Eight black floors of second-hand manga, toys, animation cels, retro consoles and doujinshi, run by the chain that invented the used-otaku-goods trade in the 1980s. The Complex is Mandarake’s Akihabara flagship and feels like a well-organised archive rather than a shop. Vintage Showa-era tin robots sit a staircase away from last season’s Gundam kits, and the cel floor is a museum you can buy from.
Set aside an hour and climb to the top floor first, then descend. Bring a shortlist and use the staff, who can check stock on other floors and at other branches. Luggage is a nuisance in the narrow aisles, so leave bags in a station locker.
Tips
- Each floor has its own theme and its own staff, so ask on the right floor rather than at the entrance
- Prices are fixed and fair, but condition grades matter, so read the sticker before buying a boxed figure
- The doujinshi floors are extensive and some shelves are adults only, which is flagged in Japanese at the stairs