RECORD SHOP BASE (Update: 11/4)

Punk/Hardcore and Underground Releases From Koenji to Eternity
[updated November 2025]

If you are a fan of punk music and you want to go record shopping in Tokyo, you’ve got to come to record Shop Base in Koenji! As the name describes, this store is the home base for punk/hardcore music in Tokyo. Opening its now completely sticker-and-poster-covered-doors in 1997, Record Shop Base has continued to provide CDs, vinyl, cassettes, DVDs, T-shirts, punk zines and more to underground-hungry fans in the area and overseas. CDs here are mostly used, but these days they sell mostly vinyl records, about 70% of which are new and 30% used. You can find categories separated into punk and hardcore from different countries and even regions of certain countries, Japanese punk and hardcore, oi, grind, various genres of metal, rare releases and more! Despite the size of the place, they carry a huge selection. For a one-of-a-kind item to carry your purchases in, also pick up their original tote bag designed by TOM, the legendary Japanese punk artist, active since the 1980s.

If you’re a fan of punk/hardcore and you have a chance to come to Koenji in Tokyo, be sure to pay Base a visit! The shop can be a bit hard to find as it is located on the 3^rd floor of an what looks like a typical apartment or office building, so lookout for the sticker-covered sign in front of the entrance to the building.

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Writer/Photographer: Greg