HOME Tokyo and Surroundings Tokyo Kichijoji Walk and see everything in Nakano, the town of subculture, in 3 hours!

Walk and see everything in Nakano, the town of subculture, in 3 hours!

Last updated: 12 April 2018

Akihabara is not the only town representing Japanese subculture such as manga and anime. Shops selling collector items line the aisles, attracting both domestic and overseas fans visit them. Even if you are not a fanboy or a fangirl, you are guaranteed to get hooked onto the amusing items once you visit there.

It is a shopping mall where a lot of small shops are crowded like a maze, selling miscellaneous goods, secondhand books, and other things related to food, clothing and housing. It is like a secret base of subculture such as anime, games and idols. This mall is definitely the reason why Nakano came to be known as the hub of subculture. Recently, it was introduced by international media, and the number of foreign tourists have increased. There are catalogs in four languages. Wi-Fi is available for free in the passages on from the first basement level to the fourth floor.

Nakano is a highly competitive ramen area where many ramen restaurants are gathered, appeasing ramen fans. Among them, Nidaime Enji is a popular Tsukemen (a dish which noodles and soup are served separately) restaurant for their thick and delicious soup. It is a type of soup called vegetable potage (thick soup), where their original vegetable paste is added to the seafood soup mainly with stock of pork bone, chicken bone and bonito. The noodle is made with the germ of wheat grown in Japan. The combination of savory, tasty, springy noodles and thick soup is superb.

It is an optical planetarium with relaxing atmosphere like in the olden days. The projection is held mainly on Saturday, Sunday and national holidays. The key factor is the live narration by the curator. It provides information about ancient Greek mythology and the latest astronomical information about the constellations of the season. The narration is available only in Japanese, but it gives you a different warmth from what you would get from a recorded one. Enjoy the night sky show there.

A community-based photo studio in Nakano, a popular tourist spot. We are happy to take pictures at any occasion, including traditional Japanese shrine visits, Shichi-go-san and coming-of-age ceremonies when you have any requests even if it is not an anniversary for a single person, a couple, a family or friends. We have a wide variety of kimonos available for rental and dressing (reservations required) that are especially popular, including visiting kimono, formal crested hakama, long-sleeved kimono, children's kimono, and baby kimono. We also offer hair and face make-up services by reservation if you wish. Why don't you have an experience at a Japanese photo studio as a memory of your trip? Please let us know your height and foot size in advance at a reservation if you wish to wear a kimono. Rental kimonos can be worn only in the studio. You can also bring your own costumes such as cosplays for the photo shoot. As it is a small photo studio, you can have a private space limited to one couple at a time.