Here's what I know of Tokyo. Last time I was there was summer '94, so
there's probably lots of new places by now.
* Shops
WAVE, Shibuya branch. Great place for new as well as rare stuff. CD & 12".
Pretty knowledgeable staff - knew exactly what I meant when I asked for KLF
and "Space". Picked up Joyrex J9 here for $11. :)
Disk Union, Shibuya branch. Often has old rare items. CD & 12".
HMV, Shibuya branch. So-so IDM section. CD-only. Some interesting Euro comps.
Virgin, Shinjuku branch. Decent IDM section but pricier. (Not that you'll
notice among the steep-overall Japanese prices.) CD-only.
Rough Trade, in Shinjuku. Not much IDM selection but some rare non-IDM gems.
Friendly, English-speaking staff who'll order things for you.
Pink Vinyl, in Shinjuku. Or at least I think it's called Pink Vinyl. It's very
close to Rough Trade so you could ask there. Very difficult to find, but
they've got some amazing, um, difficult-to-find old stuff, IDM and non-IDM.
(ex: New Order Christmas flexi 7"!) Check out the three-floor CD/video store
in front of it for rare bootlegs / Japan-only video releases.
Tower Records, Shinjuku branch. Not a great IDM selection, but has the best
listening stations, esp. for Japanese releases. Some acid jazz 12"s, Dorado
etc.
CD Recofan, Shinjuku branch. Great selection of new and old vinyl.
* Clubs
Liquid Room, in Shibuya. Nice space, great gigs. Underworld and Sabres played
here.
Yellow, in Roppongi. Some people dislike this place intensely for some reason.
It's very small and cozy. The Orb played here (what a gig!) & an excerpt of it
was put on the "Live 93" album.
Have fun!
James Jung-Hoon Seo // Oracle New Media
(415) 506-3829 // jseo@us.oracle.com
Spent my whole life neurotic and fat /
Now I'm just a three-legged cat // Red House Painters