Nakano Broadway is Tokyo’s run-down, offbeat department store. The complex is a subcultural oasis and an institution for the underrated Nakano district. It is accessed from one side by strolling up the rather boastfully named Sun Mall. It can be quite daunting if you don’t know where to start.

Nakano Broadway is known for its numerous anime and manga shops, but it also offers a hodgepodge of everything: antiques, bookstores, junk, record stores, kimonos, famous ice cream, and even a locksmith.

This guide will give you a brief overview of the past and present, namely what Nakano Broadway was and is today, and what you can find there.

History of Nakano Broadway

Established in 1966, Nakano Broadway was intended to be a chic department store featuring luxury fashion for upstarts. The 10-story complex had five floors, the lower floors were open to the public, and the upper floors were expensive apartments overlooking the grand Nakano estate. In fact, even today, the upper floors are exclusively residential, and the secret rooftop garden remains exclusive, featuring a pool, meticulously manicured walkways, and immaculate flowerbeds.

In 1980, the second-hand manga store Mandarake opened on the third floor next to the luxury and high-end fashion stores. The brand flourished. In the 1990s, when the Japanese economic bubble burst and the surrounding luxury stores disappeared like flies, Mandarake expanded.

Soon, many of the luxury brands had disappeared from Nakano Broadway, and in their place, shops had sprung up that complemented Mandarake.

Today, Nakano Broadway’s long history is told through its eclectic mix of shops and restaurants.

A rough floor guide

It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact theme for each floor. Simply put, there isn’t one. However, on the lower level you’ll find more corporate brands as well as plenty of restaurants and food outlets.

On the second floor you will find many collectibles, including antiques, maps and otaku Aisle.

From then on, it’s practically a free game for everyone.

Access

Please note: The escalator on the first floor goes directly to the third floor, skipping the second. If you want to shop on the second floor, you must take the stairs.

Anime and manga shops

There is a Mandarake shop on almost every floor of Nakano Broadway. From the manga bookstore to the figurine store with the giant alien in front of it, Mandarake is hard to miss.

In addition, there are many private collectors and enthusiasts who also have their own shops.

Subculture collectibles and antiques

Inside the complex, you’ll find every type of collector subculture imaginable. From an antique doll shop where eyes follow you around the room to various Kewpies—a Kewpie egg baby, anyone?

Of course, thanks to the many Mandarake stores, there are every kind of figure and collectible toy imaginable.

fashion

Nakano Broadway has its roots in fashion, so it’s not surprising that there are many shops offering the latest clothes, but also some older ones. On the first floor you’ll find market-style clothing, on the fourth ramen socks, in the basement a second-hand kimono shop, and another shop dedicated exclusively to Subscribe Jackets on one of the upper floors.

Luxury watches

Nakano Broadway is also the rather unexpected center of Tokyo’s second-hand watch culture. There you can find expensive vintage watches worth several million yen.

Sex shops

Sex sells, in the truest sense of the word. There are at least two shops on Nakano Broadway that sell sex toys. And everything else you can think of related to sex, apart from the act itself.

Restaurants and cafes

Venture deeper into the building to discover some quality dining options. In the basement, there’s hand-rolled udon and the famous eight-colour ice cream. On the second floor, you’ll find Kohrinbo, a 40-year-old Taiwanese restaurant. And two floors up, there’s artist Takashi Murakami’s Instagrammable cafe.

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