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Osaka information request

nosawanosawa 89 Posts
edited February 2006 in Strut Central
Hi, I'm planning a trip to Osaka and would much appreciate any tips for record stores to check ....and recommendations on all aspects of the city are very welcome, many thanks !

  Comments

  • TheeeCasualMaleTheeeCasualMale 2,564 Posts
    my favorite city in the world! i'll be there in a couple of weeks. my friend there works at a record shop but i can't think of what it's called. if i find out i'll post the info.

    make sure you check out all the cities right near osaka: kyoto, kobe, and nara.

    paging dj sheep
    m
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Hi, I'm planning a trip to Osaka and would much appreciate any tips for record stores to check ....and recommendations on all aspects of the city are very welcome, many thanks !


    Go to Ame-mura lot of good shops are there. Kinda like the Shibuya of Osaka. There's very few records shops in Nara. It might not be worth your time to go just for records. If you're gonna be there to look at all the historical monuments, then stop by the shops, otherwise Nara's pretty sleepy and can be missed altogether.

    I'm gonna give up a secret spot right on the Nara/Kyoto prefecture border. It's called Michinoku Shotten. Used to be that prices were REALLY low, unusually low. Recently, prices have jumped considerably and are about US market prices (which is still cheap for Japan). This place is like a warehouse full of various used goods. You can find almost any video game system or game there, hella old school toys, magazines, mangas, watches, sneakers, whatever. One of my favorite spots in Japan period. It's not really that frequented by foreigners because it's so far out in country and there's no public transport that will get you ANYWHERE near there.
  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
    Go to Shimbashi station, it's the place to be in Osaka.

    Visit these shops;

    Afro Juice (my boy Silver Child works there)
    Boon Coon Records
    Manhattan (nice outta print old hip-hop)

    I'll pull my map out later and give u more spots, but if you walk around Shimbashi, you will find tons of stores. Very good place to dig, a little more expensive than Shibuya, but quality hip-hop / funk.

    peace.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Go to Shimbashi station, it's the place to be in Osaka.

    Visit these shops;

    Afro Juice (my boy Silver Child works there)
    Boon Coon Records
    Manhattan (nice outta print old hip-hop)

    I'll pull my map out later and give u more spots, but if you walk around Shimbashi, you will find tons of stores. Very good place to dig, a little more expensive than Shibuya, but quality hip-hop / funk.

    peace.

    I think you mean, SHINSAIBASHI[/b] (Shimbashi is in Tokyo on the Yamanote line) station. And yeah, that's where these shops are. Ame-mura that is. These are all a little bit north (I think) of "triangle park", sankaku koen. Just get to Hikkakebashi (bridge) and ask how to get to Ame-mura.
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    Boon coon??
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Boon coon??

    Japan is full of shit like that. I STILL can't figure out what the intentions are. My mother in law used to collect Sambo memorabilia back when she was a little girl. When I told her that it was racist, she was shocked off her drawls. You still see them in collector shops all around Japan.

    Boon Coon any better than:

    Blackie Tan (tanning salon)
    Black Cock records

    Japan is a funny place.
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts

    Afro Juice (my boy Silver Child works there)

    Silver Child is that DUDE! Hook up with him fo sho. Records for days and he can also take you to ill Osaka strip clubs like "Juicy Music."
  • nosawanosawa 89 Posts
    Many thanks to you all. some great tips, if it comes together I will likely be staying just outside Osaka, so
    would be looking to move around and visit some of the satellite cities as well. TheeCasual, I may be in town at the same time, will pm you if so.
  • magpiemagpie 160 Posts
    umeda--

    King kong records-- near hankyu station, 100% used???large
    variety of western and Japanese music, prices are hit and
    miss, lots of discount sales, but you can only listen to
    3 records a visit???

    Disc jj- actually 6 stores in the Osaka area, one near the
    porn/entertainment shopping street, lots of music, great
    dollar bins, reasonable prices, can listen to anything???

    ??? - directly behind hep5 (the big red building with the
    ferris wheel on it), and near 7-11, all used, wide variety
    of music, weak hiphop, a little expensive, and you cant
    listen to anything???

    shinsaibashi (amer-mura)--

    heaps of stores, make sure to look up, cause lots of stores
    aren???t at ground level???stores to look for (used) VOX, king
    kong (3 stores)???

    nipponbashi (den den town)--

    disc jj-- 3/4 floors of records, can listen to anything,
    reasonable prices

    couple other stores I cant remember much about

    kobe (near motomachi JR station)-

    jet set, in the shopping street near the nova school, go
    out the east exit/bay side of the station, and head towards
    starbucks, turn left into the shopping street, you should
    see it halfway down on the right???decent store for new Japanese
    hip-hop, 50/50 new and used, a little pricey, can listen to
    some things???

