​World-renowned Tokyo record shop Technique has announced indefinite closure

Technique, one of Tokyo's most revered record shops, announced the indefinite closure of its IRL store on Instagram yesterday citing the pandemic as the cause.

In August 2020, the shop was already forced to relocate after 25 years in Shibuya. A lack of customers due to the pandemic and an increase in online orders prompted a move to a smaller space at PARCO in the same neighbourhood. In addition to its Japanese audience, the store had been hugely popular amongst touring DJs from around the world, who were consistently heard bragging about what they scored digging at the shop.

"During the pandemic, people couldn't come into the store, which was a problem," said Yoshiharu Sato, manager at Technique, in an interview with Inverted Audio.

Despite downsizing, it wasn't enough to survive.

"I guess it should've been obvious from the beginning, but in PARCO — whilst there are a lot of people who visit and enjoy shopping — there aren't many record buyers. We're currently operating the store as a 'Technique Offline' concept, with records that reflect this. We're also trialling to see how our online and offline customers differ."

Sato does hint, however, that the move online might not be forever.

"If customers can come from abroad again," he says, "then this might change. It depends on how long the effects of COVID last."

Technique's Instagram post also suggests that a return could be in the cards. "If the timing comes again, I would like to manage the store in a new way."

The closure is the second to come out of Japan in our world this week. The news follows Tokyo club Contact which announced that it would be closing this September to make way for an urban development project.

Although COVID measures were scaled back in Tokyo last week, giving businesses more freedom with respect to operating hours, Japan is closed to tourists and getting into The Land of the Rising Sun takes a lot of legwork and even more paperwork, if you can even finagle it.

[via RA & Inverted Audio]