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The vinyl record section at Tower Records’ Shibuya store is seen in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on Feb. 3, 2025. (Mainichi/Ryotaro Nishimoto)
The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the recent resurgence of vinyl records in Japan and abroad.
Question: I usually listen to music through streaming services, but I saw my dad listening to music on large black discs. What are they?
Answer: They are LPs. LP stands for “long playing,” and it’s a type of analog record where sound vibrations are etched onto a disc. The material used is polyvinyl chloride, so analog records are also called “vinyl.” LPs were developed in the United States in 1948 and became a widely used music recording medium until CDs emerged in the 1980s. According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan, domestic production of records exceeded about 190 million copies annually in the late 1970s, but declined after the advent of CDs, which surpassed vinyl in 1988.
Q: Are records still being made?
A: They have been continuously produced, but from the 2000s to the mid-2010s, production hovered around several hundred thousand copies a year. However, in the past decade, there has been an increasing trend. Last year, around 3.149 million vinyl records were produced, surpassing 3 million for the first time in 35 years. This is unusual given that streaming has become the mainstream for music appreciation and the production of music media has decreased.
Q: What is driving the boom?
A: Since the late 2000s, there has been a revival of the analog record culture, especially in the U.S., with promotional campaigns being launched in Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Demand from the COVID-19 pandemic’s stay-at-home lifestyle also accelerated the boom, with many people apparently starting to collect records as a hobby they can enjoy at home.
Q: What is the appeal of vinyl?
A: Records offer a warm sound that is distinct from digital sources like CDs and streaming. Additionally, the artistic value of the jackets, which can be enjoyed visually, is also a factor. Ko Takeda, who manages the record section at Tower Records’ Shibuya store, says, “Listening to records is a little bit of a hassle, but that leads to the joy of owning something tangible.”
(Japanese original by Ryotaro Nishimoto, Cultural News Department)
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