Specialising in Latin, soul, jazz and rock, Rubbergard lies quietly in the back alleys a few minutes walk from Jinbōchō station. It offers a premium selection lovingly curated by an enthusiast of the Central and South Americas. The beautifully fitted out store is refreshingly open with two listening stations sitting comfortably in the centre and ‘Nice Price’ boxes littering the floor.

Here I salvaged many smooth groove Brazilian relics as well as some hot Japanese discs which the owner kindly recommended – the Nadja OST 7″ (light funky!), Akira Sakata – Tenoch Sakata 10″ (mental avant-electronics on the Better Days label) and Toshiyuki Honda – Opa Com Deus LP (recommended pseudo-Brazilia). Check out their website which is updated regularly with new arrivals.

Rubbergard Records 1F, 1-38-6 Kanda Jinbō-chō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan