Where to Find Records in Osaka: HMV record shop Shinsaibashi Is Beginner-Friendly

Among the many record shops in the Shinsaibashi area, HMV record shop Shinsaibashi is popular as a shop that is easy for beginners to enter.
The store mainly carries used vinyl records, along with new vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes, with a total inventory of around 50,000 items.
It covers all genres, from J-POP, jazz, anime, and club music, and boasts one of the largest selections in the Kansai region.
Some visitors have even said it was the best record shop they visited in Japan, making it a popular store with many repeat customers.
HMV record shop Shinsaibashi is on B1F of Hotel Nikko Osaka. Its convenient location near Shinsaibashi Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line is another highlight.

Record shops are generally seen as dark and somewhat difficult to enter.
However, this store deliberately places importance on creating a bright and open space.
“When I was in junior high school, record shops felt cool, but they also had an atmosphere that made them a little hard to enter,” says Manager Nishimura.
Based on that experience, he values creating an atmosphere where anyone can drop in casually.
Near the entrance, new releases, Studio Ghibli works, and other familiar music are displayed, creating a flow that makes it easy for first-time visitors to pick something up.

The records are neatly organized by music genre.
Within each genre, they are also divided by artist, making it easy to find what you are looking for.

HMV record shop has four locations across Japan, and one of the features of the Shinsaibashi store is its large number of new vinyl records.
The store carries around 15,000 new vinyl records, accounting for roughly 30% of its in-store inventory, and brings in more than 100 new titles every month.
New vinyl records are clean and have less noise, making them recommended as a first record.

“Many customers seem to feel that record shops are somehow hard places to ask questions, but I really hope they will feel free to speak to us,” says Manager Nishimura.

The staff will kindly answer even basic questions such as “I do not know what to buy” or “How do I listen to records in the first place?”
The store also has translation devices, so visitors who speak languages other than English can feel at ease.

Anime and film soundtracks, including Studio Ghibli works, are popular both in Japan and overseas.
There are also many works that offer a sense of uniquely Japanese culture, such as game music and VTuber-related titles, making this an appealing genre for tourists as well.

The front area features trending new K-pop releases, while the back area has a collaboration section with BIG ROMANTIC STORE, a label shop based in Taipei and Tokyo.
It introduces music from various Asian countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, and China.
There is also plenty of Asian indie music, so you may come across rare records that feel ahead of their time and cannot be found elsewhere.

Japanese jazz, also known as wa-jazz, has been gaining worldwide recognition in recent years.
While influenced by music from Europe and the United States, it is characterized by a uniquely Japanese sense of subtle expression, making it a genre that is also highly popular among overseas collectors.

Befitting Shinsaibashi, a center of youth culture, the store also has a strong selection of club music.
It carries around 1,000 hip-hop records alone and enjoys strong support from DJs and music fans.

CDs and cassette tapes are popular among people who feel that records are too large to fit in their suitcases.
The store boasts a lineup of around 500 to 600 CDs and roughly 800 to 1,000 cassette tapes, including both used and new items.

Since used vinyl records are replaced every day, there are often items in the back room even if they are not on the sales floor.
If there is a record you want, feel free to ask the staff.

Records that are in good condition but widely circulated tend to be available at reasonable prices.
Inside the store, you will also find records from 330 yen displayed near floor level, and all of them have been maintained.
There is no need to choose an expensive record right from the start, so why not try picking one simply because it catches your interest?

Two listening stations are set up next to the goods section.
If you want to check whether a record skips or if you are unsure about a record, feel free to give it a listen.