Japan guitar store report, August 2024

laxu said:
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［前売分完売／当日券あり］『5★STAR GP 2024 in SHIBUYA』東京・渋谷区スポーツセンター

5★STAR GP 2024 in SHIBUYA 2024年8月11日（日） 東京・渋谷区スポーツセンター スターダムは渋谷区の健康・スポーツ分野のビジョンである「思わず身体を動かしたくなる街へ。」
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Huge Mina Shirakawa fan here!!!!

Mina-Shirakawa.jpg


We love Pro Wrestling in our house, especially from Japan. Puroresu!!!!😝

Stardom and NJPW are our favorite.

We also support AEW, and a lot of talent from Japan wrestles there too!!! Including Mina!! As matter if fact, we have Kasuchika Okada too!!!! Kenny Omega!!! Just to name a couple.

Sorry ... wrestling nerd.
 
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AFKAEjay said:
Any clue why there are so many guitar stores? In the Netherlands brick and mortar stores get rarer and rarer.
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A lot more people too, so even niche hobbies can have a few stores. Guitar is popular enough to support a bunch of stores.

Japan also has a lot of "street that sells this kind of stuff" areas where you have a full street with nothing but say kitchenware stores. It might seem like they are all competing with each other but they all have a bit different wares so it's convenient and fun to just visit most of them until you find what you want and maybe more.

It takes a while to get used to the stores that seemingly spill over to the street and have a lot of stuff inside. Weirdly it often makes you curious to see what else they have.

Even department stores are often closer to a ton of small stores just inside a larger space.
 
laxu said:
Japan also has a lot of "street that sells this kind of stuff" areas where you have a full street with nothing but say kitchenware stores. It might seem like they are all competing with each other but they all have a bit different wares so it's convenient and fun to just visit most of them until you find what you want and maybe more.
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So is there a "music stuff street"? I ask because I will be there in a few months for 3 days ;~)) Would love to consolidate any musical shopping into a single street stroll! Let me know and/or if there is a "you got to go here if you go to just one place"!! PM me if you want to keep anything private!!! I am not looking for anything specific, but high end guitars would be top of the list. Thanks for this post and all of it's detail!
 
ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ said:
So is there a "music stuff street"? I ask because I will be there in a few months for 3 days ;~)) Would love to consolidate any musical shopping into a single street stroll! Let me know and/or if there is a "you got to go here if you go to just one place"!! PM me if you want to keep anything private!!! I am not looking for anything specific, but high end guitars would be top of the list. Thanks for this post and all of it's detail!
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Yes, it's in Ochanomizu in Tokyo. There's about 10 guitar stores right across from the metro station. Visit that area, and go check the two Hard Off locations close together in Akihabara.

Note that most stores span multiple small floors, there might be a separate high end guitars floor in some of these.

Use Digimart.net if you want to find something specific. Just run it through Google Translate to find what store sells the thing you want or has a sale.

Also, eat at the Coco Ichiban chain for good Japanese curry and tonkatsu. It's one of the few chains in Japan where you can get actually spicy stuff.
 
laxu said:
Yes, it's in Ochanomizu in Tokyo. There's about 10 guitar stores right across from the metro station. Visit that area, and go check the two Hard Off locations close together in Akihabara.

Note that most stores span multiple small floors, there might be a separate high end guitars floor in some of these.

Use Digimart.net if you want to find something specific. Just run it through Google Translate to find what store sells the thing you want or has a sale.

