Nakano Broadway is a multi-story shopping complex famous for a variety of stores selling anime, manga, and popular culture goods as well as other specialty and everyday items. The complex was developed in 1966, when Japan was experiencing economic growth resulting from exports. This then led to the lifestyles of Japanese people becoming rapidly Americanized. Nakano Broadway was born out of the growth wave as a leading commercial and residential complex. Nakano Broadway started to become known by its current nickname, “Otaku Heaven,” after the collapse of the economic bubble in 1991. But it was in 1980 that the concept started to form, when a used bookstore specializing in manga began operations in the complex, in a space of just 6.6 square meters. The popularity of the shop, Mandrake, grew quickly. As old traditional stores started to decline, various other specialty shops for otaku that emulate Mandrake’s style were established. However, not all of Nakano Broadway is part of “Otaku Heaven.” Local shops that have existed since the complex opened can be found alongside the specialty stores for otaku subculture. This idiosyncrasy is another appealing part of Nakano Broadway. In recent years, new businesses using Bitcoin and 3D printers have set up shop in the complex, adding to its liveliness and energy. Now, Nakano Broadway can be seen as a small community with an eclectic mix of shops or as a retro, yet futuristic, labyrinth. Either way, it has achieved a strange harmony and seems to venture beyond the concept of time and space, offering a vision of the future. We welcome you to visit Nakano Broadway; be prepared for an unforgettable experience.
