Guitar shops in Japan

**newsense** · 08-13-2014, 02:18 PM

I leave for a 2 week trip to Japan in about 10 days time. The first week I will be static in Fukuoka, with short stays in Kyoto, Kofu and Tokyo during the 2nd week. It I have time it will be interesting to see what is available in Japan in the medium price range. Has anyone any recommendations for shops to visit ?

**Flat** · 08-13-2014, 02:47 PM

Definitely spend some time in the Ochanomizu (tea water) district in Tokyo.

**Jabberwocky** · 08-13-2014, 02:53 PM

Too many. Go to Ochanomizu and prepare for sensory overload.

For archtops, check out walkin.co.jp . The shop takes some finding as the front is hidden in some side alley. Check out the Archtop Tribute series and the Westville which should be in store by the time you visit.

You cannot leave Japan without picking up a MIJ Momose, Bacchus, 77 Guitars or Tokai. It will be sinful not to.

If you read Japanese, scope out ??????????????????????????? or ??????????????????????? | J??? for shops and locations.

**newsense** · 08-13-2014, 03:08 PM

Got it - Ochanomizu - I guess I have a couple of weeks to work on my pronunciation !

**Jabberwocky** · 08-13-2014, 03:32 PM

O Cha No Mi..tsk. The last consonant is an aspirated very short fricative. Like an almost silent Tsk.

**M-ster** · 08-13-2014, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by newsense

I leave for a 2 week trip to Japan in about 10 days time ...

If you bring back a gross or two of Ibanez George Benson medium guitar picks, you could parse them out and sell them to about half the members on this site!

**Philco** · 08-13-2014, 08:27 PM

Another vote for Walkin. I was there a couple of years ago now. I got to play 2 Johnny Smith Gibsons. There were 2 Super 400 there as well plus many other vintage Gibsons.
It seems like a dream now but I distinctly remember my wife saying "just buy it" and me replying "but honey it's over $10,000AU and how do I get it home?"
Why was I suddenly overcome with a bout of common sense?
I could be playing that JS right now!!

Hope he is stocked up for you!

**gingataff** · 08-14-2014, 02:46 AM

FWIW they had 2 Westvilles on display in Walkin' when I was there a couple of weeks ago.

Anyway you should go to Ochanomizu, I like the used guitar shops best, Shimokura second hands, they have two branches on opposite sides of the street. Right down at the bottom of the road there's a branch of Kurosawa Gakki that has a good selection of high class archtops and dedicated gibson and fender floors.

Shibuya is good for the big chain stores, Key, Ishibashi and Ikebe.

**xuoham** · 08-14-2014, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

O Cha No Mi..tsk. The last consonant is an aspirated very short fricative. Like an almost silent Tsk.

Fricative, uh ? Tsk ? lol Really? lol

No disrespect here, just amusement, but ... where did you learn this ?

Ocha No Mizu :

"O Tcha No Mizoo" or, depending on age and location "O Cha No Midzoo"

**Jabberwocky** · 08-14-2014, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by xuoham

Fricative, uh ? Tsk ? lol Really? lol

No disrespect here, just amusement, but ... where did you learn this ?

Ocha No Mizu :

"O Tcha No Mizoo" or, depending on age and location "O Cha No Midzoo"

Only a gaijin reads it the way you do. How do you read Mitsubishi, gaijin?

**xuoham** · 08-14-2014, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

Only a gaijin reads it the way you do. How do you read Mitsubishi, gaijin?

Oh yeah ? Living in Japan since 2002, lol ...

Check this, nihongo no sensei, and click on the little blue "play" button ... no fricative there, no friskies either, even less fornicative.
Just a very short "zoo", that tends to be on the short "dzoo" side.
No "tsk" here.

But anyway, op is a gaijin (foreigner for Japanese people) so actually it's perfect, all we need here is how a gaijin should say Ocha No Mizu in order to be understood, guided, and enter the magic cave of guitars, lol.

