Nakano Broadway: Pop Culture Wonderland

Above, the Nakano Broadway entrance from JR Nakano Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When foreign tourists can finally travel to Japan unhindered and without overbearing rules as was the case before the pandemic, one must-see location in Tokyo to visit is Nakano Broadway.

Nakano Broadway is considered a "mecca" for otaku shoppers while in Tokyo. I made it a point to stop in whenever I am in Japan. I've purchased a number of items there including Godzilla figures and, if you can believe it, "Nipper", the RCA Victor dog.

Above, RCA Victor's "Nipper" I purchased at Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Nippon.com posted an article on Nakano Broadway that is well worth a thorough read.

They start it off with:

At the end of the Nakano Sun Mall shopping arcade outside of JR Nakano Station can be found a holy ground for otaku: Nakano Broadway. Packed with stores selling anime figurines and other ephemera, it even attracts fans who make pilgrimages from abroad. An exploration of the past, present, and future of this iconic Tokyo shopping space.

From Success to Shutters

The year 2022 marked the fifty-sixth anniversary of the opening of Nakano Broadway. A long shopping promenade called Sun Mall extends from the north exit of JR Nakano Station; Nakano Broadway, a 10-story building with three basement levels, sits near the north end of this arcade. The fifth through tenth floors are residential, and residents have access to a rooftop pool, a playground, and a garden plot.

The bottommost two floors are mechanical facilities, but the first basement floor through the fourth floor are jam-packed with a huge variety of shops—as many as 350 tiny outlets. The number isn’t precisely known, for the turnover of shops is constant.

To read more and see some tantalizing photos, go here. 

Shinjuku Station Is Getting A ¥72.8 Billion Makeover

Above, commuters cataching a Yamanote Line train at Shinjuku Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, I've been there several times to catch trains to Nakano (where Mandarake stores are located at Nakano Broadway) and Setagaya (where Toho Studios is located). The most recent time I've used it was in 2015.

Shinjuku Station is reputed to be the busiest in the world and not easy to navigate. I've never had a problem with it.

But, according to Time Out Tokyo, Shinjuku station is getting a makeover to make it more user-friendly.

They wrote:

Getting lost in Shinjuku Station is an emotional experience. With 12 different train lines and 36 platforms, it’s officially the world’s busiest train station, with an estimated 3.59 million people passing through it every day. As if the sheer number of commuters didn’t make things disorienting enough, Shinjuku Station has over 200 exits that even locals have a difficult time navigating. 

There might be an end to the chaos – at least, in the distant future – with renovations underway to improve the station’s layout and make it more hospitable for those of us passing through. New features will include a footpath allowing for people to cut through the station from the east side to the west side without having to go through any ticket barriers.

Above, the walk from Shinjuku Station to see Godzilla peering over buildings is an easy one. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Mandarake at Tokyo's Nakano Broadway

Above, the Nakano Station entrance to Broadway Nakano. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During the pre-COVID19 days, a vacation trip to Japan was possible for people who could afford and have enough dough to indulge in their collectibles hobby.

I have traveled to Japan eight times over the years since 2001 and one of my frequent stops while in Tokyo was the Nakano Broadway shopping mall, which contains several Mandarake stores that specializes in differing genres of otaku culture collectibles. 

Mandarake is a good source for new and used Godzilla and other kaiju toys.

Live Japan had posted an article on Mandarake in March 2019, but has updated it this month. Therefore, it is worth a look.

They begin it with:

Located in Nakano, just a 5-minute train ride from Shinjuku, Nakano Broadway is well known as a mini Akihabara and has been a haven to otakus and their culture for many years. This huge complex that spans over several floors is home to a multitude of shops all catering to all game, anime, and manga lovers!

Within Nakano Broadway there is one chain that clearly sticks out among the rest: Mandarake. This shop's everywhere in this shopping center and is impossible to miss! And the best part? You don’t even need to be really familiar with this otaku culture to be able to appreciate it and join in on the fun!

To read the full article, go here. 

Savvy Japan: A Guide To Nakano

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the "must-do" places for fans of kaiju and other Japanese pop culture genres is a visit to the Nakano Broadway in the Nakano district of Tokyo.

The first time I visited the Nakano Broadway was during my first trip to Japan in November 2001. I visited it a couple of times on that trip (once while sick with a 24-hour flu) and several times thereafter and have purchased some kaiju toys and a porcelain "Nipper" of RCA Victor fame. Mandarake has several shops in Nakano Broadway.

For those who have been to Nakano before or for those who have never been to Japan, Savvy Tokyo has a guide on what to see and do while in the district.

