RARE Kunitachi

Located in the calm and cultured city of Kunitachi, RARE Kunitachi is a long-standing secondhand record store with a warm, local vibe. Rather than catering to ultra-niche collectors, the shop focuses on analog records across all genres, aiming to serve the everyday music lover who might simply walk in on a whim. Owner Mr. Yonabayashi, who first got into records by buying based on jacket design alone, values approachability and honest customer service over musical elitism.

With more than 45 years of history behind it, RARE Kunitachi strives to remain a “neighborhood record store,” where conversations with customers are as important as the music itself. The selection ranges from pop and rock classics to jazz, soul, folk, and more, with a strong focus on vinyl. The store also hosts a special "Jazz Day" on the last Saturday of every month, where all jazz records and CDs are 20% off—an event that has steadily grown in popularity.

The store shares its roots with other RARE locations in Nakano and Kichijoji, collaborating while operating independently. Its origin traces back to a shop called GABBY, named after Gabby Pahinui, and that spirit of eclectic music taste still remains. At RARE Kunitachi, it’s not about how rare a record is—it’s about how meaningful it is to the person who finds it.