From Akihabara Radio Kaikan 5F to Nakano Broadway 2F: How Second-Hand Figure Hunting Routes Change After 1 PM

Why I Went Up to Radio Kaikan 5F at 1:15 PM

The time on my watch when I checked it in front of the first-floor elevator at Radio Kaikan was 1:10 PM. I was the only person heading up to the fifth-floor used figure corner. When the elevator doors opened, I first saw the fluorescent light above the display cases, and one staff member was unwrapping a box covered in transparent vinyl. They were putting out merchandise acquired the previous day, timed for the afternoon display slot.

Akihabara Radio Kaikan opens at 10 AM. However, if you're targeting used figures, the morning hours only show inventory from the previous evening. Most used shops display their previous day's acquisitions between 1 and 2 PM on the current day. Hunters who know this timing don't rush in early morning. Rather, they eat lunch and leisurely head up to stand before the freshly stocked displays.

In one corner on the fifth floor, I spotted a 2014 Good Smile Company 1/8 scale box. Grade B, with corner dents on the box. The price was about 60% of the original retail price at launch. The reason a 10-year-old out-of-print item costs less than a new one is simple: there was a reissue. When the 2022 reissue mass production flooded the market, used prices for the original edition plummeted. But I picked up this grade B box anyway. When I looked at the reissue's deco master, the clear parts coloring on the hair was different from the first edition. For someone buying not for price but for the painting differences between production runs, a used original edition is the correct answer.

Used Shop Pilgrimages Are Planned by Timetable, Not Floor Order

The JR journey from Radio Kaikan to Nakano Broadway takes less than 20 minutes. However, half the people who visit both locations in one day get the order wrong. They arrive at Akihabara early morning, spend all morning combing through Radio Kaikan, then arrive exhausted at Nakano at 4 PM. The result is missing the best timing at both locations.

The small dealer booths on Nakano Broadway's 2nd and 3rd floors change from 3 PM onward. More precisely, the price tags change. Some items that haven't sold all morning get afternoon discount stickers. Major chain used shops don't employ this same-day variable pricing system, but individually operated booths under 10 pyeong lower prices by 2,000-3,000 yen units to catch afternoon customers. Pilgrims who know this fact plan their routes in reverse: 11 AM Nakano → lunch → 1 PM Akihabara → 4 PM Nakano return visit. They visit the same place twice but at different times to see different inventory.

In summer 2018, I saw a 2009 Alter 1/7 scale in one booth on Nakano Broadway's 2nd floor. The 11 AM price was 18,000 yen. When I revisited at 4:30 PM, the price was 15,500 yen. Two stickers were layered on top of each other. If it doesn't sell that day, it goes back to original price the next day. I bought it on the spot. Calculating package forwarding costs and the yen exchange rate, it was about 30,000 won cheaper than the domestic used market price.

Why Den Den Town Falls Off the Pilgrimage Course

Osaka's Den Den Town is called one of the three major otaku sacred grounds along with Akihabara and Nakano. However, it falls lower in priority on figure collectors' pilgrimage courses. The reason is simple: limited used inventory. Den Den Town's main attractions are new hobby shops, maid cafes, and used retro games. There is a used figure corner, but it's smaller than one floor of Akihabara Radio Kaikan.

People who go to Den Den Town generally fall into two categories. First, tourists who squeeze half a day of otaku sacred ground experience into their Osaka travel itinerary. Second, people who stop by while attending Wonder Festival in the Kansai region. If your sole purpose is used figure hunting, it's more efficient to spend the half-day you'd use on Den Den Town on a return visit to Nakano Broadway's 3rd floor. I myself went to Den Den Town twice, in 2012 and 2016, but haven't included it in Osaka itineraries since. Pilgrimage and hunting serve different purposes.

elcoco 1/7 Scale Figure Aogiri High School Harusame Reijo →

Nakano Broadway 3F Stairs: What Becomes Visible on the Second Visit

First-time visitors go straight up from Nakano Broadway's 1st to 3rd floor. They take the elevator or escalator to the top floor first, then look around while descending. But from the second visit onward, you use the stairs. You can catch your breath on the landing between 2F and 3F, and more importantly, you can physically sense the display density of each floor as you climb.

