Places in Japan to buy VGM

[CaptainCommando]

I'm going on a trip to Japan next week - I will be there from Dec 27 to January 16 and will be in the Tokyo/Yokohama area, Niigata/Nagano, and Nara/Kyoto (it's kind of a big tour and I have friends in these places!). I figured if I'm going, i may as well get some tips on VGM purchasing while I'm there from people who have already visited or are in Japan. I'm sure there are a few good stores that people like to check, and I'm definitely going to try and hit Akihabara (even though I hear they're not as good as they used to be).

Oh yeah, if you're planning to go, it's REALLY not a good idea to go now b/c the dollar is so weak to the yen. However, airline prices will go down next year (the fuel tax is still WAY too high, so it cost me $1400 just for the plane ticket). I had friends who were willing to put me up, so this was kind of a one-time deal that I couldn't pass up!

[Carl]

For Tokyo I recommend the VGM selection at Super Potato (Akihabara location)
http://www.superpotato.com/free_html...bout_shop.html

Not sure about shops in Nagano or Kyoto areas, sorry.

For Osaka I'd say Game Tanteidan, although the rarities are marked up accordingly.
http://www.game-tanteidan.com/

Congrats on your trip, it's really a great experience and even better when you have friends there to meet with and enjoy their company. Happy travels!!

Yeah, the airfare costs year went up BIGTIME. Glad I got in for $800 back in April right before the prices skyrocketed to $1300 range.

[Crash]

When I was in Tokyo in 2005, I found a lot of good used VGM at the Liberty shops in Akihabara. Different stores had different prices on the same CDs, though, so it helped to keep notes of how much they cost at each store on the first pass through, figure out which store has the cheapest price for each album, then go through a second time to buy them.

[Kewing]

Just like Carl said, SuperPotato is a must (even if it ocasionally has some overpriced rare items) though you can find quite a bit of stuff in most of the stores around in akihabara, like K books if I recall correctly. I'd also mention the mandarakes at Shibuya and Nakano, I got REALLY great deals there (like BKII and Thunder Force 4).
Congrats for having such a nice trip I went last year, and I definitely must go back. Be sure to explore Kyoto deeply, it's quite worth it (I did only for 2 days!).

[CaptainCommando]

Thanks for the help! I'll be checking akihabara for more than just VGM, but those stores sound like they're worth checking out. I'm going to have to cap my spending money though b/c I'm only in Tokyo for the first week! Heard shopping around was the best tactic.

I'm still a bit bummed about flight prices. The exchange rate is just really bad. It hurts more that I checked the cost of rail passes in a book from last year, and for $50 more last year, I could have gotten a green 21-day JR pass. Oh well - at least I don't really have to pay for hotels!

[CaptainCommando]

In Japan and made it to Akihabara yesterday. It:s a bit overrated. There are big stores like Super Potato, but I feel everything is overpriced. Most of the VGM　I saw was classic stuff that was like 8000y and up. There is a small shop at the opposite end of Akihabara that had a bunch of things for 50 percent off, but I couldn:t find any VGM there - other than Twinbee drama albums!

Oh yeah, I also found Carl:s Boss Coffee! It:s decent and comes from vending machines. Tommy Lee Jones advertises for it, which is a brilliant strategy.

[Carl]

Hope you're enjoying the rest of your trip! I haven't traveled outside metro Tokyo area yet, so be sure to report on your experiences in the other towns!