online shop is updated almost every day. It's on the second floor of the Plaza U building in the PAL shopping street, five minutes from Koenji Station. Open 14:00–19:00, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

UNIVERSOUNDSNot watched yetKoenji · Jazz · Japanese jazz · Spiritual & free jazz Not watched yet Shop page →

DISCLAND JARO, in Udagawacho in Shibuya, is a jazz specialist selling and buying used records from Japanese pressings to imported originals and rarities. It opens only three days a week: Friday 12:00–18:00, Saturday 13:30–18:00 and Sunday 12:00–18:00.

DISCLAND JARONot watched yetShibuya · Udagawacho · Jazz · Original pressings · Used Not watched yet Shop page →

Yokohama

Bayside Jazz Records, in Hanasakicho near Sakuragicho, sells used jazz and vocal LPs, mostly original pressings the owner buys in person in the United States, priced from 1,000 yen, from New Orleans jazz onwards. It also stocks 10-inch LPs, 7-inch EPs and Japanese artists, and publishes how it grades. Open 12:00–18:00, closed Monday and Tuesday. Yokohama also has a diskunion jazz shop-in-shop in Kannai.

Bayside Jazz RecordsNot watched yetYokohama · Sakuragicho · Jazz & vocals · US originals · Used Not watched yet Shop page →

Osaka

Jazz Records seeed opened in Umeda in October 2002. It sells used jazz on vinyl, sorted into US, European and Japanese jazz, piano trios, vocals, jazz funk, spiritual jazz and Brazilian music, and every record can be played in the shop. Its buying page says it pays more for modern jazz, Japanese jazz, vocals, jazz funk, spiritual jazz and Brazilian records, which is a good indication of what it stocks. Open 12:00–20:00, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, seven minutes from Umeda Station. diskunion Osaka is about a block away.

Jazz Records seeedNot watched yetOsaka · Umeda · Jazz · Japanese jazz · Jazz funk & spiritual Not watched yet Shop page →

Osaka's other shops are in our Osaka guide.

Kyoto

Hard Bop, next to Kyoto City Hall, sells only jazz, from early jazz to modern and free, used and new LPs and CDs, including original pressings bought abroad. The shop says it holds about 50,000 items, about 15,000 of them in the shop. Its site gives 12:30–18:00, closed Tuesdays; other listings give a later closing time. Workshop Records, a few minutes away, sells used records in many genres, and Deep Kyoto singles out its jazz and soul; see our Kyoto guide.

Hard BopNot watched yetKyoto · Shiyakusho-mae · Jazz · Original pressings · New and used Hours aren’t fixed: check their website before you go.Not watched yet Hours aren’t fixed: check their website before you go.Shop page →

Shops Hori watches with jazz stock

Two of the shops Hori checks every day carry jazz you can't easily find elsewhere.

Ticro Market, in Daimyo, Fukuoka, has sold used records since 1994 and stocks more than 15,000 new and used records, including jazz, soul and rock original pressings. Open 11:00–21:00, a few minutes' walk from Tenjin.

Ticro MarketWatched by HoriFukuoka · Tenjin · Jazz, soul & rock · Hip hop & club 12" · City pop Watched by Hori Shop page →

Tobira Records, in Kasai, Hyogo, leans towards ambient, drone, experimental, jazz and improvisation and neo-classical. It ships internationally; its used stock is only sold in the shop.

Tobira RecordsWatched by HoriKasai (Hyogo) · Ambient & drone · Experimental · Jazz & improv Hours aren’t fixed: check their website before you go.Watched by Hori Hours aren’t fixed: check their website before you go.Shop page →

On the map

If a particular jazz record is on your Discogs wantlist, Hori can check the shops it watches every day and send you a LINE message when it turns up. For the shops it doesn't watch yet, this guide and our record shop directory have the addresses and hours.