Nakano Broadway: Into the dark recesses of Tokyo nerd culture

When it comes to official recognition of Tokyo's 'nerd culture' district, famed Akihabara always gets the nod over Nakano Broadway. But as Akihabara turns into a more Vegas-like strip where tourists outnumber locals, Tokyo’s real-deal otaku are heading to Nakano Broadway to do their hunting and gathering.

Getting acquainted

Tucked at the back of an unassuming shotengai arcade near JR Nakano station’s north exit, the Nakano Broadway complex is a four-story maze containing more than fifty specialty secondhand shops. The avalanche of anime, manga and toys is only the start.

Walk in any direction and you'll be swarmed by racks of vintage video games, vinyl LPs, souvenir T-shirts, audio equipment, colorful movie posters and all manner of character goods. This is the place where people come to honor and glorify the detritus accumulated from a full century of Japanese consumerism.

Be warned: there are no windows inside the complex, and even regular visitors routinely lose their ways while navigating the labyrinth within. On weekends and holidays the hallways turn into massive human traffic jams.

The Mandarake empire

Mandarake’s CEO once said, "Our mission is to take over the world using manga and other otaku things." While global domination hasn’t happened yet, the company surely has a monopoly on Nakano Broadway.

There are 16 Mandarake boutiques within the mall, each targeting a particular collector’s taste. Highlights include:

Mandarake Hon-ya (3nd floor), a bookstore and art gallery where manga -- a great selection titles for as little as ¥100 -- reigns supreme.

Mandarake Galaxy (2nd floor), an impressive video-game emporium offering fare from the 8-bit era right up to the latest PlayStation and Xbox titles.

Mandarake Special (2nd floor), a toy shop with transforming robots, monster figures and model kits of cute little girls weighed down with enormous weaponry.

For those who want to extend their devotion to their favorite anime, Mandarake Cosplay Kan (4th floor) offers costume ensembles, complete with colored wigs, for those who want to hit the town looking like Sailor Moon.

The Mandarake staff is helpful, and English language assistance is available. And should you run out of dough buying used manga books and anime DVDs, you can always try your luck at the buy-back counter (3rd floor), which welcomes foreign customers.

Nakano Broadway: 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, no telephone number for entire complex, 10am-8pm
Nakano Broadway can be reached by a short walk from the north exit of the JR Nakano station.

Patrick Macias is the author of "TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion." His blog, An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla, can be found at www.patrickmacias.blogs.com.

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