Also, eat at the Coco Ichiban chain for good Japanese curry and tonkatsu. It's one of the few chains in Japan where you can get actually spicy stuff.
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Awesome info, thank so much for the details! I love serious spice!! Tonight, at my favorite Thai restaurant, I told the waitress "Thai hot, and bring me the tray of spices as well". I also told her that they will not make it hot enough, but she seemed to doubt me. I hug the owner every time I walk in and out of that restaurant, so I know I am not being ignored. Spent probably 15 of the 45 minutes talking with the owner tonight, but I don't even bother mentioning it to her any more, I just tell them to bring me the spice tray and then I can make it "Thai hot". Anyway, that is some "hot" information and I am going to look into every one of those details for my visit! Much appreciated ;~))
 
ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ said:
Awesome info, thank so much for the details! I love serious spice!! Tonight, at my favorite Thai restaurant, I told the waitress "Thai hot, and bring me the tray of spices as well". I also told her that they will not make it hot enough, but she seemed to doubt me. I hug the owner every time I walk in and out of that restaurant, so I know I am not being ignored. Spent probably 15 of the 45 minutes talking with the owner tonight, but I don't even bother mentioning it to her any more, I just tell them to bring me the spice tray and then I can make it "Thai hot". Anyway, that is some "hot" information and I am going to look into every one of those details for my visit! Much appreciated ;~))
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So my preferred spice level atm is fairly moderate, and I found that the Coco Ichiban spice level 4 was nice. I think the scale goes up to 10 and then there's another 10-20 scale available. I think they don't even let you pick the highest levels unless you have eaten the lower ones before. But you might want something higher than 4. There's usually tablets you can use to order with English menus available so it's easy. The garlic in spicy sauce is a good addition.

If you haven't been to Japan before, download the mobile version of the Suica or PASMO metro pass. You used to be able to get transit cards from vending machines for 500 yen but due to chip shortage they haven't been issueing those. They also discontinued the short-term PASMO Passport it seems. It's pretty essential for getting around so you don't have to wait in line to buy individual tickets at every station.

The difference between Suica and PASMO is that Suica is made by the Japan Railways and PASMO is for Tokyo metro. They work with both so you only need one or the other. They can also be used to pay at vending machines and convenience stores. I have no idea which of the apps is better, we used old transit cards.
 
laxu said:
So my preferred spice level atm is fairly moderate, and I found that the Coco Ichiban spice level 4 was nice. I think the scale goes up to 10 and then there's another 10-20 scale available. I think they don't even let you pick the highest levels unless you have eaten the lower ones before. But you might want something higher than 4. There's usually tablets you can use to order with English menus available so it's easy. The garlic in spicy sauce is a good addition.

If you haven't been to Japan before, download the mobile version of the Suica or PASMO metro pass. You used to be able to get transit cards from vending machines for 500 yen but due to chip shortage they haven't been issueing those. They also discontinued the short-term PASMO Passport it seems. It's pretty essential for getting around so you don't have to wait in line to buy individual tickets at every station.

The difference between Suica and PASMO is that Suica is made by the Japan Railways and PASMO is for Tokyo metro. They work with both so you only need one or the other. They can also be used to pay at vending machines and convenience stores. I have no idea which of the apps is better, we used old transit cards.
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I would guess I will probably want something in the 6-8 range on that level. I am not looking for the hottest thing on the planet, but I do like to cry with really spicy food!! Nose sniffles not enough and that was all I was able to coax out of this evenings meal ;~)) Garlic in everything is my philosophy so of course, always a good addition in my world!

That is great info on the transit system, I will get on that. Exactly the kind of information I need, I have never been there nor has my girl.
 
ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ said:
I would guess I will probably want something in the 6-8 range on that level. I am not looking for the hottest thing on the planet, but I do like to cry with really spicy food!! Nose sniffles not enough and that was all I was able to coax out of this evenings meal ;~)) Garlic in everything is my philosophy so of course, always a good addition in my world!

That is great info on the transit system, I will get on that. Exactly the kind of information I need, I have never been there nor has my girl.
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For other easy to find food recommendations:
  • Torikizoku. Nothing particularly spicy there but they have tasty grilled chicken etc skewers and a lot more. Their mega lemon sour drink is nice. Might be a bit of a wait to get a table so not the best option if you are really hungry. They can often be in a bit odd locations on higher floors but the yellow logo is easy to spot.
  • Sushiro. This is a fun conveyor belt sushi chain with tablets for ordering. Often long wait as well depending on when you end up there.
  • Yoshinoya. These are a good option for "I'm hungry, want something right now and don't want to spend much". Cheap beef and rice bowls.
  • Ichiran Ramen. They make a lovely ramen. Not that many options, can have long lines as well.
But there's restaurants everywhere so just pop into whatever sounds interesting. Ordering is either tablet, a ticket vending machine at the door, or a person takes your order. English menus are available in a lot of places and you can use Google Translate in others. Payment is usually done by taking your receipt to the counter near the front door.

