here - Metropolis Magazine

NAKANO
BEAT
SHOP THE
BLOCK AT THE
HEART OF
SUBCULTURE
BRIGHT LIGHTS,
BEST BUYS
N
akano is a study in contrasts: here,
octogenarian grannies haul shopping carts toe-to-toe with quirkily
dressed young fashionistas, each
vying for a bargain. Manga megaplexes attract
hordes of otaku, and not far away, worshipers
rock up to a venerable temple to pray. Nakano
ward is heady with youth; its population’s highest age concentration is in young adults in their
NAKANO BROADWAY
JACK ROAD
Rolex, Hermès, Patek Philippe, Chanel; Casio, Seiko, Citizen; Bulgari, Tag Heuer, Omega.
Watch faces gleam from every corner as the
smartly besuited staff tick off the merits of
this piece or that to the well-heeled customers. Jack Road carries new, used and antique
watches for men; its sister store just across the
aisle, Betty Road, does the same for women.
The shop, opened in 1987, started as an antique shop but soon homed in on wristwatches, and now serves an international clientele
searching for that special something. With over
3,000 pieces, you’re sure to find something,
whether you’re searching for a handsome and
functional piece or a rare collector’s item. Tel:
03-3386-9399. www.jackroad.co.jp
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20s and 30s, situated as it is close to three major
universities—Waseda, Teikyo Heisei and Meiji—
as well as several smaller institutions. But this is
not a place overrun solely with young whippersnappers; coexistence prevails here.
The area running from Nakano station north
to Arai Yakushi Bashoin temple encompasses
Nakano’s main arteries, a network of shopping
streets and arcades buzzing with activity. To
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the northwest of the station, Nakano Central
Park is a gathering place and green space,
flanked with restaurants and flecked with picnickers.
Sun Mall, due north of the station, is a long,
glass-covered arcade running for several
blocks and filled with over a hundred shops and
restaurants on either side of the walkway. The
shopping street bustles with busy consumers
and window shoppers, who can flit or meander
from store to store without fear of foul weather.
Reaching the end of Sun Mall, Nakano
Broadway looms: a brightly lit behemoth
pulsing with action. Bargains abound—a new
dress for ¥500, socks and leggings for pocket
change—while the raucous sounds of arcades
and purikura reverberate down the narrow corridors. On the upper floors is a nerd mecca:
comic books, cosplay and toys compete for
space in this noisy, colorful, mishmash of a
shopping center.
Beyond Broadway, a slightly more sedate
but no less interesting center of consumer culture is found in Ai Road, a stretch lined with
tasteful shops and pretty lanterns whose theme
changes according to the season. Here, traditional generations-old shops share perimeters
with new kids on the block. This is the spot to
pick up those daily goods and gifts that are still
sold in specialty shops by people who know
what they’re doing. “Aji ga aru,” you might say:
this place has flavor.
Only minutes away from Shinjuku, but
entirely with its own character, Nakano is a
tasty mix of old and new. Sample the sights
and sounds, see the street life and feel the
heartbeat.
Welcome to Nakano!
NAKANO BROADWAY
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MORE INFO ONLINE →
METURL.COM/NAKANOBW
PONY
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Pony is the only actual toy shop in Nakano
Broadway. While there are many stores that
sell toys, those toys are mainly second-hand
and collectable items sold to a predominantly
adult customer base. Pony sells a huge variety
of new toys to children and parents, though the
shop does have wares that cater to hobbyists’s
tastes as well. The only shop in the center that
stocks new official Studio Ghibli plush toys and
accessories, Pony is a fun and fascinating place
to visit. Tel: 03-3387-7451
ANIME SHOP COMMIT
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Before the animation world moved to digital, creating many of Japan’s most famous titles was a
painstaking process that involved painting thousands of individual cellophane sheets, or cels,
which were then filmed. These cels were often
sold to collectors at the end of an anime’s production run. Anime Shop Commit is the last shop
in Japan dedicated to selling cells directly to customers. It has a massive selection that includes
the most famous anime titles from the 1980s and
1990s. Going through the inventory, however,
takes some time, so be prepared to search long
and hard for your original piece of anime history.
