Nakano Broadway

In short

Nakano Broadway is a commercial and residential complex opened in 1966, located about a 5-minute walk north of the North Exit of Nakano Station. Spurred by the opening of "Mandarake," a secondhand bookstore specializing in manga, various specialty shops gathered here, and it came to be known as a "holy land of subculture."

• ​Subculture specialty shops​​: There are many specialty shops offering items such as manga, anime goods, secondhand books, retro toys, and video games.
• ​Wristwatches and antiques​​: In recent years, antique and luxury wristwatch shops have also lined the corridors.
• ​Coexistence with longstanding shops​​: Another part of its appeal is the blend of community-rooted shops that have operated since the building opened alongside niche hobby shops.

History & Highlights

Nakano Broadway is a complex combining shops and residences that opened in 1966. It was born during Japan's period of rapid economic growth as one of the pioneering commercial and residential complexes. It was named after Broadway in New York. The lower floors house a shopping center, while the upper floors consist of residential apartments.

Regarding the building's origins, it is said to have started with a particular background: The shopping street extending from the North Exit of Nakano Station originally ended in a dead end at this site. Local volunteers proposed a plan to collectively purchase the land densely packed with wooden houses, construct a building, and create a wide passageway on the first floor leading through to Waseda-dori Avenue behind it.

Around the time of its opening, the vast majority of businesses were food, clothing, daily goods, and book shops. In time, as districts like Shinjuku and Ikebukuro grew bustling, visitor numbers began to decline. What shifted the trend was "Mandarake," a secondhand manga bookstore that started operating in 1980 in a space of only about 2 tsubo (approx. 6.6 square meters). Enthusiasts of various genres responded to this by opening their own shops. Following the collapse of the economic bubble in 1991, the complex came to be known as a "holy land of subculture."

Even so, not everything in the building is a subculture shop. Shops rooted in the local community since the building's inception and niche hobby shops blend together and operate side by side. This combination creates the distinctive atmosphere unique to Nakano Broadway.

Viewing & Experiencing Highlights

• ​Subculture specialty shops​​: Specialty shops dealing in all kinds of subcultural genres gather here, including manga and anime goods, secondhand books, retro toys, and video games.
• ​Wristwatches and antiques​​: In recent years, shops dealing in antiques and luxury wristwatches have lined up. The large number of watch specialty shops is also a feature of this location.
• ​The interest of the building itself​​: The atmosphere from the time of its opening, when American culture was spreading, remains strongly palpable. You can stroll through the Showa-era structure as if on a treasure hunt.

Walking Tips

It is about a 5-minute walk from the North Exit of Nakano Station on the JR and Tokyo Metro Tozai lines. Passing through the 224-meter-long covered shopping arcade "Nakano Sun Mall Shopping Street," which extends north from the station's North Exit, Nakano Broadway lies directly ahead. The shops are divided across five floors, from the 1st basement floor to the 4th floor. There is no parking lot, so please visit by train. Arai Yakushi Baisho-in Temple is about 570 meters north of here, so walking there as part of your visit is also recommended.