Tokyo Record Style

Have you seen the movie 君の名は / Kimi no Na wa (“Your Name”)? It’s the award-winning, record-grossing, beloved Japanese animated film from 2016 written and directed by Makoto Shinkai that follows the story of two teenage kids who, despite never having met, end up waking up in each other's bodies every other day, and the chaos that ensues from it.

The story corresponds with a comet that, in its once-in-1200-years pass of earth, suddenly fragments high in earth atmosphere, with large piece coming crashing down, directly into the mountain town of Itomori, killing a huge number of residents and leaving a massive crater in its wake (said to have been inspired by Lake Suwa in Nagano). The fantasy aspect of the body swapping allows the protagonists to send messages to each other from different timelines, and through their cooperation, are essentially able to save the residents from disaster. The final quest is to meet in person and …maybe fall is love… but I won’t give it away. It’s a REALLY great film and you don’t really need to follow the plot completely to become wrapped up in the drama and passion of the story.

One of the most effective aspects of the film is the deeply moving orchestral score and soundtrack composed and performed by J-rockers, Radwimps. The tunes will capture your heart while pulling on its strings, replete with melancholy ballads and soaring anthems. So good are the songs that the movie is practically an “OVT” (original video-track) for the music. Not something I would normally seek out, but so captivated and touched by this movie and soundtrack, I had to pick it up on vinyl.

About 10 years after it debuted, it eventually found its way to capturing the imagination and heart of my daughter too:

“Dad, do you know the movie, Kimi no Na wa?”

"Yeah, of course honey, why do you ask?"

"I already watched it once and I love it. Can we watch it together? And can we get the soundtrack?"

"It's already in our collection. Wanna listen to it? It's right over there”

(Digs in records)

“...WHOA...”

So months and months pass and we watch the movie 3 or 4 times and listen to the soundtrack countless more, and Kimi no Na wa becomes one of our all-time favs and we just can’t get enough. My daughter eventually asks if we can someday go to Lake Suwa to the scenic spot in the movie’s climax, and if we can go see it at sunset, just like in the movie. “Sure honey, we can go.” …thinks to self: “There’s a damn good record store near Lake Suwa, Cellar Records, to where I drove the sidecar on one occasion, and road-tripped to with my homie Bryce on another occasion.”

Another month passes when I get a call from Bryce

“Hey Brian, out in the country-side of Japan with my family, and guess what’s on the way home from where we are?”

“Lake Suwa?” (read: “Cellar Records?”)

“Yep.”

“Let’s your family and my family meet there. Let’s do lake, soba, records, shrine, and the “Kimi no Na wa” view.

“Bet.”

And that is exactly what we did, rendezvoused three hours from Tokyo for a day of music, family, food, intentions, one specTACular sunset, JUST in time, and indeed, for core memories. I wish I could show you some of the family photos, but some of them are teenagers and don’t much care for all the exhibitionism (but my daughter DID take that perfect sunset photo!), so accept my furry mug (other photos by homie, Bryce), and a few shots of some handsome fathers.

Killer mission accomplished. Happy families. Happy Dads. Happy time.

#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity #Rock #StageandScreen #Soundtrack #JRock #Anison #KiminoNawa #Radwimps

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5 6

46 minutes ago | [YT] | 2

Tokyo Record Style

I keep saying that the world gets smaller through music, and the more times I say it, the more true it seems to become. Smaller this way in terms of geography I guess. I just learned all about a Spanish town called Olot, in a high but temperate mountainous region of Catalonia, surrounded by volcanos(!!!) and not too far from the Sea. It’s from where Clàudia, pictured here with a smattering of Sadao Watanabe records, hails. Originally from nearby Barcelona I suspect she was brought to Olot for the deeply rich art culture and design heritage the town offers. It has heaps of architecturally noteworthy sites, picturesque cobblestone back alleys, and modestly grandiose squares. I had a schoolboy curiosity reading all about it just now, …and now I’d like to go and visit. Claudia assured me I’d feel right at home, for Olot with its volcanic landscapes, looks a little like a mountainous Japanese village, and from what I can tell, she’s right! 

