Where to go in Tokyo

The first ward you must visit is without a doubt Shinjuku. Here you will find a lot of music shops with a variety of music, mostly rock. First of all it is very important to know which exit you should take at Shinjuku Station. Shinjuku Station is the biggest and busiest station on the planet so it’s very easy to get lost! That’s why you should always take the West Exit. Once outside you should go to your right and there you’ll find one of the biggest main streets in Shinjuku. Of course there is a lot to explore (and I really recommend you to do so!) but right now we will only focus on the shops in this area. One of the first shops you’ll encounter in this particular street is Closet Child. Closet Child has a few shops around Tokyo and this one has its focus on second hand clothing. You will find a lot of second hand shops around Tokyo so don’t be surprised. The store consists of two floors, one for Sweet Gothic Lolita and another one for more punk and gothic fashion from different brands.

On the same side of the street as this Closet Child you will pass in front of a shop that’s not easy to miss. Its outside is covered in pictures and signs from a variety of artists that have also paid a visit to this shop. This is also something you will often see in shops. This 4 floored shop is filled with bootleg CD’s and DVD’s ranging from rock, metal, punk to pop. A huge amount of bootlegs for cheap, that is, if you are interested in bootlegs of course. So I can recommend this one if you’re interested in bootlegs or if you’re dying to see that one particular show of your favorite band. You might find it there! Continuing on the same side of the street you can find even more bootleg shops and some record stores that are specialized in punk and metal music. As I said before, punk music is still very big there compared to other parts of the world so it’s easy to find a wide selection.

A little bit further on you’ll find another Closet Child in one of the side streets. This one is filled with CD’s and merchandise from J-rock and Visual Kei bands with different prices and different articles. In that same side street there’s another small shop called Pure Sounds that is also specialized in the same genre’s and has a big selection to choose from. Both of these shops have new CD’s/DVD’s as well as second hand rare stuff. In the side street along side of Pure Sounds there’s another small shop that is very easy to miss where you can find old rock classics. Around these streets there are a few more shops that focus on Visual Kei, like An Edison and some others with a selection of Western rock ranging from the old classics to the more recent releases. Like I said, Shinjuku is big and there is a lot to explore, but if you’re there you will find out by yourself.

Moving on to two other wards in Tokyo, Shibuya and Harajuku. The name Shibuya might not sound familiar to you but I’m sure everyone has heard about it. It will ring a bell as soon as you find out that that’s the place where the “big” crossing, the one that you see in movies, is located. It’s definitely big and you’ll recognize it as soon as you come out of the station and see the big Starbucks and all the TV screens around you. Start walking towards the Starbucks and start exploring those three streets around it! One of the first department stores that you’ll find is Tetsuya. That is also where the Starbucks is located in so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. It’s a department store with a large number of floors filled with a huge selection of music, movies, books and games. There is something there for everyone, there’s even a second hand part in the basement where you’ll find a lot of CD’s and DVD’s for a soft price and in excellent condition. A little bit further outside there’s a HMV and a Tower Records, two other international department stores with a large amount of entertainment in various genre’s. And in case you’re looking for stuff to read in English, you could try out Tower Records. A fun fact is that both of these stores often have in store events and you’ll find both stores in different spots around Tokyo.

In Shibuya you might find some other cool shops such as the Book-off and Recofan and a instrument shop right under Recofan which you should check out if you’re a musician. For merchandise and clothing, there’s a shop in one of the upper floors that’s called BLITZ, so watch out for the signs on the buildings. BLITZ has a lot of different band shirts, clothing and accessories but it is unfortunately also very expensive. You’ll also find a lot in Harajuku, the district that got a lot of attention worldwide thanks to, among others, Gwen Stefani. It has one of the biggest department stores called Laforet in which you can find different kind of designer clothes, also alternative designer clothes, books and another Like An Edison. In the busy Harajuku Street, also one of the many tourist spots, you’ll see that you can find a lot of junk but also a lot of cool little shops if you pay attention. You can find a lot of alternative clothing as well as another Closet Child, Zen-mall and Jim’s Inn, one of the places to go for a punk rocker and with very friendly staff. Besides punk clothing it’s like a small museum with so many photographs and autographs from bands that have also been there such as Rancid, Dropkick Murphy’s,The Casualties, The Distillers and many many more. Just a bit outside of Harajuku Street you’ll find Rudeness, a Dr.Martens store and many other small punk shops. Just like Shinjuku, don’t forget the small side streets in Shibuya and Harajuku.

Furthermore it’s impossible to sum everything up district by district seeing as there are so many wards. Just try as many out as you can. Just to name some other recommended spots: There’s an instrument shop filled with if course instruments, CD’s and books in Electric Town in Akihabara (just behind Radio Kaikan). And in Nakano (Broadway) there’s Recomints, a shop with new and second hand CD’s ranging from pop to rock and everything in between.

All that’s left for me to say is that I would recommend you to just have fun and enjoy the wonderful city that is Tokyo, and don’t forget to check out if there’s a gig from a cool band anywhere near! Tokyo has a lot of cool venues and almost every band wouldn’t miss a chance to bring a visit to Japan.

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