For many lefty guitarists, a visit to Taniguchi Gakki sits firmly on the bucket list. For years, I have been intensely jealous of those lucky enough to make the trip to Japan’s left-handed guitar store.
This year, I finally got the chance to visit. And, nothing could have prepared me for walking through the door.
Within seconds of emerging from the elevator on the 4th floor, I was surrounded by more left-handed guitars than I’d ever seen in a single room. Every wall was covered with lefty electric guitars, acoustics, and basses. I wasn’t looking at a small collection of left-handed guitars. I was looking at well over one hundred.
For most left-handed guitarists, that’s difficult to comprehend.
We’re used to adapting. We walk into guitar stores expecting limited options. We’ll buy instruments online because local shops rarely stock what we’re looking for. We learn to be flexible because, more often than not, the perfect guitar simply isn’t available in left-handed form.
Taniguchi Gakki turns that experience upside down.
Located in Tokyo’s famous Ochanomizu district, an area known around the world for its concentration of guitar shops, Taniguchi Gakki has built its reputation by focusing entirely on left-handed musicians. There are no right-handed guitars hanging on the walls. Every instrument in the store is there for players like us.
During my visit to Japan, I spent time exploring the store, photographing many of the guitars that caught my attention, and chatting with the staff. What I found was far more than just a large inventory. The variety was what impressed me most. Alongside familiar models from Fender and Gibson were instruments from Japanese manufacturers and boutique builders that I had never encountered before.
In this article, I’ll take you inside one of the world’s most unique guitar stores, share some of the standout left-handed guitars I discovered, and explain why so many left-handed players consider a visit to Taniguchi Gakki a pilgrimage worth making.
Taniguchi Gakki Quick Facts
- Location: Ochanomizu, Tokyo, Japan
- Speciality: Left-handed guitars, basses, and acoustics
- Website: Taniguchi Gakki
- Google Maps: View Location
How I Found Taniguchi Gakki
Before arriving in Tokyo, I’d heard plenty about Ochanomizu Guitar Street. For guitar enthusiasts, it’s one of the most famous destinations in the world, with dozens of stores packed into a relatively small area.
Naturally, I went in with high expectations.
I made it my mission to visit every guitar store on the street and document every left-handed guitar I could find. Over the course of the day, I worked my way from store to store, photographing instruments and keeping track of what was available.
To be honest, the left-handed selection wasn’t nearly as impressive as I expected. Aside from a few nice Fender Custom Shops, Gibsons, and a pre-owned Nik Huber, there wasn’t too much aside from the usual southpaw fare.
It was a familiar experience. The kind most left-handed guitarists know all too well.
Then I arrived at Taniguchi Gakki.
The difference was immediately obvious.
After spending the day searching for left-handed guitars across dozens of stores, I suddenly found myself standing in a shop where every instrument on display had been built for left-handed players. There was no hunting around, no scanning walls full of right-handed guitars, and no asking staff if they had anything else hidden away in the back.
For the first time that day, I wasn’t looking for the left-handed section.
I was standing inside it.
One thing worth mentioning is that Taniguchi Gakki isn’t immediately obvious from the street. In fact, we walked straight past it on our first pass through Ochanomizu.
The store is located above street level, next to the Zemaitis store. Unless you know what you’re looking for, it’s surprisingly easy to miss. Access is via a small elevator tucked away beside the Zemaitis store entrance.
After squeezing into the tiny, windowless lift and heading up to the fourth floor, the doors open directly into the store itself. It’s a slightly unusual entrance, but it makes the experience of arriving feel even more memorable.
My First Impression: I’ve Never Seen This Many Left-Handed Guitars!
Walking into Taniguchi Gakki felt slightly surreal.
After spending the entire morning searching for left-handed guitars across Ochanomizu, I suddenly found myself surrounded by them. Every wall was covered from floor to ceiling with instruments. One section was dedicated primarily to electric guitars, another to acoustics, and another to basses.
Everywhere I looked, there were left-handed headstocks staring back at me. Well, aside from the Strandbergs…
What struck me most wasn’t just the quantity, but the variety. There were instruments for virtually every type of player imaginable. Whether you’re into vintage-inspired Strats and Teles, modern metal guitars, acoustic singer-songwriter instruments, or basses, there seemed to be something for everyone.
As I wandered around the store taking photos, a young woman was trying out a bass while chatting with her friends. Nearby, another customer was putting an electric guitar through its paces while joking around with one of the sales staff. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but it was obvious they were enjoying themselves.
In most guitar stores, left-handed players are an afterthought. At Taniguchi Gakki, left-handed musicians were the customers. Watching people casually compare basses, test guitars, and chat with staff while surrounded by walls of left-handed instruments felt strangely refreshing.
