Nakano Broadway - Tokyo

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Daniel
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Nakano Broadway - Tokyo

Post by Daniel »

Originally written by Andrue on 2015/10/23, 06:18:16 PDT :

Nakano Broadway - Tokyo :

Hi everyone,
I haven't posted here in a really long time due to a variety of factors, so hi! I recently took a trip to Japan for the first time to visit some friends and practice my Japanese. I set a 1000 budget for myself because I know I'd blow all my savings if I didn't do that. Anyways, I set out in search of old stuff and really wanted to just see what I discovered along the way. During my visits to Akihabara, I was completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of media on every corner. It was nearly impossible for my ADD brain to handle the barrage of stimulus from anime, manga, and video games new and old. It was crazy to see things that are still popular there like a big poster advertising a showing of an Urusei Yatsura movie, and multiple posters of Lupin III in the subway .

Although Akihabara was amazing, I found the holy land of mid-90s and older anime right down the street from my friends house where I was staying. I don't know how many of the posters here have been to Japan, but the shopping center Nakano Broadway in Nakano made me want to just cry with joy. Vast expanses of stores on 3 different floors each dedicated to a different subgenre of otaku culture. The store known as Mandarake has multiple smaller stores that were jam packed with cheap stuff. I spent the better part of 3 days just looking at everything and tried to hold my excitement in.

I'll post pictures and videos soon when I get the stuff off my camera, but boy was it nuts. I found one store with pretty much every single issue of Animage from the 70s-present, every issue of Newtype, Hobby Japan, and a lot of obscure stuff I've never seen before, all for around 500 yen each! I ended up getting a copy of Animage from 1985 with Lum on the cover, and another from 1994 with G Gundam I know... It was like a dream. There were stores with vintage model kits, stores with video games from consoles I've never even heard of, original printings of pretty much any manga you can think of, too much...

Even walking down the street in Nakano I saw stores with bins of LD's just there to peruse, including Gundam, Macross, KOR, and others for around 500 yen. I was running out of space in my bag by the second day, and had to buy a new suitcase just to fit everything. Most of the stuff I ended up buying was horror manga from the store called Taco Che, I didn't want to risk buying too much physical media because I was afraid it would break during my flight.

By the end of my trip I had to just stop going because I didn't want to tease myself. I am definitely going back to Japan as soon as I can afford it, and exploring there more as well as other second hand stores, it's too beautiful to only go there once.




Originally written by usamimi on 2015/10/23, 07:43:48 PDT :

Re: Nakano Broadway - Tokyo :

I've had lots of people tell me I HAVE to go here if I ever visit Japan. It always sounds so cool....but dangerous to my wallet!




Originally written by Akage on 2015/10/23, 09:02:30 PDT :

Re: Nakano Broadway - Tokyo :

I love Nakano Broadway. I usually hit it once upon arrival and once before departure. And I also partake in the McDonalds there because Japanese McDonalds is so much superior to the US version. Especially the Happy Meals.

While Mandarake is ok for artwork, you can find nicer stuff at Commit. I haven't been by the shop since the owner closed it up, only to reopen it months later and with a new YJ ID to boot . Is the store still in the same place and is it still called Commit?

The UFO machines on the lower level are fun, just make sure you're not going for something heavily rigged. If there's a prize you really want, there are some vendors on the upper levels that sell some. Oh, and there was also a cute apron shop on the bottom level near the supermarket. Japan has some of the cutest kitchen aprons.

I always skip Akihabara. Akiba is too crowded overrated. I also hate going to Gamers, Animate or any other bookstore, only to find out that the artwork displayed is not for sale. Nothing like falling in love with a sketch and being told that it'll be a part of a giveaway that takes place after you've long left.

My biggest vice has always been the stupid tchotchkes that come with certain brands of drinks at the convenience stores. My thought is that, if I'm going to have to shell out 150 yen for a drink, it better come with an added prize, even if that prize is an eraser, two paperclips or some dipsy keychain that I will never use. I always bring an empty suitcase whenever I go to Japan as I'll fill it up with tchotchkes, UFO prizes and artwork by the end of my trip.




Originally written by davemerrill on 2015/10/23, 12:53:23 PDT :

Re: Nakano Broadway - Tokyo :

There's a part of my brain that is still in Nakano Broadway.




Originally written by Daniel on 2015/10/23, 14:20:42 PDT :

Re: Nakano Broadway - Tokyo :

Hey Andrue! Great to see you back here!

Looking forward to seeing those photos and videos!




Originally written by greg on 2015/11/02, 03:49:06 PST :

Re: Nakano Broadway - Tokyo :

Yeah, it's nice to see you back. Please share pics and vids!

I can't ever seem to go to Nakano Broadway Building by myself, for whatever reason. It seems that whoever I go with, it's a different experience. I end up finding stuff in stores I may not have found on my own. Dave and I went there a few years ago, and I saw stuff I never paid attention to before.

I'd like to know where the store with the LDs you found is. I remember nine years ago when I hit Akihabara with two friends of mine, I found a store that sold LDs and I bought a few. I can't for the life of me figure out where they were, or if they even still exist. I live a couple of hours away from Tokyo, but I don't go there very often. And when I do, I often am there for other reasons than for nerd shopping.
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