For beer: Orion > Kirin > Asahi. Orion is not so easily available as it's an Okinawan brand, but it's my favorite. The teal blue can Kirin is good.

Hotel breakfasts can be worth the extra money. Our hotels all had a pretty comprehensive buffet style breakfast and that really helped us get out of bed early, go to breakfast and start exploring instead of hunting down some food.

For internet, you can get a data only connection cheap from Ubigi. You download the mobile app, create an account, then pick a plan for Japan (it was 4€ for 1 GB/30 days, 8€ for 3 GB/30 days), install an eSIM on your phone and activate the eSIM for data when you arrive. If your phones don't support eSIM, you can buy SIM cards from the airport from counters or vending machines. Download the offline version of Tokyo area with Google Maps before your trip to save data. Do not use Instagram with a data sim, it gobbles data.

Whether credit cards and contactless payment works is very hit and miss (but far better than it used to be), so best to have some cash with you. I'd recommend exchanging only a little at home, and exchanging more in Japan as you will likely get better rates. The World Currency Shop chain seemed to have the best exchange rates so we used those, their process is also pretty easy.
 
laxu said:
Japan also has a lot of "street that sells this kind of stuff" areas where you have a full street with nothing but say kitchenware stores.
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Yeah, I remember Akihabara and just being completely floored. People with megaphons not just outside but also inside electronic goods shops, trying to raise their voices over the 30 huge flat screens plus speakers all cranked. All that spiced up with Pachinko gambling halls, which actually shocked me the most. I mean, the noise emitted when their (typically double isolated sliding) doors opened is like a jetplane taking off next to you. And then you see tons of business folks sitting there after work, enjoying some "relaxation". Sheer madness.
 
Sascha Franck said:
Yeah, I remember Akihabara and just being completely floored. People with megaphons not just outside but also inside electronic goods shops, trying to raise their voices over the 30 huge flat screens plus speakers all cranked. All that spiced up with Pachinko gambling halls, which actually shocked me the most. I mean, the noise emitted when their (typically double isolated sliding) doors opened is like a jetplane taking off next to you. And then you see tons of business folks sitting there after work, enjoying some "relaxation". Sheer madness.
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I think they've tamed that down in recent years. At least the Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera chains mainly have their jingle and some promo talk on endless loop. Outside there's not too many barkers, in Akihabara mainly girls from maid cafes trying to get people to go there.

Pachinko parlors are still insane, exactly as you described. Electronic lobotomy.
 
I love Japan, and I love Tokyo. I love Ochanomizu. There's a shop there called Taniguchi Gakki, which has an entire floor of left handed guitars. I go there multiple times whenever we visit. If I remember correctly I got my MIJ Tokai LP for around £600 in the end; a pretty decent price for a great guitar! I very nearly bought a Gibson, but the MIJ lover in me won out!

I also played a Saito guitar, and it very very nearly won me over. Sounded so bright and spanky, and played very nicely. I might get one of those on my next trip, ha!

If you want a nice walk, take a trip to Hachioji and climb Mt. Takao. You can get the Keio line all the way to Takaosanguchi, and walk up from there. Nice temple vibes, some yummy snacks at the top, and on a sunny day it is very pleasant.

Part of the family lives in Meijirodai, and the other part of the family lives in Nakano, so we divided our time between those two houses.

We have vague "let's move to Japan!" conversations every other year or so. Our daughter goes to Japanese school every Saturday here in London, which is good for me because it means I get a lie in :roflbut she's becoming very good at Japanese, so she'd have no problems. The youngling is too small for it to really matter. The wife could easily transfer to her company Tokyo office. It is me who is the problem; chubby (but not fat!) bald white dude who plays guitar at loud-as-fuck volumes, is not really neighbour material!!!
 
laxu said:
So I'm back from holiday - visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagoya. While my spouse was looking for other things, or packing her year worth of stuff at her exchange student dorm, I had time to visit guitar stores!