They begin with:

Although a seemingly local and residential area, anyone heading West on the Chuo line will find much to explore in Nakano. Beloved by fans of video games, anime, and manga for offering a quieter version of Akihabara within its multi-floor department store Nakano Broadway, the neighborhood also suits anyone who loves to dig into the local side streets and seek out some gems. Nakano hides over 50 ramen restaurants (some of which are known to be the best in the city) which can mostly be found nestled around the energetic station exits and along the restaurant and bar strip of Rengazaka Street. Although Nakano is one of the most highly populated districts of Tokyo and surrounded by lively neighborhoods such as Koenji and Shinjuku, it’s easily accessible, retains a local, retro vibe and exudes charm.

To read more, go here. 

100 Best Shops In Tokyo

Above, Kama-Asa Shoten is my favorite source or Japanese cutlery and is on the list. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the favorite pasttimes for visitors to Japan is to go shopping.

Tokyo has shops specializing in all kinds of goods from toys, cutlery, clothing, books and "you name it" items.

For first time visitors and experienced Japan travelers, Time Out Tokyo has a guide to "100 Best Shops In Tokyo". I've been to many of the places listed, such as Mandarake and Nakano Broadway.

They begin it with:

You don't know the meaning of retail therapy until you've shopped in Tokyo. And to prepare you for the ultimate shopper's high, we've rustled up, oh, just 100 of the best shops in Tokyo, from brand-spanking new fashion shops to a range of both well-known and underground spots to satisfy vintage hounds, decor dreamers, paper sniffers and vinyl fiends. And even if you're just in the market for holiday souvenirs, we've got you covered, too.

To read more, go here. 

The Rare Tokyo Gem Called Nakano Broadway

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway from Nakano Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whether or not you've ever been to Japan, most undoubtedly you have heard of Nakano Broadway.

It is a mecca for otaku, whether it is manga, books, anime and toys (for kaiju fans, there's Godzilla toys to be found there).

JAPAN Forward has an article on what people will find at the Nakano Broadway.

They wrote (in part):

Nakano Broadway is also the secret otaku paradise, and it’s this specification that makes the area so compelling. Above the grocery market and ice cream parlor obscured in the basement are an array of stores selling vintage toys, manga, anime merchandise, and art books. Mandarake, a company whose flagship store began in Nakano Broadway which focuses on the culture of anime and manga, expands throughout nearly every floor in the shopping complex. The walls of these stores tower high with specialty goods and books. Even their entrances are like something out of a steam-punk, sci-fi fantasy, with corroded pipes and larger-than-life robots grafted into the walls.

 To read more, go here.

Anime and Manga Souvenir Shops

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway, where
Mandarake has a store of kaiju toys. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those going to Japan to fill gaps in their collections, but need to know where to go get those items, Goin' Japanesque has a list of places and stores where fans can find them.

They begin with:

Today we have collected a few souvenir spots that will make your hearts race with excitement, regardless of whether or not you are an “otaku”! Each location carries numerous limited edition items that can only be purchased there, which makes it 100% worth the trip!  

*Otaku: A Japanese term used for people who are extreme fans of the manga/anime fandom, as well as idol groups, etc.

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Shotengai

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hardcore Godzilla (and other kaiju) fans have known about buying collectibles in different places in Japan.

One of which is Nakano Broadway in the Nakano section of Tokyo. It is a Japanese form of shopping mall, but it has a specific name.

According to CNN Travel:

(CNN) — Tired of buying all your vacation gifts for the folks back home at the same old touristed-out temples and corporate malls when you're in Tokyo? 

Then try some of the most unusual, storied and just plain odd shopping streets -- called shotengai.

To see Nakano Broadway and other shotengai, go here. 

Nakano Broadway Turns 50 This Year

Above, the entrance to Nakano Broadway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A special place in Tokyo marks 50 years this year.

It is the mecca for otaku shopping: Nakano Broadway.

The Japan Times reported:

Nakano Broadway turns 50 this year. The shopping complex in Tokyo’s busy Nakano district remains popular with enthusiasts of pop culture, boasting dozens of manga, anime and collectors’ shops. 

The scruffy but vibrant building, housing some 300 shops and restaurants across its five floors, sits at the end of the Nakano Sun Mall shopping street, which is adjacent the north exit of JR Nakano Station. 

Since the opening of Mandarake Inc. stores at the center in 1980, Nakano Broadway has evolved into a center for enthusiasts of pop subculture, offering everything from cosplay items and old movie posters to figurines, plastic models, toys and used books. There is, of course, a good dosing also of manga publications and anime goods.

Along with the various Mandarake stores, Nakano Broadway has other, but smaller, stores who cater to your "inner fanboy" (or "inner fangirl") such as Robot Robot.

It is a must-visit place in Tokyo.

To read more, go here.

For an "ultra-short" history of Nakano Broadway, go here.