Tel: 03-3389-8809. www.commit.co.jp
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Print Mouse is a print shop specializing in
printing onto hard plastic products. Customers can bring in any image they want or use
the shop’s computer to search for something
to be printed onto iPhone and iPad cases,
keyboards, mobile battery chargers or simple
plastic sheets (up to A3 size). Prints are photo
quality and full color. Customers may also
create a custom layout with a number of images and typography. Print Mouse’s in-house
designers can sit with a customer to ensure
the final print is tailored specifically to the
way he or she wants it. Tel: 03-5942-6066
http://print-mouse.com
TANSU-YA
Kimono are the most famous example of Japanese fashion. While they’re fairly easy to find
in Japan, they are also prohibitively expensive
and often require specific fitting sessions. Tansu-ya sells high-quality used kimono. As with
most second-hand goods in Japan, “used” is
a relative term for kimono, as they are often
well cared-for. Prices, however, are a fraction
of the cost of brand-new kimono, making those
at Tansu-ya excellent value. Tansu-ya also sells
a selection traditional Japanese clothes and
accessories that make perfect souvenirs. Tel:
03-5318-5291. http://tansuya.jp
PLABBIT
Opened in April 2014, Plabbit is one the newest
shops in Nakano Broadway. Plabbit creates,
assembles and customizes plastic Gundam
models. From simply adding panel gap lines
to full-chrome electroplating, complete custom paint-jobs, metal accessories and custom
modifications, there’s no limit to what customers can order to make their model unique. The
turnaround time for custom work is upward of
a month, but for customers who can’t or don’t
want to wait, Plabbit also sells a selection of
pre-built custom models at its showroom. While
the custom models aren’t cheap, each example
is truly a one-of-a-kind master artwork. Tel: 035942-5629. http://plabbit.ocnk.net
PRINT MOUSE
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DAILY CHIKO
Home of the famous
rainbow sof t- ser ve
tower cone, Daily
Chiko has been in Nakano Broadway since
the center opened. The
shop serves eight flavors,
three of which are seasonal. There are three
size options to choose
from. The small and medium allow customers
choose their flavors, but
the large is the rainbow
tower that stacks all
eight. It takes more than
six months to master the
art of building the mighty
tower. But with great ice
cream comes great responsibility: if a customer drops his
or her beast of a cone, there is
no refill! Daily Chiko suggests
using a spoon and taking extra
special care while eating. Tel:
03-3386-4461. http://twitter.com/Dailychiko
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MANDARAKE
MASTERS
OF TIME
Mandarake (pronounced “man-dah-rah-keh”) is
a chain of stores that specializes in buying and
reselling Japanese pop culture merchandise.
Starting from its humble beginnings as a used
comic store in Nakano Broadway, Mandarake
has grown to 11 branches around the country, an
international online store and a mind-bending
25 individual stores in Nakano Broadway itself.
Each store targets a specific niche and is
staffed by people who are active members of
that niche, sharing their customers’s passions
and providing more personalized service. There
are also international staff who speak English,
Chinese and other languages.
MORE INFO ONLINE →
METURL.COM/MANDARAKE
MANIA-KAN
On the fourth floor, Mania-kan has select vintage
comic books and magazines, including original
printed editions of “father of manga” Osamu Tezuka’s work. Mania-kan also stocks limited-print
books and classic bonus material art books. It’s
an astounding glimpse into the history of manga.
COSPLAY
On the second floor,
Cosplay sells a selection of handmade, often
once-off costumes that
were made by actual
cosplayers. Because
the majority of these
costumes are unused,
customers can’t try them on for size until they
commit to the purchase so as to preserve the
costumes’s quality.
PLASTIC
On the fourth floor,
Plastic is dedicated to
dolls and toys for girls.
The shop stocks a selection of poseable,
customizable dolls,
like Dolfie and SD, as
well as original Sailor
Moon and Barbie dolls from every generation.
HEN-YA
On the fourth floor,
Hen-ya transpor t s
customers back in
time through its bright
red torii-inspired port al. H en -ya has a
selection of tin toys
that date back before
World War II, as well as other iconic toys and
nostalgic goods from every decade of modern
Japanese history.
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A TRULY SPECIAL
COLLECTION
ANIME-KAN
Also on the fourth
floor, Anime-kan has
a small but extremely
rare selection of animation cels, original
artwork and signed
sketches from famous
charac ter design ers and animators. A
number of its rarest items are auctioned off to
Mandarake’s online Everyday Auction, so the
selection is constantly changing.
Mandarake’s most popular stores with both
Japanese and international customers are its
Special stores. Each store caters to specific types
of figurines and models. On the second floor,
Special 4 delivers doe-eyed damsels to collectors
of bishōjo (beautiful girl) figurines. Special 5 stocks
a selection of Japanese and Western superhero
and movie-themed action figures and statues. The
original Special has an assortment of classic toys,
including Transformers and that quintessential
Japanese pop culture icon, Godzilla. On the third
floor, Special 2 serves up Japanese Tokusatsu
series, including Kamen Rider products. Special 3
sells Japanese manga representative of modern
pop culture, such as Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya.
