Where to browse in Tokyo (or even Kanto)

Raishuu boku wa Tokyo ni imasu. Dono mise de ichiban ii Tokai LS wo kaimashou-ka?

I'll be in Tokyo next week. Does anyone know which shops might have a nice high end quilt Tokai LS?

8) this store has so many now, from regular to highend to semi-acoustic....j

http://www.kurosawagakki.com/sh_hama/index.html

http://www.pacifix.co.jp/index.html

8) this place is super cool too......many interesting gears not only tokai.....j

the both shops above are in yokohama not tokyo. yokohama and tokyo
are very close next to each other so you still can go there easily. kurosawa is always open but pacifix needs to be checked in case they are closed............
i leave one more big tokai dealer here later which is in tokyo...................

tokai joe. 8)

http://www.musicland.co.jp/store/shinjuku/


8) this one called KEY in sinjyuku has many tokais i guess........j

in tokyo yes.........

Musicland Shibuya shop in Tokyo is really amazing. Just check at your back when left underground station and it?s there.

luis said:

Musicland Shibuya shop in Tokyo is really amazing. Just check at your back when left underground station and it?s there.

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They had zero Tokais when I was there twice last summer.

Jason

P.S. My favorite store though was the downtairs Ikebe in Shibuya. What an amazing selection and beautiful layout!

Thanks very much for the suggestions, esp. Tokai Joe. I'll visit them all. I used to work in Tokyo (in Oomori, Ohta-ku), and have friends from Niigata to Mizawa. Those guys commute on Shinkansen, on company-paid passes. A few live in Yokohama, so those stores are no problem. I travel with a folding bike, stays in a bag on the train.

so where r u from man? u used to work in otaku for som high tech industry company or som? they r very near the tokyo airport u know.......
u remember keyhin kyuko and kamata station? such a dirty place !!!!!!!!!!
now keikiyu trains r going into the airport directly so its so much more convinience now........how many years ago u were here? anyways u come
and see again..........u arent one of those mormon christian people right?
there are some of them riding on their bikes around here sometimes
i guess going to their church from their home........why no car? no idea.......
clean people? i guessed......................................................................

ok man later very good safe trip in japan this time!..............tokai joe :wink:

I lived in Chidoricho, on that SLOW line between Kamata and Gotanda. Rode my bike to work in Oomori. No way to avoid sweat in the summer, so why not arrive at work drenched. The JP idea of aircon is 26C. 500 nihonjin in cubes and one hakujin.

EDIT: Musicland no longer lists Tokai in the store product lines.
http://www.musicland.co.jp/store/category/shibuya/6

More to follow... but the guitar heart of Tokyo is Ochanomizu, where I'm headed today, map in hand.


http://home.att.ne.jp/sun/M-Sroom/chamizu.html

Every red box is a guitar shop, new and used inventory.

I wish you didn't point that out! Lots I missed!
On your map I only got as far as Big Boss before crossing the street and heading back up the other side :roll:

Oh well, I guess it's a good excuse for another holiday! 8)

The report is.... Tokais are an endangered species in Tokyo. I visited about 12 shops in Ochanomizu. One had an LS-90Q for ~USD 1100, and an LS-135 (plain top, price not marked). Another shop had a used Talbo. A third had a used Strat copy. ESP and PRS were over-represented... broad selection, and in 10 out of 12 shops. EVERY shop had high end Gibsons, and most had a full range from USD 450 Melody Makers on through the latest reissues. One shop had a Robot Gibson LP. The tuning machines are each about 30 mm deep, and 20 mm square.. and HEAVY! I'll never complain about Grover's again. Grass-Roots is a new brand for me... lots of LP copies for under USD 500. A few shops had Grecos and various Fernandes brands.

Broadly speaking, the used guitar shops are on the west side (Meiji Univ. side) of the main drag, and the new guitar shops are on the east side (Nihon Univ. side).

Next, I stopped in the Musicland Key shop on Yasukuni-dori in Shinjuku. Key had about 6 Tokais, none very nice.

I had money in my pocket looking for a used quilt top Love Rock. The money is still in my pocket. The shop staff were extremely reluctant to tell me anything about which shops have used guitars. One guy said he didn't understand English... and I was speaking in Japanese. Typical sales person behaviour in Japan.

maunaloa said:

. The shop staff were extremely reluctant to tell me anything about which shops have used guitars. One guy said he didn't understand English... and I was speaking in Japanese. Typical sales person behaviour in Japan.

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at least they didn`t flee.
I`m thinkin`...why would people bring the used Tokais they wanna sell to shops and get next to nothing for them when they can sell them on line and get more for them now that they sold for new.
As for new Tokais...the local Rock Inn just got a batch in...every one Made in China, so i got a used MIJ Epi SG instead.
See if theres a Hard Off...don`t ask...in the area you are staying in...I`ve found some amazing deals in the one here.

maunaloa said:

The report is.... Tokais are an endangered species in Tokyo.

Click to expand...

I think Tokais are endangered species worldwide :lol: I can't find any of the models I want.

We should create an association and order directly from the factory. :lol:

I forgot to mention...Grassroots are ESP`s budget line...TONS of those here.
Look for Crews, or Deviser/Bacchus, Kids, Zodiac, Dragonfly... plus there seem to be new brand names almost every couple of months in magazines...Deceivers look nice...or just get yourself a used 80s Yamaha SG 2000 and nothing else will matter.

The two Sumiya's in my neck of the woods carry a respectable number of Tokai's and thank goodness for Taniguchi Gakki for us lefties...29 Tokais in stock.

maunaloa,

I'm gonna borrow your map.

Thanks,

Scott

Scott... please post a report after your visit.

While in Japan (now back in HI), I watched Yahoo Japan and Rakuten auction sites... no notable Tokais came up. I'm beginning to think that exports are very significant for Tokai Gakki, and that the Japanese domestic market is shrinking for them. I even saw ESP music schools, seems like ESP is the dominant player.