8 of the best record stores in Osaka

Slip into the alternate reality that is world music at Plantation in Amerikamura, a blast-from-the-past record store with shelves stocked full of tunes you’re unlikely to come across online – or anywhere else in Japan, for that matter.

The rows of vinyl, CDs and cassette tapes procured by the owner on his frequent journeys to countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Brazil make for inspiring browsing, even if you don’t recognise any of the artists. Connoisseurs of the Southeast Asian music scene in particular will have a hard time dragging themselves away from this treasure trove.

One of the many excellent record stores in Amerikamura, Groovenut has been going strong since 2010. Its shelves are stacked with everything from well-recognised to ultra-rare releases in genres including – but not limited to – soul, funk, jazz, disco, hip hop and Latin. American pressings make up the bulk of the selection.

The funkiest section is dedicated to rare groove, with LPs plus 7-inch and 12-inch singles awaiting samplers and aspiring trackmakers. The clientele includes plenty of DJs and other professionals, but that doesn’t mean you have to be an expert on vinyl to feel at ease in the shop; the friendly staff are happy to answer any questions and can help you look for specific records.

Sitting pretty amidst electronics retailers, hobby shops, and anime and manga speciality stores on Otaku (‘Ota’) Road in the tech-geek wonderland of Den Den Town, Naka isn’t exactly hard to find. There are giant cardboard boxes out front packed with discounted records, while garish electronic signboards advertise the shop as a ‘sound vault’ packed with ‘rare treasures’. 

You’ll find a wide and occasionally unwieldy variety of vinyl here, but the focus is on kayokyoku (Showa-era Japanese pop), enka and domestic rock. Check with the shopkeeper if you’re looking for anything specific; he’s a walking encyclopedia of nostalgic Japanese tunes and well-acquainted with Western music, too.

King Kong is an Amerikamura institution, having been part of the neighbourhood’s transformation into a hub for youth culture from the late ’70s onward. While many of the original American-import fashion and vintage stores that used to populate the area have closed and been replaced by boutiques and cafés, the vinyl haven named after the famous giant ape – now run by the original proprietor’s son – is going as strong as ever.

While still supported mainly by the local community, the shop has also become a destination for collectors from throughout Japan and overseas, who come to marvel at and dig through its 50,000-strong collection of records. It feels like every visit to King Kong yields new finds, and no wonder: they procure up to 300 new items every week, which makes for nearly 1,000 additions per month. Club music, hip hop and rock are particularly well represented.

Hip and occasionally flashy Minami-Senba feels like the perfect neighbourhood for one of Osaka’s most uncompromising record dealers. Eiji Taniguchi is a connoisseur of leftfield dance music – from disco and UK garage to old-school Japanese tunes and truly obscure Korean and Taiwanese grooves – and has become a minor celebrity among international diggers and DJs visiting Osaka.

The Vinyl Factory featured Revelation Time in its ‘world’s best record stores’ series back in 2017 and Taniguchi has only intensified his collecting efforts since, travelling across Asia in search of fresh tunes. As a DJ, he’s released several acclaimed compilations of Japanese dance music. 

Voxmusic’s shopkeeper started out in hip hop, but his two-decade musical journey has led him to and through genres as diverse as jazz, reggae, rock and Japanese pop. You’ll find a nice mix of Japanese and American pressings in his collection, in addition to an extensive selection of Brazilian and Latin releases.

If you’re looking for something particular but can’t find it in the crates, be sure to check with staff: significant swathes of the shop’s trove are housed in Voxmusic’s Umeda outpost, which is located on the fifth floor of the Nu Chayamachi shopping centre.

In Higashi-Shinsaibashi, just across the Midosuji Avenue from Amerikamura, stands a skinny building with an even more slender staircase, which you’ll have to climb two storeys from ground level to find this long-running record store. Beyond the poster-strewn entrance stand shelves filled mainly with rock, soul and blues releases from the ’60s and ’70s.

Hanky Panky deals in both vinyl and CDs, all personally selected by the seasoned shopkeeper himself and often available at surprisingly low prices. Visiting in person is the only way to find out what’s in stock, as the store maintains a minimal online presence and doesn’t seem to take many phone calls.

Historic, laid-back and family-friendly, Tanimachi-Rokuchome (‘Taniroku’) has seen an influx of stylish new shops and eateries over the past decade or so, but it took until 2021 for the first record store to open in the neighbourhood.

What was initially a bare-bones operation has grown steadily in the past few years, and you’ll now find around 2,000 LPs, some 400 7-inch singles and roughly 400 CDs on the shelves at Maradona Records. Everything on sale is available for listening in store, with the sounds routed through a handsome vintage McIntosh amp.

Now an integral part of the local landscape and a vibrant space where people from all walks of life come to mingle over funky tunes, Maradona Records is the kind of spot that’s worth a detour even if you aren’t on the hunt for vinyl.