Tokyo’s vinyl experts say overseas buyers are ‘sustaining the scene’
For all the millions of tourists flowing into Japan, what are the most popular souvenirs they’re bringing back home? Tea, omamori charms and bottles of rare whisky are perennial favorites, but there’s a new hot item that overseas visitors are increasingly eager to snap up: vinyl records.By some metrics, Tokyo boasts the highest number of record shops of any nation’s capital at 93, and valuations for global vinyl record sales stand at $1.9 billion, according to market research company, Imarc Group.The Record Industry Association of Japan says that 2023 saw the number of analogue records produced jump 26% from the previous year. Imarc Group expects this growth to continue, projecting the Japanese vinyl market will grow from $85.5 million in 2024 to $165.3 million by 2033. Tower Records’ flagship store in Shibuya reflected this optimism for analogue by unveiling its refurbished record floor in February 2024, which had almost doubled in size to cater for the growing numbers of international buyers snapping up vinyl.