Among Mandarake’s stores dedicated to
manga are some that specialize in gender-specific
publications, while a classic games store boasts a
collection of Japanese titles across every classic
game console system. Other Mandarake shops
include a trading card store, a model car store,
J-Pop and K-Pop stores, and an anime video & CD
store.
While the specialization of Mandarake’s 25
shops in Nakano Broadway means customers can
save time by focusing their efforts on the things that
most appeal to them, the sheer number, diversity,
and representative history of items in each place
makes Mandarake more than just a chain of stores
selling second-hand pop culture: together, they
form a time capsule dedicated to preserving and
sharing that culture with fans around the world of all
generations.
⊲Tel:
⊲
03-3228-0007
⊲[email protected]
⊲
⊲www.mandarake.co.jp
⊲
SUNMALL
MARUZEN
FUJIYA CAMERA
Fujiya Camera specializes exclusively in cameras, and stocks a wide selection of new and
used equipment from all major manufacturers.
Staff are friendly and knowledgeable—many are
amateur, if not semi-professional, photographers
themselves. Fujiya Camera actually has three
stores in close proximity on a side street off of
Sun Mall. Across from its main two-story shop
is a smaller “junk” shop with recycled camera
parts and components for sale. The third shop
sells used camera equipment, such as tripods
and storage bags, at substantial discounts along
with new items. Customers can even trade in
their existing camera equipment on the spot to
save money when upgrading. All three shops are
duty free for travelers, and definitely worth a trip!
5-61-1 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-53182241. www.fujiya-camera.co.jp
“Made in Japan” is the key theme of this
shop, which sells tableware and other decorative household items. The shelves are
brimming with domestically produced and
occasionally handmade bowls, cups, small
dishes, and—perhaps more unique in this
modern age—a wide selection of traditional
Japanese teapots and vessels for sake. Maruzen’s products are mostly ceramic, but also
include glass, wood and plastic. Products
that are particularly popular among foreign
visitors are little statues of Japanese raccoons known as tanuki, or the beckoning
maneki-neko cat statues, as well as chopsticks and cartoon-themed tableware.
5-67-12 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 033387-0882.
ROBO
You might be forgiven for thinking you’ve
traveled back in time after walking into Robo:
most of the decor hasn’t changed since this
Japanese pub, or izakaya, opened in 1961.
The cozy establishment of seven seats offers
patrons something very unusual in modern
Japan: the chance to drink sake poured directly from a traditional keg, or taru. Customers can also create their own custom
orders, such as requesting fresh vegetables
to be cooked on Robo’s authentic charcoal
grill. Don’t be perturbed by the lack of prices
on the wall menu—checks average around
¥3,000.
5-55-17 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 033387-0646.
UMEYA
TSUJIYA
Tsujiya is a family-owned business that has
been supplying shoes to Nakano visitors
across many generations, tracing its history back to 1926. The shop is an excellent
place to find a set of traditional footwear to
accompany Japanese garments like kimono
or yukata, even offering large-size geta sandals to accommodate foreigners with larger
feet. There’s also a variety of modern shoes,
including the styles of boots that are quite
popular with the cosplay crowd. Tsujiya also
stocks a wide made-in-Japan selection of
sturdy, storm-resistant umbrellas along with
traditional wood and paper parasols.
5-60-8 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 033388-5123. www.nakano-tujiya.com
Browsing the shops in Nakano’s Sun Mall is
bound to work up your appetite, and Umeya is
a convenient place to enjoy a simple light meal
or sumptuous Japanese sweets. This small restaurant with 20 seats was founded in 1956, and
although the menu has since expanded, thirdgeneration operator Momoko Okamura still follows her grandmother’s recipes for customer
favorites such as the inari-zushi set (vinegared
rice stuffed in fried tofu slices) and the cream
anmitsu (a traditional Japanese dessert with
cold agar jelly cubes, boiled red peas, sweet
bean paste, various fruits and syrup). Okamura
says her menu is very healthy, as it has vegetarian options and limits the use of added sugar.
5-58-6 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 033387-2390.
WASHIYA
Tempting food smells come wafting from this
corner store that prepares bento lunch boxes
and side dishes—most of which use original
recipes from when the shop opened in 1948.
