When I asked a dear friend in Tokyo where he buys his records his answer was.....Austria! I did come across a couple of used stores in Shibuya but the stuff they had was not of collectible condition. I was told that there are a few good sources for quality used LPs but these are in private homes and accessible only after working hours. The prices are supposed to be pretty high especially for US pressed Jazz originals and unless you speak nihongo, you'd best be accompanied by a local. My dumpster diving expeditions failed miserably in short. I made up for the heartache with food instead!
If there are any? Really? Japan has only the best record stores in the world!
If you don't have much time, just hit all the Disk Union stores and you'll be golden
New releases are going to be pricy, as well as true originals, but regular used stuff, specially japanese pressings, are pretty affordable, and will generally be in incredible condition.
Thank you for the replies. Unfortunately, I am not going. But my friend who is an American is married to a Japanese woman goes 3-4 times per year so their kids can get to know the grandparents and learn the Japanese culture.
My specific interest is in recordings and performances that may have only been released in that market, but not in Europe or US. I will sniff around...
If you like jazz, explore the japanese jazz scene of the 70s. Tons of great stuff there! The Three Blind Mice label is very well known to audiophiles, but there are true musical gems in their catalogue!