What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you hear ‘vinyl’? Apart from dominatrix’s and kitchen floors you may get the odd person who thinks records. But who buys records nowadays? Of course there are the DJ’s, but that’s all gone digital now, hasn’t it? For a few people it still remains an important format, and for some it’s an obsession. The big black discs disappeared with the advent of cassettes and CD’s, but are making a comeback thanks to dedicated collectors and purist DJ’s alike. Japan is well known as a mecca for vinyl junkies, and a quick trip around a few stores shows the culture is alive and kicking. Osaka, whilst lacking anything like the ‘vinyl village’ area of Shibuya, still contains a vibrant scene around Ame-Mura for those willing to dig through those dusty crates.

CISCO
One of the giants of Ame-Mura, Cisco is usually packed-out with all sorts of people looking for that new hit. With sister stores located in Tokyo and Sapporo, I’m giving a special shout out to Cisco for stocking Fat Freddy’s Drop, this writer’s favorite group for the past few years and the only store I saw stocking it. Well supplied and up to date, this place is a good bet for that new slab of wax, most of the time at a fairly reasonable price. It’s probably one of the more diverse stores, stocking a large selection of House, Drum’n’Bass, Breaks, Hip Hop and R&B, alongside Psy, Downbeat & even a little Rock. Definitely worth a mention are the abundant turntables provided for listening before buying – something that you would swear was an offence worthy of capital punishment in some stores.

MANHATTAN
If you’re into Hip Hop then this place should definitely be on your list to visit. The added bonus is that you can have a laugh at the ridiculous amount of posing that gets done in this store; play count the trucker hats and Timberland boots for a bit of fun. It is however the place to pick up that brand new promo or white label hot off the press. Move upstairs and some sense of normality returns, with a separate House room and a more underground/classic section of Hip Hop, along with some R&B and a clutch of Battle & Breaks records.

KING KONG
Perhaps the most well-stocked stores for second-hand vinyl in Osaka, King Kong has several branches spread erratically throughout Ame-Mura. A massively diverse selection of genres covering all tastes of music grace their bins which are often home to some classic records at bargain prices. The completely random, yet seemingly frequent sales are a draw card too (you can sign up for free email notification on these), and the ¥100, ¥300 and ¥500 bargain bins an easy way to loose an hour or three. Recommended.

CYDER
Perhaps the grimiest, and definitely the most unusual of record stores in Osaka, Cyder is located next to Cisco, through a gloomy and rather gothic lobby and up a dodgy elevator to the second floor. Blasting their main genre, Drum’n’Bass, at all hours of the day, they also stock a selection of Hip Hop and a smattering of other electronic styles. The oddities start with the fact that the store can be rented out as a party space - although one wonders who would be game enough to try, check out the odd selection of bottles behind the counter. The strangeness is fantastically concluded by the fact that they also sell scooters; no, not some kind of cocktail but the motorized 50cc variety!

A1
Easy to miss, this quaint little place is right next to Manhattan, on the left and up on the third floor. Another varied selection awaits the browser, with Rock, Alternative and Hip Hop the specialties. The staff are very friendly and helpful, and are happy for you to listen to records – that is if you can be bothered taking one out of the annoying sealed plastic sleeves that are oddly favored in Japan.

SAKURA RECORDS
Take the elevator to this place; it’s a rather dizzying slog around the bizarre circular stairway otherwise. Up on the fourth floor, the menu consists of first pressing and hard to find Hip Hop, R&B and Funk. If that’s what you’re after it’s a goldmine, but proves to be a little pricey for the average buyer. However, it’s worth the trip to try your luck in the ¥500 and ¥1000 clearance boxes, where you can sometimes pick up a gem amongst the scrap.

BAOBAB
Boasting a rather diverse genre selection for its modest size, including Afro-Beat and French-Pop???, Baobao manages to organize itself rather efficiently. Offering quite a bit of Hip Hop, and a large-for-Osaka cache of Drum’n’Bass, the main focus of the store is most probably Reggae. Spend some time browsing through the 45’s and have a listen while you’re at it. You’ll find it on the third floor, to the left of Hale Organic café.

TIME BOMB
Rockers, Punks, Goths rejoice! The epicenter of all things guitar based, Time Bomb even has its own record label, releasing obscure bands no one has heard of before….just joking, I’m sure they’re fantastic. Really. A good place to check out what’s happening next weekend gig wise, this roomy store houses a large collection of Indie, Rock, Punk and even Rockabilly to name but a few. Albeit a little pricey, and sometimes unnecessarily so, it’s a good place to hunt for rare records and bizarre Japanese pressings. Look for the red sign next to Rodeo café and head on down to the ‘Imported Vintage Record Store’.

DMR/ROCKERS ISLAND
Although the painfully bright and sterile DMR store may remind you more of a dentist’s clinic than a record store, you have to give them props for trying. A great stop off for the working DJ, you’ll find a good selection of all the latest tracks to get the dancfloor all hot and sweaty. Hip Hop downstairs, Jazz, House and Garage up above. Next door you’ll find Rockers Island, specializing in all things Reggae, with hundreds of records meticulously organized into all sorts of weird and wonderfully esoteric sub-genres. Its worth going just to check out the huge wall of 45’s all hanging from pegs. Very cool.


If technology’s your thing head down to Mad Kafe, who offer online ordering via UK website Intergroove, including free shipping. Other places taking a bit more Robert Langdon-esk type knowledge to find include Newtone, Especial, Booncoon, Disc JJ and Siesta Records. I could tell you where these and more are, but I’m not going to. That would just take the magic out of it now wouldn’t it?