Unfortunately no pictures allowed, but I did visit quite a few in all 3 cities. My favorite ones are the big chains: Ishibashi, Ikebe and Big Boss. But even within these it depends a lot on the location what the stores offer. Digimart.net is an invaluable resource if you are trying to find a deal, or used gear.

ESP Museum in Shibuya was dope. It's totally free and has two rooms with guitars in display cases. They probably change over time. As I visited they were showing off all the angel guitars ESP has made, which was quite a few. It was interesting to see how they got more and more elaborate over time to the point of looking like works of art. There were also some really cool V style guitars and some unique customs. Worth a visit for sure. There's also a solid guitar store downstairs that sells ESP, Edwards and LTD, but you could find many of the same models in a lot of other stores for about the same prices.

I also visited the Fender Flagship Tokyo showroom in Shibuya. This had a "fancy high end bag/watch store" vibe, with too much space and clinical appearance compared to the packed-to-the-brim actual guitar stores. Except there weren't that many truly high end models on display. I guess the idea is that you go here to try the latest production, or Japan-exclusive models. I don't understand why this store exists though.

A few stores cleverly had only Japanese made guitars on the 1st floor for us tourists, so we don't have to wade through the copious US Gibson, Fender and PRS models. ESP was prominent, along with Fender Japan and Ibanez. Other brands were Killer guitars (designed by Loudness guitarist Akira Takasaki), Momose, Bacchus and several others I can't remember.

If you are after the US brands, Japan is a great place to buy because I've seen way better Gibsons and Fenders in Japan than here in Finland. High end PRS models are also available, but made it really hard to even look at the SE or S2 range because the nicer ones are just so much cooler. Some incredible vintage models can also be found in these stores, with eye-watering prices of course.

Some of the stores were well hidden. One was on the 10th floor of a building that otherwise had dental clinics and body hair waxing places on other floors. I guess you go get your ass hair ripped out, then go blast a Marshall in the guitar store.

For amps, you have a lot to choose from. The most common test amps were a Marshall JVM stack and a Roland JC120, but otherwise you had everything from Diezel to Two Rock available. I think the only Japanese amp brand I saw was AKG Sound's Dumble style amps, pretty expensive.

I also saw a 1964 Bassman head and cab for about 660K yen (4095€ or $4530) in a Hard Off, which is a chain of used cameras/computers/phones/musical instruments/hifi etc. Just weird to find something that high end in a store like that. Some very high end custom shop Fenders in those too.

For pedals, tons of selection as well. Get Stomp in Ikebukuro was still the nicest shop for pedals just due to selection, but no deals were to be had there.
For modelers, pretty much everything from Fractal to QC to TMP to Hotone and Kemper was available to try. I messed around briefly with the Hotone Ampero II Stage (just to test the UI) and it seemed kinda nice considering it's a more budget device.

Tokyo and Osaka are definitely better for guitar stores than Kyoto or Nagoya. The sheer amount of guitar stores in the Tokyo Ochanomizu area was impressive, but the selection of the stores overlaps a lot so it might be good for finding the "perfect" example of a particular model.

Didn't feel like trying a lot of stuff because it means you have to get the store employee who will get you all setup etc. Then not buying anything would be a bit embarassing!

Pricewise, pretty hit and miss. Some guitars were maybe only about VAT less than here in Finland, same for some pedals. Strymons were cheaper for some reason, whereas UA, Meris and Source Audio were just as expensive. Boss is a good deal of course. I'd probably look exclusively at Japanese made guitars and used ones.

In the end, I bought a Strymon El Capistan V2 and nothing else. I just have too good a guitar selection already and seeing so many nice guitars just made me happier with what I own.
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One of my best friends just started working for Apple this year at the Yokohama R&D Facility, the guitar stores he has visited show great offerings.
 
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