Tokyo Soundings

Disk Union is a major Tokyo/Yokohama-area chain with many locations. Some of them stock out-of- the-ordinary labels and artists. Disk Union is affiliated with the DIW record label. These are a few locations with good selection, though there are thirty or forty locations altogether, almost all of which I haven't been to. Disk Union's website is here, in Japanese only, but it has maps and info for all locations.

Disk Union
3-31-4 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku 160-0022
(03) 3352-2691
(03) 3352-2455 (FAX)
Open 11:00-8:00 Monday-Saturday, 11:00-7:00 Sundays & Holidays
Directions: Near Shinjuku Station (JR Chuo & Yamanote; subway Marunouchi; Keio; Odakyu; Toei Shinjuku; etc. lines) from east entrance, but nearer Shinjuku 3-chome (pronounced and sometimes written San-chome) Station (subway Marunouchi and Toei Shinjuku lines). From the Shinjuku 3-chome station A1 exit, go around the corner to the right and make a right at the Nikon camera shop onto the smaller street. There are two ground floor storefronts on the right-hand side of this street. The jazz outlet is first. The main store is the second one you'll encounter. This location has lots of good stuff, new and used. Between the two stores on this street, you'll find jazz, classical, punk, noise, pop, pretty well any kind of music you're looking for. In terms of more obscure things like noise and psych, the selection is limited (though alright). If you live in Tokyo, Disk Union is a good source for imports.

Disk Union
Palace Bldg. 2F
Kichijoji Honcho 1-8-22, Musashino-shi 180-0004
(0422) 20-8062
Open daily 11:00-9:00 (Sundays & Holidays 'til 8:00)
Directions: (See Kichijoji map) From Kichijoji Station (Keio Inokashira line terminus, JR Chuo and Sobu lines), take the north exit (from the Inokashira line, follow the signs for the central exit). When you exit the station building, the Sun Road street mall is directly ahead of you. Walk down Sun Road until you come to a sizeable intersection with a Matsuya on the right. Turn left, and Disk Union is a little way ahead on your left. It's hard to see until you get to it. This is a fairly new store. The selection is quite good, though perhaps not as broad as the Shinjuku location.

Disk Union
Ochanomizu Indies Store
Ochanomizu Hiroda Bldg. 3F
2-1-18 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku 101-0062
(03) 5282-3325
Open daily 11:00-8:00 (Sundays & Holidays till 7:00)
Directions: From Ochanomizu JR Station (Chuo line), take west (Ochanomizu-bashi) exit. The canal is to the north of the station. Cross the intersection to the southwest of the station. The Disk Union indies store is directly across from the Burger King, just around the corner from Ochanomizu #3 store. This newly-opened location specializes in independent labels. Lots of punk, hip-hop, techno, some noise and other stuff.

Disk Union
Ochanomizu #3 Store
Iwazaki Bldg.
2-1-12 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku 101-0062
(03) 3295-1461
(03) 3295-1464 (fax)
Open daily 11:00-8:00 (Sundays & Holidays 'til 7:00)
Directions: From Ochanomizu JR Station (Chuo line), take west (Ochanomizu-bashi) exit. The canal is to the north of the station. Cross the intersection to the southwest of the station. The Disk Union #3 store is on the main road on the right, just around the corner from Ochanomizu indies store. This location has lots of good stuff, new and used, including psych, noise, avant-garde, and experimental stuff. There are several other Disk Union locations in the immediate area, including a classical outlet, a heavy metal and hard rock shop, and the Ochanomizu #1 store, which is not as likely to be as interesting to Ongaku Otaku readers: jazz, bluegrass, rockabilly, folk, trad, reggae, etc.

F'lmore Records
Sanko Bldg. 3F
2-1-8 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku 155-0031
(03) 5430-1442 (phone and FAX)
Open Thursday-Tuesday 2:00-9:00 (closed Wednesdays)
Directions: Take Keio Inokashira line (from Shibuya, e.g.) to Shimo-kitazawa Station. From the South Exit, go along the Minamiguchi Shotengai (south exit street mall) about 3 minutes. The building will be at a corner on your left. No storefront, just a sign outside. Good selection of used records and a few CDS. Cassettes, too?

Fujiya Avic
Nakano Broadway 3F
5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku 164-0001
(03) 3386-5554
(03) 3386-5536 (FAX)
Open daily 10:30-8:00
Directions: From Nakano JR Station (Chuo and Sobu lines) take North Exit and cross the bus and taxi area. Enter the Sun Mall. There is a sign at the mall entrance for McDonald's, which is in the Sun Mall near the opposite end on the left. Pass McDonald's and enter the Broadway Mall at the end of Sun Mall. Fujiya Avic has perhaps seven or eight shops mostly on the third floor of the Broadway Mall. The two CD shops of most interest are on the third floor. If you take the escalator, they are down on the right, just before the Taco Che book store. This place has everything, from new and used CDS (and some records) to anime on videotape, to stereo and video equipment. The two CD shops on the third floor have a very broad selection, so you probably have to weed through to find what you're interested in.