…and Claudia would be one to know as well, for she’s been coming to Japan many years and loves to visit. She mentioned having a dear friend who she visits in Iki, a Nagasaki island that I had never heard of, some 80km off the coast of Kyushu, halfway to Korea, which I also just went down a rabbit hole of Wikipedia exploration. Looks like an idyllic place with beautiful blue waters and even dolphins! Another place to put on the bucket list. Having myself worked for many years very adjacent to architecture, Clàudia and I actually riffed on and on (and on!) about some of Japan’s most celebrated designers, studios, and ateliers. As an architect, that is one of the main focuses of her travels to Japan. No doubt, given more time, we could have conversed till the cows came home and I would have really loved that. Clàudia was filled with passion and charisma, and has a zest for life, as you can see in her smile. Oddly enough, we didn’t even really get to talking about her interest in Japanese jazz. NEXT TIME! Another one for the Tokyo Record Style books! Thanks Clàudia for the fun chat and the nice photos. Hope we may meet again some day. You never know…The world gets smaller through music.

#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity #Jazz #JazzFunk #SmoothJazz #SoulJazz #Latin #Shimokitazawa #下北沢

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 9

Tokyo Record Style

Welcome back Toti (and Crew) to Tokyo Record Style!

Believe it or not, Toti and the Garcia Dalmacion are the first subjects I photographed in 2026. With the TRS YouTube channel and a Record Style Discord that I’m managing, I’m that far behind with photos …but I’m getting caught up. If you’ve been following Tokyo Record Style, you’ve actually met Toti several times already, in livestreams, reels, stories, and a record/-label-focussed post, just about 10 or so posts back. Scroll back and you can meet him again and hear all about his independent record store (This is Pop Records) and label (Terno Recordings) in Manila, and many of the records he releases and shows he produces.

For now I just want to send him a shout out and introduce you to his lovely crew who came over to Tokyo from Manila (on their umpteeth trip) earlier this year, his lovely lovely Ri-chan, and their two sons, Pa-chan, and Pe-chan, all super cool, creative, and indeed fashionable. We rendezvoused a few times during their stay, for a couple of really nice meals, once with J-indie sensation Mai of Bertoia (with whom Toti’s label worked and who I know throw TRS repeater and YABBAI!

Yeah, so Toti has become a great friend to know and we’ve already had some really fun times together, record digging, studio visiting, sharing meals, mini roadtrip, party going, and we even saw My Bloody Valentine together, which was just a blast. We even got recognized together on the streets of Shibuya by a couple fans visiting from …where what it, Toti… Sweden?

I’m really glad to know Toti and I’m looking forward to the day I can visit him on HIS turf in Manila. If I could align a visit to coincide with some big shot artist, legendary DJ, or music pioneer, somebody like Jeff Mills who he just brought to Manila, that would be swell. Also I’m keen to see his new record store/listening bar that I know he worked insanely hard on and must be, like him, one of a kind in Manila.

Thanks for connecting, Toti (and crew!) See you again someday.
More TRS on the way!

OH! P.S. This album that Toti is posing with, Rose Melberg’s Cast Away The Clouds from 2007, which I had never heard of …just sublime! You can definitely count on Toti’s tastes. They're impeccable!


#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity #Rock #Pop #Folk #Acoustic #Indie #Rock

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 day ago | [YT] | 9

Tokyo Record Style

Oh my gosh, Rabind Charles! What a dude!

