So what’s the best way to buy music in Japan? at 3,000 yen per CD (about 25 bucks), buying CD’s is surely not the way. So the natural alternative: rent CD’s. Yep. Go to the local media rental shop (which has CD’s DVD’s and the like) and a rent a few. Bring it back and rip it with iTunes and burn your own copy. What if you don’t have any CD-R’s? never worry, they sell them right in the rental store.
To be clear, one personal digital copy is allowed under the law. On the back of each CD is the text:
Using this CD for commercial purposes without the consent of the copyright holder, making copies for purposes beyond personal use, and making available the music contained on this CD for distribution through networks are all prohibitied by copyright law.
This sounds much more reasonable to me then what he have to deal with in the US. The 8 CD’s or so I rented (for about 2 bucks each for one night) all ripped fine with iTunes. Apple Lossless no less.