I know of Hard Off but any suggestions on specific locations would be nice. I'm staying in Tokyo but have a full week dedicated to hanging out and searching for LaserDiscs.

Anywhere other than Hard Off to be suggested?

Don't worry, this is a one-off trip ... I won't be raiding your favorite spots more than once!

Recofan in Shibuya had a few boxes 3 years ago when I was there. There's a place in Nakano that has a lot of music LDs properly graded and priced, picked up about 30 at 50% off last year. But honestly suburban Hard Offs are your best bet, they have too many to properly s0ort and grade and you get real bargains all the time. When I was there last year I got the Macross memorial box for Y1000! But that's not uncommon or surprising to anyone living in Japan. There are dozens of Hard Offs if you make a plan. I've spent a week just visiting Hard Offs in the Kanto plain and buying LDs to ship sea mail back to Australia. Cost me a lot in train fares though..if you visit one go to Hachioji, biggest Hard Off in the World, and yes there are Whatever-Offs outside Japan, points if you can guess where...

Hard Off is the best bet, yes. Check the "junk" section and especially with the LP records, that's where I found the most LDs. Priced at around 100 yen per disc. Box sets were like 500 yen. I also found some LDs in the top floor of Mandarake in Akihabara. Not much, just a couple of boxes with anime LDs.

I'm pretty sure if he's going all the way to Japan and to get to a Hard Off store he's going to check the whole store for LDs anyway?

Most anime box sets are closer to Y1000-Y2000

When I were there last year they were 500, the same as the others. Might be different elsewhere, but at least the two Hard Off shops and Mandarake I were at in Tokyo had those prices. Might've changed too with time, it has been a year after all.

Well I was there last in 2013 and 2016 and most box sets were around 1000, some were 500. Macross Memorial TV was Y1000 at a Hard Off in Tokorozawa last year. Like it matters anyway? Keep in mind of course a lot of these went new for Y30,000-Y50,000!

Very true!

Just wanted to follow up here and share back some info.

I ended up going to 8 Hard Off locations. Mostly to the west of Tokyo but also a few north and south. MOST Hard Off Locations had probably 100 anime LDs on average for $1 a piece. Anime isn't my thing but seemingly is for most of you so I figured I would share that information. Definitely saw some box sets.

I am completely clueless on anime but Fujiyoshida location (on the way to Mt Fuji) had TONS of anime.

The only store I found within Shibuya/Shinjuku that had anything was Recofan in Shibuya. Maybe only 75 discs and mostly trash but all $1.

Tama Wada Hard Off location was the best as I probably picked up 50/60 from there.

Kichioji location had no media in general and was JUST a musical instrument and high end audio location.

Overall I picked up probably like 100 discs. Keeping the vast majority but had a few finds that were way too good to pass up for the store.

Would you say it was economic to visit Japan to go laserdisc hunting these days?
It sounds like the best titles have long since been found.

I've visited Japan once myself but it was about 10 years before I started collecting laserdiscs.
Ironically it would have been a great time to look for discs (especially music titles) back then because it was late 90's.
Instead I came back with a box of deleted music CDs of Western titles that were impossible to get in UK/USA.
It was an all paid for work trip with a first class airplane ticket so travel expenses and accomodation were zero so can't complain!

Every laserdisc I own was bought online from 2006 onwards. That's not a cheap way of gathering 9000+ discs but I've still managed to track down about 95% of what I ever wanted to own without ever leaving my house! I've lost track of how many contacts I've dealt with over the years from all over the world. Many have retired or simply moved on to other things. I doubt if I would have the time or energy to repeat what I did so glad I started when I did. It would not have been possible 10 years prior as the availability of resources online was not what it is today.

If you like Japanese music releases on LD (domestic and Western artists) you would probably enjoy a trip to RARE in Nakano.

When I was there a year ago they had about 3-400 discs. They were having a half-off sale when I went. Bought about 30 Jpop titles. My favorites being the full Shizuka Kudo Female series. All mint, polybagged, average full price Y1000.

Thanks for the update. I never ventured as far as Fuji, well done. Did you make it to the Hachioji location? Last time I went they had so many LDs most were just dumped randomly on a massive tarp on the floor. Yeah, mostly anime single discs. I only bother with box sets of anime though. And only '80s mecha stuff but I still found myself shipping a lot back. Seamail to Australia was pretty economical and there always seems to be a post office pretty close to every Hard Off I've been to.

How did you transport the 100 discs you bought to your accommodation/home?

4 suitcases lol.

I didn't go to Japan just for LaserDisc shopping ... it just so happened to be one of the many things I did while there. Glad I did though.

Nice!

One is reminded of my many aimless walks through the Kanto plain in the mid-oughts..my meagre English teacher salary always went to fashion (thought it would help me get a Japanese girlfriend) then and I looked longingly at the LDs (damn I wanted you Orguss TV box) but didn't have the money to commit. One Hard Off location sticks out in my memory, but being unable to locate it on Google maps I wonder if I dreamed it?

It was a very special standalone single story brick building with 360 glass and yellow trim, of 1980s build. It was poorly maintained with cobwebs all over the exterior which added to my love for it.

On my third visit there a sign announced they were moving and some boxes were already packed. I lamented, I was a big fan of the architecture. Anyway they moved to a much larger store nearby,　a flimsy looking standard modern Japanese structure with a big carpark. Boring. Going there wasn't as fun anymore.

Anyway for years I've been scouring google maps for where I think the store was, in fact I have just found the address on Japanese Hard Off fan site, with a small photo. Proof! It did exist (the original building has been bulldozed, now replaced with a boring modern, flimsy fami-resu) I'll always remember it.



http://www.hardoff.net/hardoff/hotenpo/ ... ozawa.html

Now to find that OTHER mythical Hard Off I remember balanced precariously above a giant drain, somehow connected to a bridge..

Great story!