Having spent 2012-2014 in Japan up in Aomori Prefecture( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aomori_Prefecture) I will tell you there are Tower Records there. They can be found all over Japan, in shopping malls.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Records
Actually their store in Shibuya, Tokyo is a tower. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/TowerRecords_Shibuya_1.jpg
shareI was in Dublin, Ireland last year and found a Tower Records just off Grafton Street. I purchased a CD just so I could have a souvenir from Ireland apart from the usual t-shirt and keychain and a final purchase from one of my favorite stores when I was younger. I miss Tower Records.
shareWent to Tower last month in Osaka to buy the Compton Soundtrack. My first new CD purchase in who knows how long. Tower Records are all over the place in Japan.
I miss going to Tower Records in Buena Park and Sunset Blvd in Cali I was growing up. Great magazine stand and tons of imports I couldn't buy elsewhere. Prices were not all that good compared to other shops but lots of obscure releases worth purchasing.
Dublin Tower records is still alive and kicking. It seems to now sell a lot more vinyl than CD [was about 1 rack vinyl ten yrs ago]. Sells a lot of DVD - the more obscure stuff and some amazing box sets [at amazing prices!]
Overall its a great asset to the community as we've lost a plethora of record shops. Shame capitalism swallowed up Tower USA but then google the Clerys incident for real insight into a grand dame toppled.
It is more a product of the entertainment industry out there (in Japan) that physical media still has such a strong presence. You see it not only in music where going out to by CD's is still a thing, but also with books and movies.
The doors are just now being opened to digital media with online companies like Netflix being available there.
Along with digital media, big box stores like Walmart in Western countries and online retailers like Amazon is what really killed B&M media shops out here.
We had Tower in Kungälv a small town outside of Gothenburg here in Sweden. I used to buy my first vinyl records there back in the day. I really miss those times.
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