Discover Nakano Broadway – Ultimate Paradise For Otaku And Pop Lovers

Beside the rich traditional heritage and colorful history, Japan also attracts tourist around the world to its unique and creative pop culture. Many people come to Japan just to visit anime & manga centers and expand their collection with some of the best exclusive products. If you are curious about how a paradise for Otaku looks like, do not hesitate to drop by and explore Nakano Broadway while you are here.

Discover Nakano Broad Way – Ultimate Paradise For Otaku And Pop Lover

1. What Is Nakano Broadway?

Nakano Broadway, opened in 1966, is a famous complex building in Nakano prefecture, Tokyo. It includes shopping area (from the basement to the 4th floor) and the residential area (from the 5th floor upwards).

The basement level is a market which provides a variety of daily products ranging from foods to medicines. On the ground, there are many fashion shops selling clothes, shoes and second-hand goods at reasonable prices. Even if you are not into manga, anime or game, it is still worth a try to discover these wonderful stores.

However, the best parts remain on the second to the fourth floor. Here, you can find everything you need to start an Otaku life such as animation figurines, video games, manga, magazines, anime, CD & DVD….

Nakano Broadway

Nakano Broadway, opened in 1966, is a famous complex building in Nakano prefecture, Tokyo

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2. What Make It Popular?

2.1. A paradise for Otaku and Pop lover

When talking about Manga & anime center, Akihabara – (a district in Tokyo, known as Otaku mecca) is probably the first thing comes to people’s mind. But if you have a limited time in Japan and do not want to spend long hours wandering around multiple buildings to find the product you need, heading to Nakano Tokyo is the right option. Though Nakano Broadway may be not as big as Akihabara, it will definitely satisfy your expectation.

While Akihabara provides a wide range of products for Otaku audiences in general, Nakano Broadway mainly sells classic and limited Otaku products such as old books, premier toys… Do you obsess with Vocaloid? You are a huge fan of Japanese manga like Naruto, One piece? You are willing to pay millions of yen to own super rare version of your favourite manga? Then do not hesitate to come to Nakano Japan. In here you can also collect the coolest limited game editions and fantastic kinds of goods.

There are many shops for you to visit. But the most popular one is Mandarake. Mandarake, opened in 1987, is a used manga store chain, focusing on selling old manga and second-hand toys. At Mandarake alone, there are already nearly 30 shops with thousands of different products to choose. Moreover, you can easily buy stuff which can not be found anywhere else at surprisingly low prices!

Nakano Broadway

Mandarake is a used manga store chain, focusing on selling old manga and second hand toys and games

“Mandarake Anime Hall” on the 4th floor specializes in animation cels (transparent film for drawing cartoons) and anime scripts.  If you are a Pop fan, just go straight to “Mandarake Infinity” on the 3rd floor. This place offers high-quality products, CDs and DVDs of Japanese singers and idols. In addition, the second-floor area also has “Mandarake Cosplay Hall” selling goods and accessories for Cosplay costumes.

Another place you should not miss to visit is HEN-YA store. Walking through the giant red Torii gate, you will have a feeling like entering a gate to a spaceship. Despite its futuristic appearance, the inside area is filled with old Japanese toys produced before World War II.

Nakano Broadway

Walking through the giant red Torii gate, you will have a feeling like entering a gate to a spaceship

One of the most special things here is that you can also sell your collectibles and make some money at buy back counter. That is also how these shops collect old stuff to sell to customers.

2.2. Other shops

Besides anime, manga and game stuff, you can find some other cool stuff here. Head up to the basement and you’ll find a food court with a wide selection of cuisines. There is a special ice cream shop named Daily Chiko that you should visit. This shop sells rainbow tower cone with 8 different layers. You can choose the size and flavor based on your preference.

Nakano Broadway

Daily Chiko sells rainbow tower cone with 8 different layers

You will also find some great souvenir restaurants and gift shops here too.

2.3. Bonus

Most of the shops in Nakano Broadway close at 08:00 pm. Once you stroll through the entire Nakano Broadway, just walk around Nakano area for some great food and drinks around. There is also a high number of bars and restaurants that host live streams or live shows.

Nakano Broadway is located right next to Shinjuku. If you still have time after shopping here, do not forget to visit this wonderful district.

3. How to get there?

Address: 5 Chome-52 Nakano, Nakano City, Tokyo 164-0001, Japan.

You can get to Nakano Broadway by taking the train to Nakano Station with JR Higashinihon line or JR Chuo Line  and continue walking for about 5 more minutes from the north gate.

Nakano Broadway

You can get to Nakano Broadway by taking the train to Nakano Station (source: Tokyo Pocket guide)

You can also go by your private car. There are some places nearby for parking such as Nakano Chojabashi Deiriguchi of the Metropolitan Expressway Center Beltline. The fee is around 300 yen for every 30 minutes. Parking is also available at Nakano Sun Plaza (250 yen for every 30 minutes) and at Nakano gym’s parking lot (150 yen for every 30 minutes).

Check the link below for more information:

Conclusion

Currently, Nakano Broadway is not only a place for Otaku but also a favorite destination for tourists. Many travelers admitted that they were really overwhelmed by the number of shops and the variety of anime-manga products. If you are an Otaku or simply just looking for some lovely gifts to take home, Nakano Broadway is definitely the perfect destination in your trip!

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About Haruto Suzuki

Haruto Suzuki is a senior food and drinks blogger at Question Japan. He has a background in F&B industry and also experience of running his own Japanese restaurant in Tokyo for over 10 years. Therefore, he has a great knowledge of Japanese cuisine. So if you want to discover Japan through its unique traditional cuisine, Haruto Suzuki’s blog will be a great source of information for you.

5/5 - (6 votes)

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