The 3rd floor has a higher proportion of vintage toys and soft vinyl than used figures. Things like 1980s-90s chogokin, unopened early 2000s shokugan (food toys), and out-of-print SD Gundam plastic models. Scale figure collectors have few places to rest their eyes. However, one booth in a corner of the 3rd floor is an exception. It's a place that handles garage kits (resin kits) limited to Wonder Festival from around 2010. Minor work characters that never became mass-produced scale figures, poses sculpted according to individual sculptors' personal tastes. Prices range from 15,000 to 40,000 yen. There's no box and you must assemble and paint it yourself, but you can obtain a sculpture of which few exist in this world.

In 2019, I bought a 2011 Wonder Festival limited 1/8 resin kit from that booth. It was a bishoujo game character, a costume version that neither Good Smile nor Alter had commercialized. The price was 28,000 yen. When I commissioned an assembly and painting service, it cost an additional 35,000 yen. A total of 63,000 yen, over 600,000 won in Korean currency. However, the satisfaction I felt when I placed the finished product in my glass cabinet couldn't be compared to mass-produced scales in the same price range. The sensation of owning a sculpture of which few exist in this world. That corner booth on Nakano Broadway's 3rd floor is a place that sells that sensation.

How Do You Read Used Figure Grade Charts?

Japanese used figure grades are generally divided into four levels: S, A, B, and C. S is unopened new product level, A is opened but no flaws, B is box damage or minor flaws on parts, C is severe box damage or missing parts. However, even for the same B grade, standards differ by shop. Some places assign B for just a 1cm corner dent on the box, while others require 1mm of paint chipping on the body parts to give a B. Rather than trusting the grade chart, you must carefully read the photos and remarks column text.

C grade is a trap. Some shops assign C even when only the box is missing and the body is fine. Conversely, some places maintain a B rating with "box included" as justification even when one body part is broken. In 2017, I bought a C-grade 2006 Max Factory 1/7 scale from a used shop in Nakano. The remarks column said "箱なし・body good condition." When I checked the actual item, the body was A-grade; only the box was missing. The price was half that of the same product in A-grade condition. For collectors who don't collect boxes, C-grade "no box" is actually a cost-effective option.

Separate from grade, what's important is whether there's "blister discoloration." The blister is the transparent plastic base that fixes the figure inside the box. After storage for over 10 years, blisters can turn yellow or stick to the body. Shops that conscientiously write "ブリスター変色あり" in the remarks column even though it's not in the grade chart are trustworthy. If this phrase is absent but the product is pre-2010, you must ask directly or accept that returns after opening are impossible.

Sega Premium 1/10 Scale Figure Palpatine →

Akihabara or Nakano, Which Comes First?

To state the conclusion first, it's better to go to Nakano first. There are two reasons. First, Nakano Broadway is quietest between 11 AM and 1 PM. Most tourists stop by Akihabara first and come to Nakano in the afternoon. Morning Nakano is mainly local collectors, so the aisles aren't blocked and you can slowly check box conditions in front of display cases.

Second, while Akihabara has many shops open until 7-8 PM, half of Nakano Broadway's small booths close by 6 PM. When planning routes, the standard practice is to tackle the side with shorter business hours first. Arrive Nakano 10 AM → 2 hours of pilgrimage → lunch during transit → Akihabara Radio Kaikan 1 PM → surrounding used shops 3 PM → Nakano return visit 5 PM. With this route, you can catch both locations' afternoon new displays and discount stickers.

Stamina distribution must also be considered. Nakano Broadway's narrow passages and dense displays make your legs hurt after 2 hours. Akihabara is relatively spacious and comfortable, but distances between shops are long. It's easier to endure the day by tackling Nakano's dense area when morning energy is good, then walking Akihabara's wide passages in the tired afternoon. This is the most realistic tip learned over 15 years.

Radio Kaikan B1F: What Remains on the Floor Nobody Visits

Radio Kaikan's basement first floor gets skipped from most pilgrimage courses. There's a B1 button on the elevator, but few people press it. The basement is mainly electronic parts stores and tool shops. It seems unrelated to figures. However, in one corner of B1F there's a shop specializing in figure display supplies.