Every day Washiya offers 10-13 different types
of bento boxes featuring either fish, chicken
or pork as the main entrée. The bento boxes
are inexpensive, with a tax-inclusive price of
approximately ¥500 making them popular
for workers in nearby offices as well as locals
who prefer not to cook for themselves. Customers can also self-select from nearly 100
varieties of side dishes, paying by weight for
their desired amount.
5-63-5 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 035345-5061. www.e-washiya.co.jp
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AI ROAD
MORE INFO ONLINE →
METURL.COM/AIROAD
KANEKOEN TEA
ARAI YAKUSHI BAISHOIN TEMPLE
The Arai Yakushi Baishoin temple is an anchor
of the community as a place to pray and a
place to gather (it’s especially busy during
New Year, Setsubun, and hanami season).
There’s a well tap here where neighborhood
denizens come to freely fill up water bottles
with spring water to take home and use for tea
and cooking. Kindergarteners troop through
the courtyard on their daily walk, and older
folks stop to chat near the incense urn after paying their respects at the altar, a small
graveyard holding ancestors nearby.
As the story goes, during the Edo era, one
of the Tokugawa shoguns had a daughter with
failing vision. She came to this temple to pray,
and soon after was miraculously healed. Today,
the temple is known for healing poor eyesight,
and people come from far and wide to pray to
the medicine Buddha, known as Yakushi Nyorai,
who is protected by 12 fierce and colorful guards
hewn from the same tree. Believers also come
to pick up omamori, talismans meant to heal
bad eyes and more. Legend says that one of
the reasons nearby Ai Road was so named was
because of the “eye” homophone.
5-3-5 Arai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-33861355. www.araiyakushi.or.jp
Kanekoen knows tea. This family-run tea company now has 58 shops, mostly in the Kanto
area, each run by a member of the Ichikawa
clan. The Nakano shop has been on Ai Road
since 1935, and the current Mr. Ichikawa is a
the second-generation manager. Its tea, which
is entirely domestically grown, comes mostly
from Shizuoka and Kyushu, including its own
nearly 400-year-old tea plantation. The shop’s
own blend, called aracha, is its biggest seller—
a boldly flavored green tea with an underlying
sweetness. The shop also has tea accoutrements such as teapots and canisters, and the
knowledgeable proprietors can elucidate tea
characteristics and brewing tips. 1-32-3 Arai,
Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3386-4426.
SAKAMOTO MISO
KOTOBUKI YU ONSEN
Onsen in the middle of Nakano? Casual visitors may not know it, but Nakano is built atop
a natural spring, and this bathhouse—the only
one in Nakano to tap the spring—draws on
the restorative waters to provide an onsen experience right in the middle of the city! This
Showa-era establishment opened in 1951, and
Mr. Kobayashi is the second-generation owner.
He says his onsen is frequented by students
from the surrounding universities and young
salaried workers, but he welcomes everyone
to come and use the baths; kids are welcome,
as are tattooed people and international folks.
Open from 4pm-1:30am, the bathhouse also
boasts a sauna and comic book reading room.
Relax, refresh, revitalize. 1-14-13 Arai, Nakanoku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3387-2047
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At Sakamoto Miso, tubs of the fermented paste
line the walls and march down the middle of
the shop, which has been standing here since
the 1950s. Here you can find over 40 varieties of miso from all over Japan. Whether it’s
soybean-, rice- or wheat-based, red, white or
mixed, smooth or chunky, the shop owners,
who have been certified as “miso sommeliers,” can help you find the perfect miso for
your taste and occasion. Missing a flavor from
another prefecture? Want tips on a lighter, fuller
or differently textured miso? This is the place.
And if you don’t know what to get, try the tasty
awase-miso—the shop’s own miso blend is its
top seller.
1-29-8 Arai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-33862862. http://sakamoto-miso.com
WAKA UDON
The newly opened Waka restaurant looks
like a stylish cafe—and it is—but its specialty
is making sanuki udon by day, turning into a
sashimi and grilled-food izakaya by night (the
udon is still available, of course). Mr. Omori,
who grew up eating sanuki udon when he visited his grandmother in Kagawa, is careful to
use ingredients and flavors from the region;
the noodles are made on-site from flour imported from Kagawa prefecture, while Shikoku
ocean products, such as kombu and iriko, are
also used to flavor the dishes. Try the shop’s
best seller: kakiage udon, a piping-hot bowl
of chewy noodles swimming in flavorful dashi,
with a crispy heap of mixed tempura to put on
top. Itadakimasu! 1-8-7 Arai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-6312-6232.