It was actually Rabind’s wife, Suyen with whom I first connected. She reached out to me via the Tokyo Record Style Website regarding my “Tokyo Record Shuttle” service, essentially a tour guide package I offer for record maniacs like myself. With 20+ years of living (and record collecting, and now doing this) in Japan, I know many of the shop owners, some of the Jazz Kissa proprietors, and just Tokyo on the whole. With a small but comfortable city car, I can tote folks around to the shops with cultural stops along the way, then maybe a nightcap at a cool listening bar. Suyen was planning a family trip from Singapore to Tokyo and she thought this would be a perfect surprise gift to set up for Rabind. So that’s how it started, and Rabind was in the dark about all this up until the very last minute. When I picked him up at the hotel, he didn’t totally know what was in store for him, but we went from there. As a hardcore music lover and record collector, he was definitely up for the shop-hopping fun I had planned for him with Suyen.

So… we went all around Tokyo and to too many shops to remember, HMVs, Disk Unions, a handful of indie shops, clusters of stores in hip Tokyo neighborhoods, a nice lunch at, of all places, Denny’s (!!), a trip down memory lane for him as a place he used to go as a medical student. Oh yeah, I didn’t mention that, Rabind and I think Suyen too, are both physicians, and if I remember correctly, Rabind is a surgeon, and he saves lives in emergency rooms. As a motorcycle rider myself, I asked him if he saw many motorcycle accidents in the ER. “Everyday,” he replied. OUCH!

Well, Rabind and I got on like a barn on fire and shared lots of stories about music, about family life and more, and actually had some real heart to heart moments in flowing conversations we had. So fun was our day in Tokyo that Suyen arranged for me to join Rabind for a 2ND(!!!) day of digging down in Osaka! So I hopped on a train and we did it all over again the next day!

Two absolutely terrific days, and we managed to see tons of sites, visit heaps of shops, and both score a mountain of records, AND we managed to score Rabind a copy of the highly sought after LIVE Billy Joel RSD release which he was really chuffed about.

Great to meet you Rabind! Thanks so much Suyen! Hope to connect again some day! Many blessings and love from Tokyo!

#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 week ago | [YT] | 16

Tokyo Record Style

June 29, 1966 - The Beatles reached Tokyo at dawn today following travel delays from an ocean typhoon and were escorted under tight guard to the Tokyo Hilton Hotel to await their concert dates at the Nippon Budokan.

During the afternoon, the band attended a press meeting where regulations restricted questioning to three credentialed reporters whose inquiries were read and translated.

Asked about their understanding of Japan, Paul McCartney said, “We don’t know much about Japan except what we’ve read or seen on film.”
John Lennon added, “And we don’t believe all that.”

Questioned about the elaborate security surrounding their visit, Starr replied simply, “Very safe.”

McCartney explained, “The thing is — if the security is strict, it is probably best for us and the people as well. Sometimes it’s too strict, but the best situation is when it’s just strict enough so that nobody gets hurt.”

Regarding changes in their music, George Harrison said, “Well, we’ve always done both types of music — beat and ballad. And we haven’t actually changed it right over from one to the other. We still do both types.”

Regarding their hairstyles, Ringo said: “I doubt if we’ll be changing ’em for a while, anyway. I think the next change will be when we go bald.”

Lennon was asked if they were happy. “Yes,” he replied simply. When asked what he sought next, he said, “Peace.”

McCartney and Lennon repeated together, “Peace,” then McCartney added: “Ban the bomb.”

Representing the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Japan, Ken Gary asked about objections to their appearance at the Budokan.
McCartney answered, “All we’re doing is coming here and singing because we’ve been asked to.”
Lennon added, “Better to watch singing than wrestling, anyway.”

McCartney continued, “We’re not trying to violate anything.”

On criticism from older Britons over their MBE, Harrison remarked, “We tolerate the old people, whereas they don’t tolerate us.”

When questioned about the war in Vietnam, Lennon said:

“Well, we think about it every day, and we don’t agree with it, and we think it’s wrong. That’s how much interest we take. That’s all we can do about it — say that we don’t like it.”

