Jaunted in Japan: Yes, I Like Iron Maiden
Jaunted editor Davie Kaufmann is currently touring Japan. All this week, we'll be running stories from her Jaunted Field Trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. Have something you absolutely need to know about Japan? Just ask.
I didn't even skim the surface of Tokyo's record shop offerings today, and already I'm overwhelmed with love for the scene. It took me long enough to find Shinjuku Records, the place I decided would be my starting-off point, though I later discovered (on my way home, naturally) that exit D5 at Shinjuku Nishiguchi station will drop you right in the middle of the action.
I can't get into it all, but let's talk about Shinjuku Records ("Record") for a sec: this teeny metal and hard rock shop is decorated with pictures of bands who have stopped by...you know, Megadeth, Tesla, etc. You can tell some of the pictures are really old (and the bands now universally considered cheesy), but that the people who run the place are probably so pure of heart that they either don't care or truly don't know what year it is.
There's lots of power metal and prog, but my favorite thing about the place wasn't the selection. When I visited, there was a lady of a certain age working the counter--about 45, probably, and sweet as pie. I'm guessing her son owns the shop, as there were a bunch of pictures of a young guy on the wall with all the bands. As I was leaving, she said something to me in Japanese that, naturally, I didn't really understand. Thankfully she had someone helping her, who translated: "Do you like Iron Maiden? Have a sticker." Not that 45-ish is old, really, but I'll never forget the quiet, conservative little lady who offered me an Iron Maiden sticker. Someone, please hook her up with a Bruce Air vacation.
Leave a Comment
Not yet a member? Click here to become a member.
Already a member? Login below: