Record shops in Shimokitazawa: where to dig and in what order

Shimokitazawa is small enough to walk end to end in a few minutes, and its record shops are packed into that space. Going by their addresses, the five shops in this guide are all within about 600 metres of each other, on both sides of the station. Between them they cover new club 12-inches, new vinyl across most genres, a large used floor, and forty years of records bought in the United States. Here is what each one is for, and an order that works with their opening hours.

Before you go

• Nothing opens early. The earliest shops here open at noon; Rana Musica opens at 13:30. Arrive around midday and you can do all five before dinner.
• Check the day. Flash Disc Ranch closes on Wednesdays. The others listed here open every day, though diskunion keeps weekend hours (11:00) on public holidays.
• diskunion is two shops in one building. The club music shop and the general store share the same address opposite Kitazawa Town Hall. Do them together.

diskunion Shimokitazawa (two shops, one building)

diskunion's Shimokitazawa building holds two separate shops. The Club Music Shop is one of the three diskunion stores Hori checks for your wantlist. It focuses on club and dance music on vinyl: hip hop, R&B, house, techno, soul and disco, new and used.

diskunion Shimokitazawa Club Music ShopWatched by HoriShimokitazawa Public holidays: weekend hours.Watched by Hori Public holidays: weekend hours.Shop page →

The general diskunion Shimokitazawa store in the same building covers all genres. Its store page claims diskunion's largest used CD and record stock for rock, jazz, soul and J-pop, plus Japanese indie releases. It's about four minutes from the station, facing Kitazawa Town Hall.

diskunion ShimokitazawaNot watched yetShimokitazawa Public holidays: weekend hours.Not watched yet Public holidays: weekend hours.Shop page →

diskunion opens at 12:00 on weekdays and 11:00 on weekends and public holidays, and closes at 20:00, which makes it a good first stop. Used records are graded on diskunion's own scale; our guide to Japanese grading terms explains it. If you want a map of the whole chain by genre, see diskunion: which store for which genre.

JET SET Shimokitazawa

JET SET started in Kyoto in 1998 and opened in Shimokitazawa in July 2002. In 2009 it moved to the second floor of a building on the Ichiban-gai shopping street, where it is today. The shop sells new vinyl across a wide range: hip hop, house, techno, jazz, soul and indie pop, alongside Japanese independent releases. The local shopping street association describes its staff as genre buyers who act as "sound concierges", so ask if you're looking for something specific.

JET SET ShimokitazawaNot watched yetShimokitazawa · Mostly new · All genres · Hip hop, house & techno Not watched yet Shop page →

Recent listings give 12:00–20:00, every day except the New Year break. Because the stock is mostly new, JET SET is the place for current releases and represses rather than back catalogue.

Rana Musica

Rana Musica is in Daizawa, on the south side of the station, and opens every day from 13:30 to 20:30. It sells new house, techno, bass, disco and balearic, experimental and ambient records, with used vinyl alongside, and buys used records too. It's the latest-opening and latest-closing shop in this guide, so it fits at the end of the walk.

Rana MusicaWatched by HoriShimokitazawa · House & techno · Disco & balearic · Experimental & ambient Watched by Hori Shop page →

Rana Musica is one of the record shops Hori watches. If you're looking for a particular 12-inch from them and can't wait for the next trip, Hori can check their listings every day against your Discogs wantlist.

Flash Disc Ranch

Flash Disc Ranch has been in Shimokitazawa since 1982. It was opened by Masao Tsubaki, who was born in the neighbourhood, and it's on the second floor of a building in Kitazawa 2-chome. The shop sells used records in every genre, mostly imports that the owner buys in the United States, chiefly in Los Angeles. Sanpo no Tatsujin's profile also mentions that the shop repairs records that skip, and that it was used as a filming location in the film Perfect Days.

Hours are 12:00–20:00, closed on Wednesdays according to the two most recent sources we found (one older listing says Tuesday, so check before you go). Flash Disc Ranch doesn't have its own website that we could find, which also means it's a shop you visit in person rather than browse online.

What to dig for where

If you only have an hour, go by genre:

• House, techno, bass, ambient (new): Rana Musica, then diskunion's Club Music Shop.
• Hip hop, R&B, soul and disco (new and used): diskunion's Club Music Shop.
• New releases across genres, Japanese indie: JET SET.
• Used rock, jazz, soul and J-pop: the general diskunion store.
• Used records of every kind, US-bought: Flash Disc Ranch.

Rana Musica and diskunion both buy used records too, if you're travelling with some to sell.

A route through the five

Going by opening times, this order works on any day except Wednesday:

1. 12:00 – diskunion (both shops, same building). On weekends you can start at 11:00.
2. JET SET, on Ichiban-gai, north of the station.
3. Flash Disc Ranch, in Kitazawa 2-chome. Leave time here: used, all genres, no website to check beforehand.
4. Rana Musica, south side, open until 20:30.

On a Wednesday, skip Flash Disc Ranch and you'll have time for a second pass at diskunion's used racks.

Combine it with

Shimokitazawa is a few stops from Shibuya on the Keio Inokashira Line, so the two make an easy day. Our Shibuya record shop guide covers Udagawacho's cluster, and Ella Records in Hatagaya / Yoyogi-Uehara is a short ride away too. For a full two-day plan, see our Tokyo record digging itinerary; for house, techno and ambient elsewhere in the city, see electronic record shops in Tokyo.