Thanks, Hakuchosan, this is helpful advice. I am worried about availability and also price. So I suppose it is easy to find dealers in the major cities, but even used equipment is very expensive? (Yes, and I have also heard that it is difficult to survive on English only. I have begun studying Japanese, but this will be a long road.)
I have heard that SET amplifiers are very popular in Japan. I also love SET amps, and I was hoping to see many. I live in Boston and it is surprisingly difficult to find tube amps around here.
I recently bought a Cary SET headphone Xciter amp, used, for a good price. It's not big, but it's also not small. Perhaps I should bring it with me, or ship it.
Is Rega popular in Japan? I just bought a Rega DAC. Maybe I should bring that also.