Fujiyama
2-35-2 Shimouma, Setagaya-ku 154-0002
Tel: (03) 3795-7595
FAX: (03) 3795-4773
Open Tuesday-Sunday from 3:00. Closed Mondays
Directions: Near Sangen-jaya Station on Tokyu Shin-tamagawa line (take Hanzomon subway line to Shibuya; stay on the same train to Sangen-jaya; subway Hanzomon becomes Shin-tamagawa). Take the south exit from the station and go up the stairs to the right. Walk along the main street (Setagaya Dori) for a few minutes and turn left into the shotengai (street mall). A minute or two into the street mall, you'll see a club on your right called Heaven's Door. From Heaven's Door, keep going south along the shotengai. At the large junction, bear right. At the end of that road is a post office. To your left is a greengrocer. The greengrocer is on a sliver of land between two streets. Around the corner from the greengrocer, at the tip of that sliver, is Fujiyama. Ground floor storefront, but hard to see. Altogether about ten minutes from Sangen-jaya Station. To get to the perspective of the photo that appears here, you have to pass Fujiyama and turn around. This shop is like a toolshed stuffed with records, magazines, everything. Great stuff, if a bit disorganized. Reputed to be open whenever the owner feels like it, but the ad says closed Mondays, so probably not a good idea to go on a Monday. Fujiyama is best for strange, obscure stuff. Don't expect to find the latest Alchemy releases there. Click here for a closer look at the sign above Fujiyama, which bears a quote from Akemi Edo of the 80's Japanese punk band Jagatara: "Of course it's all right if you dance your own way."

Manual of Errors
Dai-ichi Kada Bldg. 3F
4-6-11 Koenji Minami, Suginami-ku 166-0003
(03) 3317-4845
(03) 3317-6491 FAX
shop@manuera.com
Web site (English and Japanese. Follow the information link for a map.)
Open daily 3:00 to 10:00 (Sundays and Holidays 1:00 to 10:00)
Directions: (See Koenji map) Near Koenji Station (JR Chuo and Sobu lines) and Shin-Koenji subway station (Marunouchi line, Ogikubo branch). From the Koenji JR station, take the south exit and go straight south on the main road (a little to your right as you exit the station). After a few minutes, you'll see a small restaurant called Oh, India on your right. Manual of Errors is just around the corner from Oh, India. If you walk from the Shin-Koenji subway station, it will be on the left about ten minutes from the station. Broad and interesting selection (new and used), including old Texas Instruments instructional calculator-style toys (for learning spelling, math, etc.) from the late 70s. The music selection at this self- proclaimed "Strange Music Records Shop" includes traditional Latin dance music like bossa nova, electronica, new wave, pop, etc.

Modern Music
Terada Bldg. 2F
2-45-11 Matsubara, Setagaya-ku 156-0043
Tel: (03) 3322-4461
FAX: (03) 3322-4905
Open daily 11:00-8:00
Directions: Near Meidaimae Station on Keio and Keio Inokashira lines (departing from Shinjuku and Shibuya, respectively, from central Tokyo). As you exit the station, bear to the right. Pass to the left of the C&C curry place and bear left. There's a large, neon-lit pachinko place on a corner in front of you. To the right of the pachinko parlor is a street that has a McDonald's on the left and a Starbuck's on the right. Instead, go to the left of the pachinko place. Modern Music is just there on the left. No storefront. There is a sign outside above ground level, though it is written in katakana only. (See photo.) Essential, long-standing (since 1980) Japanese record store and Tokyo landmark. Associated with PSF label and G-Modern magazine (Japanese language). If you make one stop in Tokyo, make it here. Small, packed to the ceiling with books, magazines, records, tapes, CDs, videotapes new and used. Certainly a great source for music and information. They always have flyers on the walls for upcoming shows, etc. The staff are quite knowledgeable, with some English ability.

Pelmage Records
Inside Club Apia
See Clubs section.
Not really much of a record store, but they do have a sampling of CDs that's worth a browse if you see a show at Apia -- that's the only way to get to Pelmage.

Warehouse
Shinmei Bldg. 2F
7-7-3 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku 160-0023
Tel: (03) 3367-4704
FAX: (03) 3367-5739
Open daily 11:00-9:00
Directions: Northwest of Shinjuku station (JR Yamanote and Chuo lines, subway Marunouchi line and Toei-Shinjuku, Keio and Odakyu lines). Take the west exit and turn right. Walk a few minutes up the main street. Warehouse is in a building on the left. They have lots of rare 70's LP's and hard-to-find Japanese releases, etc., but are very expensive.