Cassette tape specialty stores are the talk of the town, especially in this digital age where smartphone ownership rates exceed 60%. Teenagers might be wondering, "Cassette tape? What's that? Are they tasty?" But they're a hot topic in creative circles.

Waltz, a cassette tape specialty store, opened in Nakameguro last August. Leaving Nakameguro Station and heading down Yamate-dori toward Meguro, the store is located in a corner of one of Tokyo's most upscale residential areas, on the right.

Large sliding glass doors let in plenty of natural light. Inside, the exposed pipes and ceiling create a space that inspires the imagination. Neatly arranged shelves are packed with cassette tapes, each labeled with a title, waiting for someone to pick one up.



The genres range from classic jazz to 90s hip hop and indie music by young artists. Of course, there's also a great selection of playback devices, so-called "boomboxes." Anyone who remembers those days will be instantly struck by the words, "So nostalgic!" The shop also carries rare records and vintage books such as back issues of cultural magazines.

However, this is a quiet residential area, and it's a bit of a walk from the station. This adds another hurdle. However, this hurdle is precisely one of the goals of owner Taro Tsunoda.

■Tapping into the rise of digital technology

In fact, the store owner, Mr. Tsunoda, used to work for the Japanese subsidiary of the global e-commerce site, Amazon.

"It's only been about a year since we opened the store, but we've been getting a constant stream of media coverage, from TV and radio to magazines and the web. The reason why we've ended up like this is because I haven't been doing any internet business since I went independent. I think it's because people here are actually creating a tangible 'real world,' and that many people relate to it and find it interesting."

In this day and age, a store specializing in cassette tapes is probably a rare find, even globally. Proof of this is that we were even interviewed by the British lifestyle magazine, Wallpaper. "It's amazing that a shop like this suddenly appears when you're walking through a residential area of Nakameguro. And it's also amazing that I, who have been involved in the internet business at Amazon for many years, am now doing something completely opposite. Both aspects together make up the value of this shop. I think people find this 'story' interesting as well."

■The trigger for opening was an encounter with a certain book

Music is probably one of the things that allows us to feel the wave of digitalization firsthand. Until then, music that we listened to on the radio became records, then cassettes, CDs, and then data, all of which became intangible.

"I think that as a result of music becoming intangible, it has ceased to be art. When I first got my iPod, I tried to digitize all of the thousands of CDs I owned, but I quickly gave up. As someone who has been listening to music since I was young, it was the moment I realized that music isn't just data after all."

"My interest in cassette tapes began around 2004, thanks to a certain book. That book is called 'Mix Tape.' The author asked his acquaintances to bring over the mixtapes they had made in the past, and has compiled these collections to present as an art book. The people who made the mixtapes probably wouldn't think of their work as art, but it's interesting to look at the way the jackets and indexes are made. They feature elaborate collages, and look like a collection of typography works. In this book, cassette tapes are expressed as art. This book flipped a switch for me."



■Cassette tapes have "better sound"

You've probably heard the term "high resolution" a lot lately. It also seems like sound quality is getting better and better. 」 English: "Good sound is a very difficult thing to define. Technically, 'high quality' and 'comfortable' to the ear are completely different things. It's the same as whether you prefer slacks from a high-end fashion house or second-hand Levi's 501s. High-resolution audio is the equivalent of slacks from a high-end fashion house. Digital sound is hard. In contrast, records and cassettes, which cut the frequencies above and below, have a narrow audible range. So you could say that it's not high quality, but that makes up for it by having more punch. The sound sounds warm. In addition, analog records contain noise. Sound that contains noise sounds more vivid."

■Beyond the dichotomy of digital = cold, analog = warm

Kakuta begins by saying, "Digital has its own good points," and adds, "Many people mistakenly believe that analog is old-fashioned."

"Cassettes are an evolving culture. As the music industry as a whole declines, the media that conveys music is also weakening. That's why young artists don't know that new albums are being released on cassette. Now, cassette labels from all over the world are contacting me directly, asking if they want to carry my products. I always say that music has a form. This is linked to the urge to listen to music that is born when you see and touch an object."




■And towards the revival of the music industry

Prior to joining Amazon, Tsunoda worked at Roppongi WAVE, a CD shop that could be said to be a symbol of 1980s culture. In the basement, there is Cine Vivant, which screened edgy independent films, and the art bookstore Art Vivant, and the entire building was a major cultural hub. Roppongi Hills now stands there.

Time flies. It seems incredibly difficult to revive a culture that has once gone into decline.

"I'm not trying to make this business huge. That said, people from music labels come to me for research, and the president of a major electronics manufacturer is one of my customers. In the music industry today, no one is happy with the current digital streaming trend. Sales are falling rapidly, and artists are finding it difficult to release new work. Everyone is looking here for business ideas."



"For me, this store is just the first presentation. Ultimately, I would like to make this a store that can be said to be an important step towards revitalizing the music and home electronics industries. That is also a very big dream. It's unprecedented, and I believe that by presenting it in a way that only I can do, including my musical background, it could even become part of culture."

We will never detach ourselves from our bodies and become "digital." Or perhaps that will be in the very distant future. Physical (i.e. anti-digital) experiences are sure to become even more "appreciated" in the future.

There's no time for nostalgia. Cassette tape culture has actually only just begun.

【Store Information】
waltz
Address: 4-15-5-101 Nakameguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Opening Hours: 1pm - 8pm (Closed on Mondays)
Tel: 03-5734-1017

【Event Information】
Send "Memories" with Mirai's Summer Gift '16
ISETAN meets waltz send happy memories
Location: Isetan Shinjuku Main Building 3rd floor = Stage #3
Date: 3rd - 9th August 2016

waltz × ISETAN will be proposing gifts that combine cassette tapes selected by waltz with archives of period magazines, T-shirts and accessories to send along with "memories."