Visiting Japan ... Where to shop?

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ampmaker

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I'll be spending four weeks in Japan, from the 22nd March. Mostly for fun and culture, but with a little guitar shopping, too. I'm quite excited (understatement!)

Any suggestions of shops that must be on my list? I'm staying in Shinjuku for a week or so, then travelling a bit to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, etc.

My #1 aim is to find an early Tokai V, ideally from 83 (nostalgia reasons).

Other Qs: do guitar shops take credit cards? Is haggling likely to work? Is it feasible to take a vintage Gibson there to sell?
 
Go to the major shops in Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ochanomizu.
Ishibashi and Shimokura in Ochanomizu have good used selections and you should have no problem using a credit card AND can handle duty-free sales (this will save you the 5% salese tax).
Haggling is usually not welcome but it may be easier to get a discount if you are buying more expensive items. Most desirable things sell quite quickly so if you don't see something that has been in stock for months and months I'd hesitate to ask for a discount. Give it a go and see what your experience is.

Have a nice trip!
 
Trouble is, every guitar player on the planet now knows about Ochanomizu so competition is fierce, you`ll have to be lucky and not hesitate if you see something, waiting even a day can be too late.
I have had amazing luck in the second hand shops like Hard Off and 2nd Street. I often haggle, though in my experience it is only the managers who have he authority to do that up here and sometimes shop staff feel really uncomfortable dealing with that. I`ve even bought old acoustics at antiques shops locally. Where I live, shops will not offer veery much on something someone wants to sell, better off keeping it and trying to sell it personally...I have been offered so little for some stuff I brought into shop that it was laughable so I haven`t even tried in years, I now sell on line here, much better option for me since I live in the country.
 
Thanks for the info about Ochanomizu, etc.

Perhaps there's no point taking guitars to sell, then. I have two guitars to sell, a '71 Les Paul 56 Reissue and a Max Burst replica. I was figuring that the exchange rate movements make Japanese guitars so expensive to buy but also make these look much cheaper over there. But if shops aren't likely to offer a decent price for them, then I'd best abandon that idea.

Must also get to see something (anything!) at the Budokan - it figured in so many of may favourite albums. Any other music-related places to go?
 
I`m not in Tokyo, I`m just talking about what shops offer on guitars I brought to them....I can`t speak for the entire country, I don`t pretend to know everything about that...could be different in big cities though I`d be surprised if it were. I was offered 10% of the sale price...not manufacturer`s suggested retail price... on a Les Paul once, so I brought it back home.
 
Now here, and just about got my bearings. Just had a chance to look around Shinjuku at the moment. Three guitar shops- Rock Inn (two of them) and another which I forgot to note.

Several new Tokais. All Freplicas had the alternative headstock, Greplicas were fewer. Only the plain top LS-160 to speak of.

I did see a Tokai-branded Michael Schenker Flying V Greplica. Super cheap and new, so I assume it was Chinese made?

(Coincidentally, I have also seen Gibson Flying Vs here with the MS paint scheme, plus some with '70s cosmetics such as block neck markers and bound fretboard - all over 300,000 yen.)
 
Nico Nico Guitars (http://www.niconico-guitars.com/) has a decent used Tokai LS-160 in stock, and has one of the best selections of Fender and Gibson guitars in Tokyo all nicely displayed.
http://www.niconico-guitars.com/stocklist2012/other/o12.11.15_2/tokaiLS160.html

tokaiLS160_th.jpg


They are walking distance from Shibuya station.
info_map.gif
 
Thanks w, will definitely stop by. Also will get to Guitar traders to ogle the vintage stuff.

Any particular Ishibashi store good for Tokai/vintage/used?
 
The Ishibashi's vary but are all in crowded areas so anything really cheap gets picked up quickly.
 
Not much old Tokai stuff to see so far. Shops are full of Grassroots brand, plus FGN/Fugigen.

Did see some interesting Tokai Stratalikes, including some at 248000 Yen! The sales guy spoke no English, so I could not find out what was so special about them. Anyone know about these?

Also saw that the Silver Star model is now being given to all sorts of Fender-style retro guitars.

wulfman said:
The Ishibashi's vary but are all in crowded areas so anything really cheap gets picked up quickly.

Hmm... And as if to make your point, today I was in the Ochanimizu Ishibashi and saw an old Yamaha SuperFlighter for 29800. And it was one of the set-neck models, but too busy to get close. Went back an hour later, and it was sold.
 
Thats why I said, don`t hesitate if you see something....I learned that lesson early on. Sometimes I go months without seeing anything up here so luck plays a huge role for me, right place right time kind of think...and I have been extremely lucky over the years. About 30 million people in the greater Tokyo/Yokohama area, they aren`t all guitar layers but enough of em are so competition is fierce. I own some FGN`s....old ones though, from early last decade made with the Timeless Timber....the ones I have are top notch, as good as anything else I see in local shops. Consider trying some, they are great players and not as sought after as the other brands that everybody is after nowadays.
 