NAKANO SUN PLAZA
JAPANESE
RESTAURANT
“NAKANO”
At the top of the triangle,
Sun Plaza’s 20th floor is
home to two restaurants.
Located just to the right
after exiting the elevator
is the elegant Japanese
restaurant Nakano. It s
view overlooks the Nerima
side of Tokyo, and reservations for window-side tables fill
up fast. On a clear day, patrons can
MORE INFO ONLINE →
METURL.COM/SUNPLAZA
spot the faraway Mount Asama
and Mount Tsukuba. Or ask for
a counter seat where you
can watch the cooks skillfully prepare your order.
This restaurant serves
all t ypes of Japanese
food, including sushi,
soba noodles, tempura
and grilled fish. The artfully arranged hanakobakozen, which are bowls set
in small boxes, are a popular
favorite for lunch.
RESTAURANT “121
DINING”
121 Dining is also located on
the 20th floor of the Sun
Plaza building, occupying
the side that overlooks the
Shinjuku skyscraper district. Just as with restaurant
Nakano, this is the highest
vantage point from which to
enjoy fine dining in the Nakano
area, and offers excellent food and an
equally appealing view—particularly at night
when Tokyo’s concrete jungle turns into a shim-
mering wonderland.
121 Dining is officially a French
restaurant, but the menu
offers a range of Westernstyle dishes that include its
specialty roast beef, as well
as salads and spaghetti. Ordering à la carte is also possible, with three to four different options each for appetizers
and meat dishes.
121 Dining and Nakano restaurants are
open daily 11:30am-2:30pm (lunch), 5-10pm
(dinner). Tel: 03-3388-1150.
SUN PLAZA HOTEL
Few people may realize that
an 83-room hotel occupies
floors 16-19 atop the distinctive, triangular Sun Plaza
building, a stone’s throw from
Nakano station’s north exit.
Nakano lacks the high skyscrapers common in other
populated parts of Tok yo,
leaving the view of Hotel Sun
Plaza’s surrounding environs
largely unobstructed.
Even though Sun Plaza itself is over 40 years old, the
hotel’s rooms have been remodeled to be clean and modern. The hotel
mostly offers Western rooms in various layouts
of standard single rooms, double rooms and
twin rooms. Many guest rooms on the side facing Shinjuku have small sofas upon which to
sit and enjoy the expansive view, while single
rooms on the building’s other side are complemented with electronic massage chairs.
Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats and
futons are also available. These rooms look
out upon the 16th floor’s small Japanese garden, complete with trees and raked gravel.
CONCERT HALL
You would hardly know you’re in a large city
center; the garden obscures the commotion of
the streets below and creates an atmosphere
of serenity akin to a Japanese inn, or ryokan.
All rooms have Wi-Fi, and guests of the
hotel can also use Sun Plaza’s pool and gym
facilities for a nominal fee.
4-1-1 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-33881177. www.sunplaza.jp
Sun Plaza has various other features, including banquet rooms and recreational facilities,
but it is best known as a concert venue. Its
spacious performance hall features excellent
acoustics and includes four levels with a total
of 2,222 seats (a purely coincidental number,
we are told). The concert hall helped form the
entertainment connection to nearby Nakano
Broadway by hosting numerous concerts,
including world-famous orchestras and musical performers—Bob Marley even had a gig.
Nowadays the concert hall ties into Nakano’s
otaku culture with regular performances by
J-pop group Morning Musume as well as
anime-related music and events.
Tel: 03-3388-2893
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MAP
HEIWA
PARK
STREET
AN O
DO R
I
ARAI YAKUSHI
BAISHOIN
NAK
KANNANA
DORI
AI ROAD
MIZUHO
BANK
WAS
EDA
DO
NAKANO
GYMNASIUM
RI
NAKANO BROADWAY
SUNMALL
ARCADE
NAKANO
SUN PLAZA
NAKANO
WARD OFFICE
NAKANO KYORITSU
HOSPITAL
NAKANO NORTH
EXIT ICHIBANGAI
NORTH EXIT
JR CHUO LINE
NAKANO STATION
TOKYO METRO TŌZAI LINE/ JR CHUO LINE
NAVIGATE THE NICHES OF NAKANO
NAKANO BROADWAY OFFICE
YAKUSHI AI ROAD OFFICE
NAKANO SUNMALL OFFICE
NAKANO SUN PLAZA
5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3388-7004
www.nbw.jp
5-67-1 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Tel:03-3387-3586
1-22-6 Arai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-6454-0070
www.ai-road.com
4-1-1 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3388-1151
www.sunplaza.jp