**kawa** · 08-14-2014, 06:27 AM

An Example For The Jazz Guitar Shop In Japan

??????????????????????
Please click the left side items(Gibson etc) and click the shown photos.

https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/7787-good-sounds.html

**kawa** · 08-14-2014, 06:38 AM

Archtop shopping in Tokyo

**oldane** · 08-16-2014, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Philco

........ I distinctly remember my wife saying "just buy it" and me replying "but honey it's over $10,000AU and how do I get it home?"
Why was I suddenly overcome with a bout of common sense?
I could be playing that JS right now!!

The same happpened to me in London 20 years ago. They had a beautiful blonde L5CES at a good price. My wife encouraged me to buy it but I answered just like you did. Oh well.....

**2bornot2bop** · 08-17-2014, 07:44 PM

be certain to check for mildew and smoke on any perspective guitar you're seriously considering...have a safe trip...sounds fun!

**newsense** · 08-19-2014, 03:36 PM

Many thanks guys for all the good advice - and the pronunciation lesson - albeit somewhat confusing - but I have an app for that !

News in from my host suggests that I may have more time in Kyoto than Tokyo for browsing. Does anybody know, is it even worth looking in Kyoto ?

Thanks again, Andy

**kawa** · 08-20-2014, 05:56 AM

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**newsense** · 08-20-2014, 03:41 PM

Kawa - many thanks. Following your link, I found this lurking in the MusicLand webpages: Ibanez ??????? ARTSTAR SS301F - MUSICLAND KEY???????????

The new Ibanez SS301FF, presumably another Japan-only model.

Guitar shops in Japan-ss301f-png

If I have done my conversions correctly , it is priced around $1250/£700. For my taste, it has the wrong tailpiece and the pickguard is too large.

**kawa** · 08-20-2014, 04:02 PM

for referrence.
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=Ib...sm=93&ie=UTF-8

**newsense** · 08-20-2014, 04:11 PM

Ah - not so rare then.

**newsense** · 08-30-2014, 10:45 PM

Spent an hour or two browsing the mainstream guitar shops in Kyoto yesterday: Big Boss, Jeugia, Music Land. No real intention to buy, just comparing prices with the UK. Jeugia have a Fender sale on this weekend. The Fender Japan Teles in Natural Ash look mighty good value and very tempeting. My best value find was a Yamaha SA2200 for about 2/3 of the UK price. I would have to smuggle it through customs on return to reap all that value - a little too large to fit under my jacket, I think.

The abovementioned Ibanez SS301FF doesn't look as good in the flesh and I will pass on that as well, even with one at 2/3 the RRP - a second, I think.

Given the large amount of Roland gear in the shops, I was hoping to find a new Blues Cube to try, but not one in sight.

**xuoham** · 08-31-2014, 12:10 AM

I thought you would be more looking into used (chuuko 中古) guitars.

There are still some fantastic old Greco, Tokai, Orville, Aria, Ibanez, etc... the usual suspects.
Though they are not inexpensive, there are some good bargains, imo.

**newsense** · 08-31-2014, 08:28 AM

Would love to - but haven't found the right places yet !

**xuoham** · 08-31-2014, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by newsense

Would love to - but haven't found the right places yet !

Here are all the details to go to TC Gakki, specialized in second hand guitars.

Unfortunately, i am in Okinawa, 2 hours by (expensive) plane from Tokyo, but i once bought online from them a brand new "used" Ibanez AF105, splendid, still with the foam under the bridge, for 500$ !

Very reliable and serious folks, i think.

Check it out ! :-)

**gingataff** · 08-31-2014, 09:49 AM

Tc Gakki is good place, in Shin Okubo near Shinjuku. Korean town. Lots of good places to eat around there.

Across the road is a branch of Kurosawa Gakki.
I bought a used Eric Johnson strat there. They had some killer archtops too.