Nakano Broadway is a 1966 shopping complex with apartments on top that became, almost by accident, the world’s largest collection of shops for used manga, anime cels, toys, figures, watches and vintage video games. Mandarake, which started here in 1980 with a single stall, now runs around thirty specialist shops across the floors, next to independent dealers selling 1970s die-cast robots, idol trading cards, mechanical watches and Showa-era advertising.
Enter from the Sun Mall arcade, take the escalator that skips the second floor to the third, and work downward. Nakano is Akihabara for people who already know what they are looking for, and the prices on a mint boxed Godzilla or a cel from a 1980s series reflect that.
Tips
- Floors two to four are the collectors' floors; the basement has groceries and the Daily Chiko soft-serve counter
- Many shops open only at noon and close at eight; a weekday afternoon is ideal
- Bring cash; most independent dealers do not take cards, and prices are firm