In Beppu, Creating Connections Because Something Is Missing. Championship Vinyl (Beppu, Oita) #22

What first sparked your interest in music and art?

Max

When I was growing up, my father introduced me to Western music, while my mother introduced me to Japanese music.

But it wasn’t that I was especially drawn to music alone from an early age. Movies came first for me. I would look up the theme songs and soundtracks from films I liked, and that became my gateway into music.

If I had to sum it up broadly, I think I’ve always loved art. Movies, music, painting, theater—it was all art to me.

From elementary school through high school, I attended an international school in Nagoya. I was also involved in theater there, so I became interested in many different forms of expression, not just film and music.

For me, what’s fascinating about art is that it allows you to give form to things that can’t be fully expressed in words.

You can turn those things into a painting, into sound, or express them by playing a character. I’m really drawn to that whole process of taking something inside you, giving it a form, and putting it out into the world.

Even the clothes I’m wearing today are something I customized myself. Besides listening to music, I enjoy watching films, drawing, and making clothes.

In my mind, film, music, art, and clothing aren’t really separate things. They’re all connected as different forms of expression.

Among all those forms of expression, music is a source of energy for me.

When I’m drawing or making clothes or other things while listening to music, the beat and rhythm can almost push me forward, and my hands start moving naturally. That can lead to new ideas or help the creative process move ahead.

Of course, I don’t only listen to music when I’m making something. Even in everyday life, there are times when I just feel, “This is what I need to listen to today.”

Sometimes, when something happens, a song that fits the moment will just start playing in my head. It feels a bit like I’m creating a soundtrack for my own life.

For me, music isn’t simply something to enjoy as a work of art. It connects with the scenes and experiences of everyday life and keeps me moving forward.

Are there any films or pieces of music that have left a particularly strong impression on you?

One soundtrack that really stayed with me as a kid was the music from Pixar’s The Incredibles.

Michael Giacchino composed it. It’s rooted in orchestral music but also has elements of old-school superhero movies and jazz. As a kid, I had no idea how the music was structured, but something about it just hit me immediately.

In my teens, films such as Trainspotting led me to discover an even wider range of music.

One of my absolute favorites is the soundtrack to David Lynch’s Lost Highway.

It features artists like David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, and Nine Inch Nails—artists you wouldn’t normally expect to find together in one place.

It might be my favorite soundtrack of all time.

When images and music come together in just the right way, what a scene is trying to communicate can become many times more powerful. On the other hand, if you put something humorous over an extremely sad scene, you can create an entirely different world. Even with the exact same images, the music can completely change the message.

Music has the power to move people emotionally. There’s a technique in film known as a “needle drop,” where an existing piece of music is used in a scene. I love those moments when a song comes in at exactly the right point and the combination works perfectly.

The relationship between image and sound is something I’ve always been fascinated by.

How did you come to work at Championship Vinyl?

After I started working, I used to stop by a nearby café for a meal on my way home, almost every week.

Someone at the café remembered me, and through that connection, the owner of this shop asked if I wanted to work with him.

I met the owner around February or March of 2024. Things moved very quickly from there, and after the construction and preparations, we opened on May 25 of the same year. May 25 also happens to be my birthday.

The name Championship Vinyl comes from the record shop in the film High Fidelity, which both the owner and I love.

I didn’t really start digging deeply into records until I began working here. Since then, my own personal collection has gotten a little out of control too (laughs).

Some of the local customers even call it “Max’s shop.” They’re kind of right, but also kind of not (laughs).

There’s a wide variety of genres on the shelves here.

Rather than saying, “This is the genre we specialize in,” I want to carry things that are a little unusual or records people wouldn’t normally come across. Of course, I also make sure not to overlook the classics.

If customers tell me they want more house, more reggae, or that they’re looking for UK indie, I’ll take that into account when I’m buying stock too.

We don’t only carry used records. We also stock new releases and independently produced work. Discovering used records is fun, but I also think it’s important for people to discover artists who are active right now. I contact artists I meet directly and place orders with labels, gradually adding more to the shop.

We also have records on consignment from DJs and collectors based in Beppu and Oita. DJs who run nearby businesses, local collectors, and all sorts of other people contribute to the shop. Alongside music, we also introduce work by creators around us.

By staying connected with people in the community, the shop has gradually taken on the shape it has today.

What matters most to you when it comes to shaping the shop?

Rather than being a shop where you’re guaranteed to find exactly the record you came looking for, I want it to be somewhere that makes you think, “I didn’t know this world existed,” or “I didn’t know music like this existed.”

For us, discovery is at the heart of the shop. Rather than trying to carry the same things as other record shops, I want to introduce music from a slightly different angle.

There are a lot of people in Oita and Beppu who like obscure or unusual things. They introduce me to things they find interesting, and I combine those with the things I personally find interesting when I choose what to stock.

I want people to come here not only because they’re looking for something specific, but also to discover music they never knew before.

Maybe because of that kind of selection, we get all kinds of people here, from teenagers to people in their fifties and beyond. We have repeat customers from Beppu and from outside the prefecture, and people from overseas also find us through Google searches or word of mouth among music lovers.

If someone has just bought their first record player or is just starting to collect records, I’ll be a little more proactive about talking to them. I’ll ask what kind of music they like and what their budget is, and we’ll look together. That first record is the beginning of a collection, so I want to help them find something they’ll really enjoy.

For people who aren’t used to record shops, simply walking through the door can feel intimidating. But I want them to come in without fear or hesitation. You can start getting lost once you’re inside!

And if you do get lost once you’re in here, just ask me anything. I’ll be happy to guide you.

What kind of place would you like Championship Vinyl to become in the future?

I’d like to continue what we’re doing now while bringing more new listeners into the fold.

I’d also like the shop to become a kind of hub connecting artists from Beppu and Oita, artists I’ve met from other parts of Japan, DJs, creators, and all kinds of people.

I don’t want us to simply sell records. I’d like us to share information about live shows and events, introduce people to local businesses, and create a place where they can discover artists and their work.

I’d be happy if Championship Vinyl could become a gateway that leads people to take an interest in Beppu itself and the culture here.

The people and works we encounter change what appears on our shelves, and those shelves then lead to new encounters for someone else. That’s the kind of shop I want this to be.

There are all kinds of artists and creators in Beppu. I want more people to know they’re here and to have a chance to experience their work.

At the same time, I want to introduce music from elsewhere in Japan and from overseas to people in Beppu. I’d like Championship Vinyl to remain a record shop while also serving as a hub that can guide people into the wider culture of Beppu and Oita.

Part of the reason I feel that way is because Beppu isn’t a city where everything is already available.

For me, a place where something is missing is more interesting than a place that has everything. When I lived in Nagoya, if a film I wanted to see came out, I could go and see it right away. Products or works I wanted were also relatively easy to get. It was convenient, and there were plenty of choices.

But when that becomes normal, sometimes the excitement you feel about each individual experience starts to fade.

There are a lot of things Beppu doesn’t have. But because of that, a single live show or event can really stay with you.

And rather than simply waiting for something that isn’t here, it makes you think, “Then let’s create it ourselves.” Instead of saying, “Someone else has already done it, so there’s no need,” if something doesn’t exist here, you feel like taking action and making it happen yourself.

Having fewer choices has also made me more aware of what I genuinely like.

Rather than collecting things just for the sake of having everything, I’ve become able to choose things and say, “I really love this,” or “This is something I actually need.”

Because things are limited, you can appreciate each one more. That’s one of the reasons I’m still here in Beppu.

And when you come to the shop, just call me “Max.” Don’t be afraid to step inside—you can start getting lost once you’re in here. Let’s find some music together.