Even if you are not from Japan, I'm pretty sure you have heard about Akihabara being the Otaku paradise. But do you know on the west side of Tokyo, next to Shinjuku, lies a shopping haven for otakus?
This place is called Nakano Broadway, the shopping mall that contains a lot of anime-related stuff, collectibles and all that. But this shopping mall is not exclusive for otakus only, they also have other shops for non-otakus.
Today is #MarketFriday initiated by @dswigle. And this post will tell you about this mall called Nakano Broadway, just a few steps next to Nakano station.
In my previous blog post about cosplay in Osaka, I mentioned about Otaku and it being a taboo in Japan. Basically, Japanese people dislike otakus because they think otakus are so fanatic in an extreme way, and some give out a bad impression to people. So if Japanese people will learn about you being an Otaku, they will try to avoid you and maybe silently judge you for being one.
Otaku (Japanese: おたく, オタク, or ヲタク) is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers.
You can read more about it in Wikipedia.
As for me, I didn't know that when I first came to Japan so I told everybody I love anime. 😅 Later on, someone advised me to not openly tell people about my being an Otaku so people won't judge me because of it. I'm a foreigner here in Japan so I have a free pass! 😆
Back to Nakano Broadway, so this mall has a lot of floors which I thought only has the basement, 1st floor, and 2nd floor, but there's actually more.
Most shops don't allow photography so I had to capture these cool anime stuff by my eyes only. So mostly the photos in this post are those that don't have the sign for no photography.
The Basement 1st Floor: 100 Yen Shop & Groceries
I didn't spend much time in the basement today because I've been here a couple of times already to shop at the 100 Yen Shop, Daiso. Aside from Daiso, there's also raw food section on the other side, and a supermarket just near the exit.
The 1st Floor: All Sorts of Stuff
There are usually a lot of people passing by in this mall because it's like a part of the 商店街 (read as shoutengai, translates to shopping street) and the shopping street is covered. This shopping street starts when you exit the Nakano station and will take you all the way to the very far end if you count the Nakano Broadway in that path.
There's an arcade here that is actually quite hidden when you pass by the walkway. Once you enter though, you'll be surprised to see it so full of stuff! They even divided it into the left and right wing, because there's a door in between. LOL
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Lots of Gashapon here. I don't know how to call it in english but there is a surprise stuff inside a small round capsule.
I was planning to play at least 1 game in the arcade but ended up taking photos instead.
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Aside from the arcade, there is also a sneaker shop, drug store and snacks shop here.
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Gadgets, anyone? These are 2nd hand products though but they are still of good quality. I once owned a 2nd hand IPhone and it feels like it's still new. Well, the condition when I bought it was it says it was only used 1 time. 😅 And my laptop right now is also from 2nd hand shop, still working after 4 years.
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On the other side, there are a lot of gashapon. Japanese really like these cute stuff.
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The 2nd Floor: Otaku Stuff
The 2nd floor is mostly about Otaku stuff - figurines, notebooks, mangas, artworks, cosplay clothes and anything related to anime.
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If you noticed, there's a lot of Mandarake in the photos I took. Actually that is the store name. Mandarake is a Japanese shop for selling anything related to anime and manga. Find more about it in Wikipedia.
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And a whole lot more...
Some prices are expensive. But if I'm a collector, I wouldn't mind the price. Luckily, I'm not a collector so I don't get to spend money on these stuff. 😅
The 3nd Floor: More Closed Otaku Stuff
There's nothing much to see in the 3rd floor. Why? Well, most of the shops are closed. I'm not sure if it's only for today or they closed early or out of business already.
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If you look down, you'll see a map of where you are. It's quite cute and intiutive.
Nakano Broadway has a lot of watch shops too. I realized I only took photo of one when I reached the 3rd floor.
I went inside a shop that was still opened because I got curious. They have this machine where you insert money (500 yen, 1000 yen or 2000 yen) and it will draw out a letter for you and depending on that letter, you'll be able to win prizes.
It says whatever you win, you'll be able to choose from the displays in the glass cabinet. Actually the prizes are pretty great. I might go back to this shop again to try my luck.
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The 4th Floor: Books and Manga
The 4th floor surprised me with a bookstore. I was not expecting to see it here. I guess Nakano Broadway really has it all. LOL
They have a wide range of manga! I'm so surprised about it. They have books and magazines too, even those magazines that have a free item in them.
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A lot of stationary in this bookstore too, and some are so cute.
The ones at the bottom are actually memo pads, not chocolates. 😂
The Japanese are so creative in promoting their snacks that they ended up being memo pads, glue sticks and ballpens.
They even have a display of all the cute stuff, mostly erasers.
My trip to the bookstore has ended. I went outside again and just noticed the ceiling. So nice to see!
I found this shop but not sure what they sell about. Drawings? Something related to art.
On the other end of the bookshop is a manga shop. I first noticed their artwork on top of the shop before I realized it's a manga shop.
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These are the ones displayed outside. I didn't go inside but there are a lot more.
I noticed there's still stairs leading to the 5th floor but it's blocked. I guess it's not part of the shopping area of this mall.
I enjoyed my window shopping. If you're an otaku, I'm pretty sure you'll be tempted to spend some cash here. There are just so many beautiful stuff here!
I thought I would go home without buying anything...
Before heading home, I realized I needed some things for the house. I ended up buying a whiteboard, pens and magnets in the 100 yen shop. 😂
So this Friday, I spent around 445 yen or around 3.3 USD.
That's pretty much okay than spending a lot of yen for the figurines which I'm not even collecting.
But maybe one day, I'll become a collector. Expensive hobby so I gotta prepare for it. 😂
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.