Finally, I sit down here and am ready to write about my guitar experiences in Nagoya, Japan (in June 2024).
For that trip, I had already known that I would visit the famous Ishibashi store. But I discovered during the trip several more guitar stores in Nagoya. I can only imagine the number of guitar stores in Tokyo and Osaka.
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First stop, Ishibashi (Nagoya), 1 June:
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2nd stop, Rockin Nagoya Sakae, 1 June:
On this first visit, I actually tried out a 90s Fender Deluxe Strat Plus (in red) with Lace Sensor pickups. She played very nice and she was the cheapest in the market. I thought of returning on 8 June to take her home.
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3rd stop, Kurosawa Music Nagoya, 2 June:
This store has many Japanese branded guitars with names unheard of in SG. But they are all quality instruments from budget to premium.
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4th stop, Shimamura (Nagoya Parco), 2 June:
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5th stop, Big Boss Nagoya, 2 June:
Big Boss is big on ESP guitars and other Japanese brands. They have only a few Gibsons but no Fenders.
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6th stop, Komehyo Nagoya, 2 June:
This is like our Cash Convertor but way bigger and the guitar section alone is a big store.
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7th stop, Real Standard, 2 June:
This is a small repair and service store that carries very few guitars. However, hung on the wall was a Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop (forgot the model) that was priced lower than an equivalent in SG.
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And the 8th and 9th stops were one tiny workshop-like store that makes customised guitars and the repair and service store that specialises in basses.
Oh, I visited a 10th store on 8 June. They carried all used instruments that were mostly cool. I was there to check out a cheap R9 that had gone through some mods. After that, I went back to Rockin to get the Fender Deluxe Strat Plus. I ended up taking the 85 Les Paul. I was almost tempted to take two home. But for transportation issue…
So what’s my takeaway? Japan beats Singapore big time. They have way more guitars, way more brands and priced lower. For players and collectors, Japan is a guitar haven. I may plan short trips to Japan in future to sustain my mini guitar business.