When you fellow toy collectors visit Tokyo, Japan, one of the absolute must-do activities on your itinerary is to "go on a massive toy store shopping spree," right?! During our downtime while covering "Tokyo Comic Con 2019," the Toy People editorial team ventured into Nakano, Ueno, and Shibuya to compile a detailed guide for all you toy hunters: the "12 Must-Visit Tokyo Toy Stores for 2020"! So, follow the footsteps of our toy exploration team and let's embark on this treasure-hunting journey that will make your wallet weep! Let's GO~! 
We begin our journey at "Nakano Broadway," a place often referred to as "Nakano's Devil's Castle." This multi-purpose shopping complex is home to a wide variety of shops, with toy stores being the most prominent. However, you'll also find clothing stores, restaurants, bookstores, cafes, and more scattered across its floors. It's incredibly easy, simple, and effortless to spend an entire day here! All the stores we're about to introduce are located within Nakano Broadway, so let's get started.
① MANDARAKE (まんだらけ)
Address: 1-4F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Official Website: https://www.mandarake.co.jp/dir/nkn/
【Open in GOOGLE MAPS】
Nakano Broadway can be considered the main headquarters for the Japanese second-hand store chain, MANDARAKE. There are over 30 independent MANDARAKE shops in this building alone! What's truly impressive is the rich and diverse range of products, from Japanese Kaiju and Tokusatsu Sentai, American superhero action figures and carded figures, robots, LEGO, trading cards, vintage model kits, classic video games, and designer toys, to books, magazines, and art collections—they have it all! Furthermore, the packaging quality and box conditions are exceptionally well-maintained, making it a place where you can shop with absolute confidence.
▼ A single Korean version of a Bikkuriman sticker is priced at a staggering 200,000 JPY!!! For a detailed introduction to Bikkuriman, you can click here.
▼ Just being able to see these model kits with their beautiful, vintage box art in person is incredibly satisfying.
▼ Time to hunt for nostalgic car and fighter jet models!
② CUBE STYLE（キューブスタイル）
Address: 2F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Official Website: http://www.cubestyle.info/
【Open in GOOGLE MAPS】
Next up is CUBE STYLE, a store primarily featuring rental showcases, with three locations on the 2nd floor of Nakano Broadway. On their official website, you can not only look up all the showcase numbers but also view the contents of each box in the Box Introduction section. I remember buying several kaiju from showcase D-110 myself! The merchandise includes plush dolls, gashapon, trading figures, prize figures, kaiju soft vinyl, and more. It's mostly vintage items, making it a thrilling place to dig for treasure. Plus, the owner is incredibly friendly and will enthusiastically help you find other items of the same type based on your purchases. Her friendliness and ability to tempt you into buying more are both top-notch! :D
▼ Adorably cute Booskas~♥♥♥ A must-visit for any Booska fan!
③ ROBOT ROBOT Store No. 2（ロボットロボット２号店）
Address: 3F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Official Website: https://vintage.robotrobot2.com/
【Open in GOOGLE MAPS】
Now we move on to another second-hand chain, ROBOT ROBOT. There are three ROBOT ROBOT stores in Nakano Broadway, and we visited Store No. 2, which boasts a huge collection of vintage American toys. This includes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, He-Man, Star Wars, Gremlins, and both Marvel and DC superhero action figures and carded figures. You can also find McDonald's toys and characters from "Looney Tunes" like Tweety and Bugs Bunny. This is an essential stop for any collector of vintage American toys.
④ One up Nakano Broadway Store
Address: 3F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Official Website: http://www.one-up.org/
【Open in GOOGLE MAPS】
One up is a store that sells soft vinyl toys from various designer brands. The selection is quite extensive. In addition to designer sofubi, they also sell open-box items like trading figures, gashapon, and Bearbricks, allowing you to pick the specific designs you want.
⑤ Nakano Vintage Mall (中野ヴィンテージモール)
Address: 2F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nakanovintagemall/
【Open map from Nakano Shopping Arcade】
This is an antique shop filled with nostalgic, Showa-era vintage items. It has a rich collection of Peko-chan, robots, Kamen Rider, tin toys, and kaiju merchandise. They also sell piggy banks of the good luck god, Billiken. Besides toys, the selection of vintage lifestyle goods like old watches, tape recorders, keychains, and dishware is also quite impressive.
⑥ Hakaba no Garou (墓場の画廊)
Address: 3F, 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Official Website: https://hakabanogarou.jp/
【Open in GOOGLE MAPS】
The unique Japanese art gallery "Hakaba no Garou" (Gallery of the Graveyard) is another unmissable pilgrimage spot for toy collectors visiting Nakano Broadway. Hakaba no Garou frequently hosts various exhibitions, each time releasing enticing limited-edition products and events. During our visit, we encountered the "Kaiju Summit (怪奇サミット)" special exhibition, which brought together horror manga artists like Hideshi Hino, Kanako Inuki, and Junji Ito! Beyond the special exhibition, the store's permanent lineup of soft vinyl toys is also spectacular!
▼ The bizarre and grotesque artwork by masters Hideshi Hino and Kanako Inuki was truly a feast for the eyes.
▼ They also have the "Frankenstein" soft vinyl figure from the mind of master Junji Ito, produced by Unbox Industries! The bandage details, stitch marks, bloodstains, and ferocious expression are absolutely incredible!
▼ There's also a display area outside the store. So cool.
And that concludes Part 1 of the Toy People editorial team's handpicked list of 12 Must-Visit Tokyo Toy Stores for 2020! For the rest of the amazing stores, please check out 12 Must-Visit Tokyo Toy Stores for 2020 "Part 2". Of course, due to our schedule and route, there are surely many toy stores we missed. We welcome all you toy collectors to add your own recommendations and join the discussion in the comments section! We hope the Toy People Exploration Team can travel to more places in the future to bring you more firsthand information. Until next time!
▼ Must-Visit Toy Stores in Japan! Episode 1: Tokyo・Nakano Broadway