stores to buy Japanese music [Not Online]
 

This is in response to Innocent's question about where to get Ayu's new album in Canada.

J!-ENT has a page with a list of stores in the Unites States and Toronto, Canada that sell LEGAL Japanese Entertainment merchandise:

STORES TO BUY JAPANESE MUSIC

I don't know how updated that page is. I was thinking we could add to the list by posting info about other locations that sell Japanese CDs. Here is one store I've been to (although not recently) that isn't on J!-ENT's list:

Kinokuniya Bookstore
10 W 49th St.
New York, NY 10020
http://www.kinokuniya.com/newyork/

Please post only shops that sell legit stuff, no bootlegs.

Thanks, I'll be sure to stop there when I'm in New York or California!

Mitsuwa in Chicago-land sells legit stuff.

100 E. Algonquin Road,
Arlington Hts., IL 60005

Closest is Toronto... bleh. But if I ever go, Ill make sure to look. Thanks for the info!

In San Francisco your best bet is Kinokuniya or Mikado.

There's a YuYu Asian supermarket here in Kentucky, and I think they sell Japanese CDs...

And I got my Puffy Amiyumi albums at Ear X-tacy, PLUS they've special ordered t.A.T.u.'s Russian-language CD for me before, so I think they would do special orders for Ayumi/J-pop stuff.

In SF there's this store in chinatown that sells the OS versions for CHEAP! :X

there's tons of places in LA...in addition to Kinokuniya there is another bookstore called Asahiya.

Mitsuwa Marketplace (San Diego)
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd. #119,
San Diego CA 92111

tel.#: (858)569-6699
open 9:00 - 20:00

Asahiya would be the bookstore inside Mitsuwa.

For other Mitsuwa Marketplace locations, go here:
http://www.mitsuwa.com/slh2.html

-------------------------------------------------
99 Ranch Market (Asian Market)
7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

tel.#: (858) 974-8899

This 99 Ranch Market has a small bookstore that sells official overseas versions of Jpop CDs. Although choices are limited, they're cheaper than Asahiya.

..ooh...ur in chicago too..o.o?

I was at the Mitsuwa Marketplace with my girlfriend and her mom, and they were going to take me to a bookstore with CDs but it was gone. :(

There is a place by the Japanese American Culture Center in LA (I think that's what it was) about 2 minutes away that had Anime, Manga & a whole lot of CDs for very good prices. I got Namie's think of me, Aikawa Nanase's R-Shitei and ELT's Time to Destination for only $25, and none of them were bootlegs! :D

I live in the LA area and do most of my music shopping in the Torrance area.

My favorite places to shop are:

Asahiya Bookstore
Carson St. & Western Ave.
Torrance, CA

Book-Off
Pacific Square Shopping Center
Gardena, CA

Geo
Pacific Coast Hwy. & Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA

Book-Off and Geo have tons of used CDs for $3 each.

anyone know of any in queensland, australia?

Anyone know any more Massachusetts area stores? =/

asahiya > kino imo.

Stopped here earlier this week:

Books Sanseido
595 River Road
Edgewater, NJ 07020

They have smallish CD section.

oh cool! in Arligton Heights? x33 my friend lives there! w00t!

oh! have an idea!

we make a map of the world and bullet point the locations in their respected areas, kinda like the AHS mapquest thing x3!

Japanese Music in Miami? Asian people in Miami?

HA!

Regarding the Pacific Mall @ Toronto, I believe there is only one other store in there that sells legal entertainment (that includes Ayu stuff). I don't even remember the store name, but its on the bottom floor exterior. I believe they are up-to-date with not only Ayu stuff, but a few others as well. Downside of that would be that their products are all Japan version, so they cost quite a lot (I spent $60 on CDL 04-05).

The MHQ stores at Pacific and Times Square are not as up-to-date as the above store, but I believe they do sell the overseas version.

Well, in Hawaii there's two that I know of so far. Shirokiya and Hakubundo.

Shirokiya is the cheapest but they usually sell Overseas Versions of CDs, and sometimes resell CDs they have bought off of people. It's sometimes $10~$15 dollars cheaper than the Japan version. Maybe more if you're lucky. There's also Japan Versions of CDs hiding among their stuff as well, at the price of the Overseas Versions so it's a good deal. They also sell DVDs, manga, books, etc, in the original Japanese language.

Hakubundo on the otherhand is the "premier" Japanese store. It has the original Japanese Versions of CDs and quite often get the first press or/and limited editions of singles and albums on first shipment. They are usually $10 or more expensive than the normal Japanese price. Sometimes they are the same. Others just a dollar or so more. They have a variety of books, magazines, toys, educational items, etc, from Japan.

I shop at Hakubundo mostly. I pop in Shirokiya frequently too to have free read of the manga in there. =P.