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 10

Tokyo Record Style

Mistreated woman. That is both the name of the album that this woman bought and the moniker I have to give her for having forgotten her name and for failing to find any notes I might have jotted down about her as I caught her leaving Disk Union in Shimokitazawa right as they were closing. “Whatcha you gonna do when the man walks out on you!” the lyric on the title track by Margie Evens goes, and that’s the way I feel …that I walked out on her.

What can I tell you? She was British, en vogue, a bit coy with some batty eyelashes, demure, poised, and effortlessly and confidently cool in offering up a striking pose in her London Trenchcoat. Yeah, I admit I was a bit transfixed as she was something to behold and carried herself like a model, disaffected, cordially humouring me as a courtesy. She was nice, and well, nice to look at too. Now more than ever, I’m regretting I mistreated her in spacing her deets.

I’m listening to Margie Evan’s Mistreated Woman as I write, full of “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," “Did you hear what I said” “I’d give one one more time if I could be sure… Pain Pain Pain!” …imagining our protagonist chilling with some tea or a cocktail, some vintage headphones plugged into a stylish suitcase turntable, listening to this record playing, and agreeing with everything Margie Even sings.

Sorry Mistreated Woman, for forgetting your name, but thank you for looking so haute and scornful. Hope you enjoyed that record!

#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity #Blues

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 13

Tokyo Record Style

Shout out to my homie Dave AKA ‪@Mfidelity‬ who is one of the most knowledgeable (read: obsessed) music pals I know. He is a regular visitor to Japan, and this was our 2nd (3rd?) encounter at the really cool record shop Garageville!

For whatever reason, maybe we were running late, we didn’t do the Tokyo Record Style ritual, making some photos of David’s score, but I still wanted to commemorate our encounter with an official post because every time I hang with David, I get schooled on some previously unknown(-to-me) tenuous connection between this band (that I love) and that one (that I love).

David is filled to the brim with music knowledge and his record collection chock-full of both the seminal classics we all love, as well as the most obscure and interesting bands you’ve never heard of. A great place to tap into his encyclopedic knowledge is over on his YouTube channel, youtube.com/@Mfidelity where he is regularly posting selections from his travels and digs, and showing off and talking all about his killer finds. There you’ll also find a gateway to other interesting channels which he promotes though doing “vinyl tag” videos, contests, and more. I respect and admire how he’s always living up to the notion that more water in the harbour floats all the boats!

So… maybe it was better that we didn’t make photos of the records he scored this day at Garageville, cuz I got to riff on the dood himself, and his contagious passion. Go follow @Mfidelity for some bright and thoughtful music appreciation. You’ll be glad you did. In the meantime, I’ll be looking forward to his next visit to Japan for another shared moment like this one.

Cheers, David! See you again soon!

#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 29

Tokyo Record Style

Hello Record-Loving Friends!

I’m happy to introduce you to Keinai ‪@keianimabe‬ who I met on the streets of Shibuya late last year on her final night in Tokyo. I was doing a man-on-the-street “Tokyo Vox Pop” chatting people up who had just come from the record store, and when I spotted Keinai walking down the road with a spring in her step and Tower Records bag in tow, I asked her if she wanted to stop and chat a bit, and lucky for me, and you, she was happy to oblige.

With a confidence and joie de vivre air about her, which I would later find out seems to permeate all she does, she told me she was visiting Japan from Hawaii! Ah, from paradise! That might explain a thing or two. When I asked if this trip to Japan was curing a case of “cabin fever,” insinuating that island life might sometimes get a touch claustrophobic, she assured me “Noooooo,” with a big smile on her face suggesting she’s a true champion of the Aloha life. You’ll have to look her up. Turns out she’s a champion of many things.

Keiani was a name I had never heard before and when I asked her if it had a meaning like Japanese names, she told me Kei means “My pride” and “Ani” means beautiful …that probably tracks. I didn’t wish to pry too much more, but I had to ask who was accompanying her. Turns out it was her brother and his lovely! Hey gang!

