Christmas in Japan = Gear Hunt! Advice needed

[HorseyBoy]

Not quite Christmas, but we do land on Boxing Day and will be there for two weeks. We’ll mostly be in Tokyo but will be heading towards Nagano for some time in the snow in-between.
We’ve been to Japan plenty of times before (I even think our kids were conceived there), including once with the kids, so we know how to get around, but I’d still like some advice for maximum gear-hunting efficiency.

Holiday closing times
From what I remember, lots of Japanese stores close for the New Year period, maybe January 1 to January 3. Is that right? Or is there a chance they’ll be closed for a longer period?

iPad Data Sim
We’ll be taking an iPad with us and I was planning on getting a prepaid Visitor Sim: http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/index.html
Problem is, I’m not 100% certain it will work with iOS 7 (it’s an iPad 3 and it should work, but details are sketchy). Anyone had any experience with these or alternative data cards?

Where to go and what to look for?
I’ll mainly be looking for old pedals. I have a recurring dream where I walk into a Tokyo store that sells nothing but NOS Shin-Ei and Guyatone fuzz boxes, but I’m pretty sure it ain’t gonna come true. I know the big stores in Shibuya like Ishibashi and Ikebe will have some secondhand stuff, as will the stores around Ochanomizu, but is there anywhere else I should be looking? Anyone got any favourite stores they'd recommend?
I really want to try my luck in some of the Hard-Off (yes, Hard-Off) secondhand stores but I’m not 100% sure where the bigger stores are. I know there’s a big complex in Hachioji, but is it worth dragging the family out there for a pedal hunt?
I might also be on the lookout for a guitar. If I see a nice lawsuit-era Tokai Breezysound or a Greco Les Paul or a Yamaha SG2 or SG3 (really love those things), I’ll do my best to bring it home. But again I’m guessing they’re not going to be as cheap or plentiful as I'd like them to be.

New stuff?
I’m keen to try a couple of the Maxon Fuzz Elements pedals and the MASF Lavender Head also looks very cool, but are there other Japanese pedals worth scoping out?

[Greenfuz]

beautiful japanese fenders everywhere

[futuresailors]

Lastgasp is good for crazy noises
Sobbat make more "classic" stuff.

[Chankgeez]

Lastgasp is good for crazy noises

I thought he lives in Australia?

[futuresailors]

Then, he used to live in Japan?
But if he still has dealers there, they should be about 30% off US retail.

[backwardsvoyager]

Yeah, Lastgasp is based in Sydney now.

I can't really help unfortunately but happy hunting and please post results when you return! I'm planning to go to Japan next year

You should check out VanZandt guitars, they never seem to pop up outside Japan and seem to be really high quality.


Those vintage Yamaha SG/SA models seem to be priced way cheaper over there than anywhere else too so you might be able to snag one of those.

[Chankgeez]

Then, he used to live in Japan?
But if he still has dealers there, they should be about 30% off US retail.

Yeah, but HorseyBoy lives in Australia. If he wants LAL, it'd probably just be cheapest to get it at home. (TWSS)

[HorseyBoy]

^ Yep, I'm in Oz. Great suggestions, though. Keep 'em coming…

[futuresailors]

Flavored Kitkats.

[tuffteef]

musivox in shinjuku has MASF pedals
the ishibashi in shibuya is pretty good
alot of the greco stuff passes through the shibuya store i was talking to the international dealers and the greco/lawsuit stuff moves pretty fast mainly to australians weirdly

theres alot of chain stores in shinjuku that have lots of good used gear
not alot of small used stores that i found

alot of boss stuff is super cheap in tokyo
but yeah go for a wander around ochanomizu

[Greenfuz]

Yeah, Lastgasp is based in Sydney now.

I can't really help unfortunately but happy hunting and please post results when you return! I'm planning to go to Japan next year

You should check out VanZandt guitars, they never seem to pop up outside Japan and seem to be really high quality.


Those vintage Yamaha SG/SA models seem to be priced way cheaper over there than anywhere else too so you might be able to snag one of those.

jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezus

get one of those

[Deltaphoenix]

Flavored Kitkats.

Green Tea ones1

[HorseyBoy]

Flavored Kitkats.

Green Tea ones1

Hell, yes. I'm all about the matcha Kit Kats. And pedals. And stuff…

[01010111]

If it was me I'd look into some synths because I suspect that a lot of the Japanese ones are fairly cheap in Japan. There're a bunch in Yamaha CS series that look awesome as well as the Korg MS series.

[behndy]

Flavored Kitkats.

Green Tea ones1

mah grrL just brought a box if green teaaaa and strawberrrries.

NUMMERS.