@lewm , Japanese vinyl grading system is similar to Russian system of grading records. In Soviet Union collectors would only have 2 ratings Mint or Not Mint where Mint means it's good to sell which means there's not even a fingerprint can be noted. |
There are a lot of used record stores in Tokyo, in Japan really. Many of them specialize. They’ll be a whole book in fact on used record stores and what their specialities are. One thing to keep in mind is, many of them are not in the first floor. So you really need to use google street view to make sure you’re in front of the right building and then go look at the lists of businesses in the lobby. Another thing to keep in mind is which exit you use to leave to subway so your closest to the store you want to go to. It sounds like a small thing but it can prove not to be. I was buying used records in Tokyo in the 80’s with a musician named John Zorn who had an apartment there at the time, he had a whole book in Japanese, with a page on each store and a diagram for what exit of the subway you got out of. I’ve been back since and it’s so much easier now with smart phones but still not the linear here is the address, here is the store, you might be used to. Vinyl Factory will have a good online record store guide and they’ll will be others online as well. I’ve been in stores in the US that the day they were opening, had a team of Japanese buyers scouring the store and buying hundreds of records to send back to Japan. So there are amazing records there, from all over. |