    right near jet set is freshness burger, and JUST around the
    corner from that is a small record shop (look for the sign)
    its on the 4th floor, lots of 45s, and maybe about 750 other
    records, no turntable, but will discount a little if you ask

    secret squirrel FREAK OUT RECORDS- go out motomachi JR station
    WEST/bay side exit, turn right , walk along the elevated
    train structure for about 5 min and eventually it leads into
    an underground shopping street (actually beneath the train
    tracks), about 5 record shops in this l mile stretch, but
    this is my favorite, very disorganized, but has things in
    general sections, can listen to anything, and tons of 45s,
    lps, and will always discount if you ask (e.g. 12000 yen
    sticker, sells to me for 8000). Friendly guy???some shit I
    pulled from here de la soul is dead promo-1000yen, sai yoshiko
    1st album-3000yen , some Japanese folk 300 yen)

    Kyoto-

    Another jet set and some other record store near JR Kyoto station.


    Where exactly are you staying? for how long?
    Im off on Tuesday afternoons, so if you here pm me
  • nosawanosawa 89 Posts
    Hey Magpie, thanks for the breakdown. Details still being sketched out as it's something of an impulse
    trip due to circumstance, dates may change. Pls pm me your contact details and I'll keep in touch. speak soon

    umeda--

    King kong records-- near hankyu station, 100% used???large
    variety of western and Japanese music, prices are hit and
    miss, lots of discount sales, but you can only listen to
    3 records a visit???

    Disc jj- actually 6 stores in the Osaka area, one near the
    porn/entertainment shopping street, lots of music, great
    dollar bins, reasonable prices, can listen to anything???

    ??? - directly behind hep5 (the big red building with the
    ferris wheel on it), and near 7-11, all used, wide variety
    of music, weak hiphop, a little expensive, and you cant
    listen to anything???

    shinsaibashi (amer-mura)--

    heaps of stores, make sure to look up, cause lots of stores
    aren???t at ground level???stores to look for (used) VOX, king
    kong (3 stores)???

    nipponbashi (den den town)--

    disc jj-- 3/4 floors of records, can listen to anything,
    reasonable prices

    couple other stores I cant remember much about

    kobe (near motomachi JR station)-

    jet set, in the shopping street near the nova school, go
    out the east exit/bay side of the station, and head towards
    starbucks, turn left into the shopping street, you should
    see it halfway down on the right???decent store for new Japanese
    hip-hop, 50/50 new and used, a little pricey, can listen to
    some things???

    right near jet set is freshness burger, and JUST around the
    corner from that is a small record shop (look for the sign)
    its on the 4th floor, lots of 45s, and maybe about 750 other
    records, no turntable, but will discount a little if you ask

    secret squirrel FREAK OUT RECORDS- go out motomachi JR station
    WEST/bay side exit, turn right , walk along the elevated
    train structure for about 5 min and eventually it leads into
    an underground shopping street (actually beneath the train
    tracks), about 5 record shops in this l mile stretch, but
    this is my favorite, very disorganized, but has things in
    general sections, can listen to anything, and tons of 45s,
    lps, and will always discount if you ask (e.g. 12000 yen
    sticker, sells to me for 8000). Friendly guy???some shit I
    pulled from here de la soul is dead promo-1000yen, sai yoshiko
    1st album-3000yen , some Japanese folk 300 yen)

    Kyoto-

    Another jet set and some other record store near JR Kyoto station.


    Where exactly are you staying? for how long?
    Im off on Tuesday afternoons, so if you here pm me
  • youngEINSTEINyoungEINSTEIN 2,443 Posts
    i second: AFRO JUICE(a.k.a. the best record store in japan) and BOON COON.
    peace, stein. . .
  • DJ_WubWubDJ_WubWub 874 Posts
    buy a copy of Record Map (record guide to most stores in japan with maps. I spent 3 years in Osaka and bought nearly 1000lps there. Shinsaibashi stores are sometimes expensive but you can find some good stuff. I found my best bargains in Nipponbashi (Not far from Amemura) but the stores are hard to find back streets etc. Record Map lists most of them though.9essentila book. Also try Disc JJ in Temmabashi On the 3rd floor is their bargain section
  • nosawanosawa 89 Posts
    buy a copy of Record Map (record guide to most stores in japan with maps. I spent 3 years in Osaka and bought nearly 1000lps there. Shinsaibashi stores are sometimes expensive but you can find some good stuff. I found my best bargains in Nipponbashi (Not far from Amemura) but the stores are hard to find back streets etc. Record Map lists most of them though.9essentila book. Also try Disc JJ in Temmabashi On the 3rd floor is their bargain section

    Thanks again Wub and all, looking forward to a experiencing a new city
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