Things like LED lighting for glass cabinets, dust-prevention acrylic cases, height-adjustable transparent stands, and background papers. You can also buy through online direct purchase, but seeing the actual item and measuring sizes before buying is different. Especially for acrylic cases, millimeter-level dimensions are important. Even if it says "1/7 scale exclusive," posing heights differ by manufacturer, so you must recall the figures stored in your glass cabinet and put your hand inside the actual case to gauge the height. B1F isn't a place to buy figures, but a floor for people who store figures.

In 2020, I bought a W150mm×D150mm×H250mm acrylic case there. The price was 3,800 yen. It was heavy, so I didn't send it via package forwarding but carried it as cabin baggage. I placed a 2015 Good Smile Company 1/8 scale inside that case, and not a speck of dust has accumulated in 5 years. Double protection with a case inside the glass cabinet again. You might think it's excessive, but if you want to receive a "no dust, no fine scratches" grade in the resale market 10 years later, this much is basic.

ぬいぐるみ 佐城雪美 ぬいぐるみ 「アイドルマスター シンデレラガールズ」 コミックマーケット103＆ 秋葉原ラジオ会館＆Gift オンライン出張所限定 →

Pilgrimage and Hunting Serve Different Purposes

Akihabara and Nakano Broadway mix two visit purposes. One is tourism of "stepping foot on otaku sacred ground," the other is hunting to "bring back used and out-of-print figures unavailable domestically." The two purposes differ from the route itself. Tourists take photos at Radio Kaikan's first-floor entrance and go up looking around floor by floor. Hunters go directly to the 5th floor used corner and target new displays after lunchtime.

Trying to do both tourism and hunting in one day leaves no stamina remaining. On my first Akihabara visit, I mixed the two and failed. From 10 AM to 6 PM, I circled Radio Kaikan, Sofmap, Animate, and Toranoana buying new light novels and Animate bonus goods. I postponed the used figure corner as "if there's time later," then exhaustedly returned to my hotel past 5 PM. When I went again the next day to see the used corner, the new acquisitions that went up at 1 PM the previous day had already sold.

From the second visit onward, I divided purposes. Day one is hunting exclusive—a day devoted solely to Nakano and Akihabara used corners. Day two is tourism plus new product shopping—a day to leisurely enjoy whether it's Animate bonuses or maid cafe experiences. Dividing it this way, used hunting success rates rose noticeably. When planning schedules, you must start from the premise that "seeing all of Akihabara in one day" is impossible.

FAQ

Are Akihabara and Nakano Broadway both possible in one day?

It's possible, but to catch both locations' "prime time slots," you must plan a return visit route. Moving in the pattern of morning Nakano → afternoon Akihabara → evening Nakano return visit allows you to not miss afternoon new displays and discount stickers. If you simply visit each place once, you're only seeing half the inventory.

Used figure grades B and C—how far are they worth buying?

B-grade is mostly box damage with the body usually intact, so it's safe. For C-grade, if the remarks column has phrases like "箱なし・body good condition," it's actually a cost-effective option. However, if there are expressions like "missing parts" or "paint chipping," it's better to verify directly or avoid. If you don't collect boxes, C-grade "no box" is a shortcut to obtaining the same body at half the A-grade price.

Which floor of Radio Kaikan should I start from?

If used figures are your purpose, go directly to the 5th floor first, and you must go up after 1 PM to see newly displayed previous-day acquisitions. Going up in order from the 1st floor is a tourism route, not a hunting route. The B1F display supplies corner is worth a visit if you're a glass cabinet manager.

Must I definitely go to Den Den Town?

If there's leeway in your Osaka travel schedule or you're stopping by while attending Kansai Wonder Festival, it's worth visiting. However, if your sole purpose is used figure hunting, it's more efficient to invest the time you'd spend on Den Den Town in a return visit to Nakano Broadway. Den Den Town's used figure inventory is smaller than one floor of Akihabara Radio Kaikan.

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When I picked up a box with two overlapping price stickers in front of a booth on Nakano Broadway's 2nd floor, I realized anew that this pilgrimage is hunting, not tourism. Between people who move knowing the floor-by-floor timetable and those who don't, the quality of inventory grasped differs. I've captured in this article the route logic learned over 15 years. I hope good connections reach your glass cabinet today as well.