Learning slowly! :)

As a side question - do guitar shops open on Sundays? I know this isn't a Christian country, so perhaps there's no reason why they would?
 
Yes open on Sundays....there are lots of churches in this city, I see gaijin Mormons on bicycles almost everyday....so theres just about everything here. Thinking of joining a cult?...lots of those around too.
 
Joining a cult? Hmm... Is there one that worships through the consumption of Katsuo and mochi? :)

Meanwhile, today's outing to Shibuya and er... the station near Koreatown yielded some interesting guitars, but none that said 'buy me now'.

Couple of Aria-made BC Rich Mockingbird copies, but lacking the wood choice of the amazing Supreme version. A couple of Ibanez RocketRolls - too spendy for a guitar without the proper korina (indeed, completely the wrong woods!). Same shop did have an old US-made Hamer Vector in korina at the same price. Tempting...

Saw an M-59 model Tokai LS and the used LS-160 at 98000 yen, but those are fairly modern, and I have an LS-320 already. More taken by what looked like a mid-80s Goldstar TST50 which seemed OK value at about 30000 yen (IIRC). At least it had the correct headstock shape.

(Apologies if this is all too bloggy!) ;)
 
Nice to hear how things are going.

I will actually be in Tokyo for a few hours on Friday during a layover on the way to Canada. 9 am arrival and 4 pm departure so I can see about 2 hours to spend in Tokyo, possibly passing through Ochanomizu for a few parts I need and a quick browse.

Good luck with the hunt! And don't forget 246 guitars in Shibuya if you happened to miss it. Very nice stuff at times at great prices.
 
Well, I got one. :)

Didn't quite find my ideal '83, but I did find an '84 Tokai TFV. And I had to have it because it's the Michael Schenker B/W one* (TFV60MS, I think), and he was one of those guitarists who made me pick up a guitar in the first place.

I still have my One Night at the Budokan CD, so maybe I should try to pose outside the Budokan with it for a nostalgia photo?

Domo arigato for all your help!

* I'd also seen the Greco version, which seems so similar that I'm wondering if they were made in the same factory.
 
First, let me second what Sneaky's said already; go on the right day, and the "recycle stores" like Hard-Off and 2nd Street can have incredible deals (still kicking myself for not picking up an 80's Greco Thunderbird that I didn't pick up for ~$180 because it was missing tuners). That said, the selection varies widely depending on the day and time of year (go shopping on the week after New Years, or around May 5th, and you're likely to see a lot of empty racks). Of the two Hard-Off's in Nara, you'll want to go to the one in Nara city, near the Shin-Omiya train station, as their selection is much better than the one in Yagi. There's also two really funky recycle shops I'd recommend you check out called "Kaihousouko". There's one in central Nara, near Ninokuchi station, and one in Kyoto that is nice, but I think you have to drive to. Their motto is "We buy everything", and it's true; you'll find everything from Greco's and limited-model Fernandes shredders right next to fishing poles and Dolce and Gabana clothing. Again, their selection varies, but it's usually quite good, and well priced. Each Kaihousouko also has a theme for some reason, so they're a pretty good way to kill an afternoon, even if you don't buy anything. The one in Nara's theme is Egyptian/Mesopotamian, and the one in Kyoto's is Wild West.

Second, it's not quite as dense as Ochanomizu, but the Umeda area of Osaka has a ton of great shops, including the ESP Custom Shop, which has used gear as well, along with a number of Miki Gakki stores, which are good for used/vintage as well. I'm not sure how much they would buy your vintage Gibson for, but I do know how much they sell them for, and if they are fair, you'd get a killing, depending on the year and model. I had a guy offer me $1200 for my '64 Harmony one time, and maybe things have changed, but I remember when you could easily get one for $250 or so at any shop with vintage/used. Anyway, it's really easy to get lost in Umeda, so have a list of stores with you and a map when you go.

Third, sorry I'm late! I just joined the forum, so I didn't see this until now, but I lived in Nara for 4 years before moving to Osaka, so I thought I'd pass along some info, in case you were still around. Hope you get a chance to make the most of it!


Cheers,

A-Lx
 
Hi A and thanks. It is actually a bit late, but that's because I've been without Internet access for a few days. Didn't get to any Nara shops, but am in Kyoto now and wil see if I can get to that used place you mention.

I did go to Watanabe and Big Boss and the other one close by, but there was little of interest.

Good news is that I will be coming back next year (my partner will be working here for several months), and I can do better prep for that visit. May even do a one week road trip from Kyoto. Will keep your posting info for then, so it's definitely not wasted.
 
ampmaker said:
Well, I got one. :)

....
I still have my One Night at the Budokan CD, so maybe I should try to pose outside the Budokan with it for a nostalgia photo?

.

In full Schenker pose I hope, would like to see a pic of that :)
 
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