Another thing that immediately caught my attention was the number of brands I didn’t recognise.
Alongside familiar names like Fender and Gibson were guitars from manufacturers such as CalJa, Bizen Works, Fujigen, Psychederhythm, Stilblue, and several others that I’d never encountered before. As someone who spends a lot of time looking at left-handed guitars online, I thought I had a reasonable grasp of the market. Clearly not!
The store also stocked plenty of instruments that you rarely see in left-handed form. I spotted resonator guitars, travel guitars, silent practice guitars, banjos, and a variety of niche models that would be almost impossible to find in most guitar stores outside Japan.
The more I looked around, the more I realised this wasn’t just a shop with a large left-handed inventory. It was a place where left-handed players could explore the kind of variety that right-handed guitarists often take for granted.
The Most Interesting Guitars I Found
From rare boutique builds to guitars I’d never encountered before, these were some of the standout instruments that caught my attention during my visit.
Click ot enlarge if you’d like a closer view.
These were some of the instruments that stood out to me most, but they represent only a fraction of the left-handed guitars, basses, and acoustics available throughout the store.
Meeting The Staff
One thing that stood out during my visit was how welcoming the staff were.
As soon as we stepped out of the lift and into the store, we were greeted by Sergio, who immediately made us feel welcome. He let us know that if we wanted to try anything, all we had to do was ask.
At the time, he was busy behind the front desk setting up a particularly cool seafoam green headless Ibanez bass. Even while working, he took the time to greet us before letting us explore the store at our own pace.
And explore I did. Looking back, he must have wondered why this random tourist was taking an almost absurd number of photos of virtually everything in the shop.
Thankfully, he never seemed bothered by it. I think…
Instead, he struck a great balance between being available and giving customers space. There was no pressure, no sales pitch, and no hovering. He simply let us enjoy the experience.
At one point, I spent quite a while admiring a particularly unusual Paoletti Alfa Lounge HSS (shown below). It’s not the sort of guitar you come across every day, and he quickly appeared to explain exactly what I was looking at. It was clear he knew the inventory inside out and was genuinely enthusiastic about the instruments in the store.
Before we left, Sergio handed me his business card and let me know that if there was ever anything I wanted to order, I should get in touch. As someone visiting from overseas, that was a nice gesture and another reminder that Taniguchi Gakki caters to left-handed guitarists from all over the world.
For anyone concerned about a language barrier, there really isn’t one. His English was excellent, and he couldn’t have been any friendlier throughout our visit.
Is Taniguchi Gakki Worth Visiting?
One million percent.
If you’re a left-handed guitarist or bassist and find yourself in Japan, Taniguchi Gakki should be near the top of your itinerary.
Before visiting, I’d heard countless stories about the store and seen plenty of photos online. Somehow, it still exceeded my expectations. The sheer number of left-handed instruments, the variety of brands on offer, and the welcoming atmosphere make it unlike any guitar store I’ve visited before.
As a southpaw player, I’d put it alongside some of Japan’s most iconic tourist experiences. Riding the Shinkansen, feeding the deer in Nara, taking in the views from Tokyo Tower, exploring the stunning streets of Kyoto, dashing over Shibuya crossing… for a left-handed guitarist, a trip to Taniguchi Gakki belongs in that conversation.
I would go back in a heartbeat. And I will. I fell in love with Japan so much that we are already planning our second trip.
If anything, the visit left me feeling slightly jealous of the left-handed musicians who live in Tokyo and have access to a store like this whenever they want. Most of us spend our lives wishing local guitar shops stocked a few more lefties. Tokyo has an entire store dedicated to them.
For left-handed players, places like Taniguchi Gakki are incredibly rare. If you ever get the chance to visit, take it.
It’s also worth mentioning that Taniguchi Gakki is part of Japan’s tax-free shopping program. This means that, as a tourist, you can flash your passport to receive 10% off your purchase if it is over 5000 yen (around 30 USD).
Final Thoughts
Before visiting Tokyo, I thought finding a dozen left-handed guitars in one shop was impressive.
After visiting Taniguchi Gakki, my expectations have been completely reset.
For a few hours, I got to experience something most right-handed guitarists take for granted: endless choice. As left-handed players, that’s a rare thing.
It’s an experience I won’t forget anytime soon.
- Location: Ochanomizu, Tokyo, Japan
- Speciality: Left-handed guitars, basses, and acoustics
- Website: Taniguchi Gakki
- Google Maps: View Location
Check Out More Left Handed Guitar Stores
Taniguchi Gakki is one of a small number of specialist lefty guitar stores around the world. Read my left-handed guitar store guide to find out where you can find the rest!