Finally we got to talking about music and the records she scored. She produced two Robert Flack records, a Labelle record, and today’s favorite: Cocteau Twins. We both exchanged a bit about what we knew, and when I asked Keinai, who was 20-something and far two young for the first wave of vinyl, “Why records” she didn’t hesitate to say "Because it’s a more intentional listening experience…and cuz analog is cool!

I couldn’t agree more…

Before letting Keiani and her posse go, I asked her what had been a highlight or two. When she answered “A visit to Kitamura camera in Shinjuku”, I thought to myself, as a lover of old film cameras of all types, “Ooooh, we go! What did you get?” Keiani produced one of the best compact cameras money can buy, the Contax T2, and she had her hands on an absolute gem of specimen! (GET A STRAP ON THAT THING, Keiani) We shared some photographer musings and some nice photo-loving back-and-forth. Instant camera pals!

Go relive our encounter by searching the Tokyo Record Style back to Vox Pop, December 8th, and you’ll see our fun encounter! (youtube.com/live/jTnI_XjmjM8?si=YTZCVO9kAxuCj5cE&t…)

Hope you’re well, Keiani, enjoying intentional record listening and some film photography! Hope we can meet again some day!

P.S. You’re an inspiration!


#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity #Funk #Soul #RhythmandBlues #Electronic #Disco #AlternativeRock #Ethereal

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 month ago | [YT] | 43

Tokyo Record Style

After one nice night of Vox Popping on the streets of Shibuya, I bumped into Alex and his sister Pauline just as they had come from the record store. We got to talking and both knew a bit about each other, both working in overlapping creative fields, both music and photography headz. And turns out Alex is from Avignon, South of France where I spent some wonderful days a ways back. Alex went on to tell me about an amazing project he was a part of (that I’ll let you read about below)

Considering some time has passed since my encounter with Alexis, I reached out to him for a nugget or two about himself for me to riff and write about, and he came back with more poetic musings than I could have ever written about him (and Pauline). So let me let him share all about himself, and about his music. Read below and in the comments. Thanks Alexis!

–––––––

My name is Alexis Soria, I’m a French architect based in Tokyo for 4 years and I like jazz.

I grew up in Avignon, in the south of France.

During long car rides, my father would often play CDs of Manu Chao. But I would just listen passively without looking further.

One day, while browsing in a local skate shop, I came across a t-shirt featuring the album cover of Izipho Zam (My Gifts) by Pharoah Sanders. I knew almost nothing about jazz, but there was something magnetic about the artwork.

Soon after, I decided to listen to the album.

The experience was a shock.

At the time, Izipho Zam (My Gifts) felt completely inaudible to me. I couldn’t understand it. The music seemed chaotic, dense, and inaccessible. It was unlike anything I had heard before, and I honestly didn’t know what to make of it.

Rather than giving up, I became curious. I started exploring other recordings by Pharoah Sanders, trying to understand what I was missing. Then I discovered “You’ve Got to Have Freedom.”

The energy of the music was overwhelming. It felt vibrant, spiritual, and full of life. More than anything, it made me feel intensely alive. The music seemed to celebrate freedom, joy, and human expression with a force I had never encountered before.

For the first time, jazz was no longer something I was trying to understand. It became something I felt physically.

After several years of studying architecture in Marseille then Paris, I had the opportunity to spend my final year of school as an exchange student at Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Tokyo immediately fascinated me. As an architecture student, I was drawn to the city’s density, its complexity, and its unique ability to accommodate countless layers of life within a limited space. At the same time, my growing passion for jazz found fertile ground in Japan’s extraordinary listening culture.

I started studying in dusty kissaten, having late-night drinks in smoky listening bars, and dancing until dawn in clubs smaller than my room. My first year in Tokyo became an exploration of spaces shaped by sound.

After completing my master’s degree, I joined Torafu Architects as an architect and designer. There, I had the opportunity to contribute to one of the most meaningful projects of my career: the design of Toh Listening Bar.

For someone whose life had become increasingly shaped by jazz, it felt like a dream project.

