KYOTO -- In the digital era, the appeal of analog records is gaining attention worldwide. This April, a store specializing in record player styluses, which are indispensable for vinyl, opened in this city's Shimogyo Ward by a long-established maker, drawing an unexpected relationship between the ancient Japanese capital and the artisanship of the needles.

The shop, Feel Records Kyoto Hanare, is located on an old shopping street, among row houselike businesses facing Shichijo-dori Street, near Nishi Hongwanji, the head temple of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Buddhist organization. Its traditional "noren" Japanese door curtains and wooden sliding doors create a Kyoto-style atmosphere.

Feel Records Kyoto Hanare's manager Kazushi Nakagawa, 60, explained the reason for opening the store in Kyoto, saying, "The old and new blend well in this city, and we found that attractive." He also serves as the representative director of Nippon Precision Jewel Industry Co. (JICO), a record player stylus manufacturer with 52 employees whose headquarters and factory are located in the Sea of Japan-facing town of Shinonsen, Hyogo Prefecture.

JICO was founded in 1873 as a sewing needle maker. At the time, the company had many business dealings with kimono stores in Kyoto, and chose this location for its directly managed store. Nakagawa said, "We've had a connection with the city for many generations. The JR Sanin Line, which runs near our headquarters, also starts in Kyoto. We felt that it would be good to connect the two (areas) through the line."

The company entered the record player needle business in 1966. A needle vibrates in accordance with the grooves on a spinning record to pick up sound. The part that converts the vibration into an electrical signal is the cartridge, to which the consumable needle is attached. Different types of cartridges are compatible with different styluses.

The firm currently manufactures about 2,300 products on a made-to-order basis, including needles that can be attached to cartridges made by other companies, as well as JICO-brand cartridges and the styluses for them. JICO also handles needles that are ordered only once every few years.

The production of vinyl records and players has declined rapidly since the 1980s, when the means of listening to music shifted from records to CDs. Nevertheless, vinyl lovers still exist throughout the world and have buoyed the demand for needles.

A great deal of artisanship is packed into the manufacture of these needles. A standard cartridge consists of seven parts, including a 0.6-millimeter-long by 0.25-millimeter-wide diamond tip that reads vibrations from the record and a cantilever that transmits vibrations. Craftspeople assemble them by hand using tweezers.

Since JICO offers a wide variety of needles, it receives many orders mainly from Europe and the United States. The company produces 60,000 needles a year, and about 80% of its sales come from overseas.

Common ways to purchase record player styluses are through online shopping and audio specialty stores, and shops directly managed by manufacturers are rare. The store that JICO opened in Kyoto is more than just a place to sell needles.

On the first floor, Feel Records Kyoto Hanare deals 100 types of JICO's best-selling needles. The store also offers a limited-edition needle painted in Japanese lacquer for approximately 70,000 yen (roughly $470). In addition to needles, the shop sells used vinyl records selected by connoisseurs at record stores across the country, and has a cafe where customers can eat, drink and relax.

On the second floor are a private room where visitors can enjoy the sound of analog records through Swedish speakers and an art gallery. Nakagawa explained the thoughts that went into the store, saying, "We want people to experience the sound of records in every space while dining or viewing paintings in the gallery." There are plenty of accommodations in renovated townhouses nearby, and Nakagawa said he often sees foreign tourists relaxing there.

JICO launched paid factory tours at its headquarters in October 2023. Participants spend two and a half hours to see the needle manufacturing process by craftspeople and listen to music with styluses made at the factory. A dedicated room for listening to music was also set up with special attention given to the audio equipment. The tour costs 25,000 yen ($170) per person excluding tax.

The project was driven by the renewed global popularity of vinyl. Even amid the dominance of subscription-based music streaming services, the unique warmth of its sound quality and the design of LP cover art are being reappraised.

According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan, sales of analog records in the country in 2023 were up as much as 45% from the previous year, hitting about 6.27 billion yen ($42 million) -- the first time in 34 years that it exceeded 6 billion yen. A Recording Industry Association of America figure shows that in 2022 the number of vinyl records sold in the United States exceeded that of CDs for the first time since 1987.

Aside from the resurgence in popularity, sales of high-priced products have grown, increasing JICO's sales by about 40% compared to 10 years ago. Nakagawa said, "I'm happy about the boom, but I don't think it will last forever. I want people to come here and feel that records are casual and good."

The soft tones of vinyl in the store are conveying a charm that is both old and new at the same time.

(Japanese original by Naomichi Senoo, Osaka Business News Department)