Shopping for Guitars in Tokyo’s Ochanomizu District

Aloha!

I travel to Japan quite a bit for business, and have spent plenty of my off hours prowling various cities for guitars, but there is one place that has more guitars than I have ever seen anywhere else in the world – the Ochanomizu neighborhood of Tokyo.

Most tourists that are shopping for electronics in Tokyo stop off at Akihabara, which is only one stop away from Tokyo station. There are barely any musical instrument stores there, but disappointed musicians only need to head one train station further to find nirvana, at Ochanomizu.

There are at least dozen large shops here, including a Big Boss, but surprisingly no Ishibashi store. All of them are packed to the gills with inventory, with not a square inch of empty space on the walls or floor. And this is not cheap stuff, either. There is every type of popular collectible American guitars from Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker, as well as plenty of Sadowsky Metro, Atelier Z and high-end ESP custom instruments. Of course Fender Japan is well-represented, too.

And it is not just guitars and amplifiers in Ochanomizu, either. There are entire shops dedicated to violins, ukuleles and wind instruments, too. I could spend an entire day looking though these shops and still not see everything – it is a total sensory overload.

The only thing I was a little bummed out about was the scarcity of second-hand instruments. The new inventory seemed to outweigh the used stuff by about a ten to one ratio, maybe even more. But most anything else that anybody is looking for can be found here.

If you want to see Ochanomizu for yourself, It is only a few steps from the Ochanomizu station which is served by the Soubu Line from Akihabara or the Chuo line from Tokyo station. You will not be disappointed!

Mahalo!

Osu Kannon Market, Nagoya Japan

There is a market tucked away in the middle of Nagoya Japan that is heaven for anyone that is into electronics or anything funky. It is a sprawling outdoor mall and neighborhood built behind the Osu Kannon temple.

The temple is a 20th century reconstruction of the original temple that was moved to this site in 1612. It is usually full of tourists and pigeons, and there is an endless supply of gravel in the yard to get stuck in your shoes. Meh.

The shopping area to the east is huge, with hundreds of shops that sell everything from souvenirs to toys, to vintage clothing to high-end electronics. There are also shops where you can buy second-hand high-end consumer goods, including brands such as Louis Vuitton and Rolex. Sadly, Uncle Meat has moved out of the mall. That is the best shop name. Ever.

But, I go there for the guitar shops and the vintage stereo equipment stores. This is a great place to find used Japanese guitars in shops like Komehyo and Big Boss, as well as a few smaller dealers that are tucked away in dark corners of the arcade. The stereo shops have early hi-fi equipment at truly breathtaking prices. Who ever thought that stuff would be valuable some day?

If you get hungry, there are plenty of eateries, including traditional Japanese noodle huts and octopus ball places, as well as a few Brazilian cafes that are outstanding. There are even a few of the hard to find beer vending machines. Such a shame that those are going away…

Twice a month (the 18th and 28th) there is a flea market where locals bring piles of crap that you can poke through. Communication can be a little tough, but they usually have a calculator that they can use to communicate prices. Negotiation is Japanese style, which means that you do not hardball them and try to talk them down by pointing out every little flaw in the item. They will shut you down and negotiations end right there. It is better to praise the item, and just tell them that it is priced a little too high for what you can pay, and they will usually come down a bit on the price.

You can reach Osu Kannon by taking the Tsurumai subway line to the Osu Kannon Station.

Sugoi!

Hard-Off Stores of Japan

Hard-Off. Heh. This is not the name of a Japanese girly bar or adult movie. It is a chain of some of the coolest stores in Japan.

In Japan, there is a constant push for consumers to have the newest and best products on the market. Hard-Off does not cater to people that are buying into that philosophy. These stores carry only secondhand items, in virtually every category imaginable.

These stores are crowded with merchandise. I usually go there to look for musical equipment, but they also have computers, toys, audio equipment, jewelry and sporting goods. I saw a set of Ping golf clubs for a hundred bucks there. What a deal!

The items in the stores may be used, but they are not abused. All of the items have been well-cared for, and all are in proper working order. Unless, that is, they are in the appropriately-labeled “Junk” section of the store. You get what you deserve if you pick something off of those shelves.

There are a number of offshoots of the “Off” stores. For example, you can head over to Book-Off to find some used tomes, or Garage-Off, Hobby-Off, Off-House or Mode-Off, for pretty much whatever else you are looking for.

As an aside, when I was trying to find a local Hard-Off store, I went to the concierge desk at an upscale hotel. They had never even heard of the store, and had to find it on the internet. As I said, there is a general perception that only the newest and best will do.