The process was particularly special because the client and I shared the same passion for music. Designing the space became much more than an architectural exercise. Throughout the project, we spent countless hours listening to records, discovering artists, exchanging recommendations, and discussing what makes a space truly dedicated to listening.

Since moving here, my family has had the chance to visit me in Japan quite often. When we met, I was actually wandering around Shibuya with my younger sister, Pauline. She’s a photographer always searching for stories to tell and pictures to give. She’s a bit shy, but behind that lies a real talent. I think her eye naturally frame an intimate softness in the realities she encounters.

That day, I had just bought three records. The kind that sit in your basket for months because you know they’ll still be there tomorrow. But sometimes it just feels good to press the purchase button and bring home the classics.

The first was Blow Up by Isao Suzuki, a Three Blind Mice reissue, just tension, groove, and coolness.

The second was Tokyo Special by Kimiko Kasai—soulful, elegant, and languid.

The third was A New Perspective by Donald Byrd, a gorgeous hard bop piece transfused with gospel spirituality.

Today, architecture pays the bills, jazz empties the wallet, and Tokyo continues to feed both. I couldn’t really ask for more.

It just started with a t-shirt.

#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity #Jazz #ContemporaryJazz #JazzFunk #Funk #Soul #Fusion #CityPop

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5

1 month ago | [YT] | 15

Tokyo Record Style

When James and Donna from Sydney spotted me on the streets of Shibuya chatting up record collectors in another edition of Vox Pop, my live man-on-the-street interview series, they stopped to watch a bit. I saw them out of the corner of my eye and noticed James was holding a vinyl record store bag from HMV. Thinking they might be recognizing me from the airwaves (turns out, no, they’re weren’t, rather just curious about the spectacle) and as the impromptu interview I was having right then was winding down, I slyly signalled to them to just wait a moment I’d interview them next. They waited a couple more minutes until I finally wrapped and waved them over for a chat.

“Hi folks, did you score some records? Where’ you comin’ from?”

“We did! We’re from Sydney, here in Japan for the first time.”

“Oh wonderful! How long have you been here and what’s been the highlight so far?”


“We’ve been here for 2 weeks, and haven’t done a single thing besides shop for records.”

“Wow!,” I thought to myself. Pure record tourism. Here ONLY for records.

My mind quickly jumped to my time in India, where I went to Rishikesh, a holy and meditative space where people go to study yoga. Not me. I had one reason to go. One reason only. The Beatles Ashram. Rishikesh had plenty to offer, but my pilgrimage was for The White Album.

The Australian couple were incredibly sweet, especially Donna, who seemed to not only tolerate and humour Jame’s record-collecting obsession, but shared it as well. God bless the record-collecting partners of the world!

James scored a rare original, Pete Rocka’s Still smooth as well as David Bowie’s Young Americans. Their favorite record shop was Disk Union, branches both in Tokyo and Osaka where they visited: “We did feel obliged to visit Osaka Castle, frankly speaking, it was a bit underwhelming.”

It was only music for these two, reliving their clubbing and party days of yor, collecting records that their kids will eventually inherit. When I asked for a music recommendation from Sydney, they offered up “The Scientists”, a Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s, and “The Hard Ons”, another punk outfit, that formed in 1982 in Punchbowl (what a name for a town!), New South Wales.

As we signed off (and you can go see our interview on YouTube, dated Nov 18th), I mentioned Adrian Sherwood would be playing the following night and they were super keen to know that and discussed going. I never found out if they did or didn’t, but I’d like to think they were there.

Thanks Donna and James for a lovely chat, and for sharing a bit of yourself and your music with me.

More Tokyo Record Style on the way

#Tokyo #record #style #tokyorecordstyle #records #vinyl #vinylrecord #music #Japan #collector #recordcollection #recordcollector #recordshop #recordstore #VinylCommunity #Rockock #Funk #Soul #Pop #Australia

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5

1 month ago | [YT] | 18