In Front of the Display Case Deep on Nakano Broadway's Second Floor
I'll get straight to the point. If you've ever stood in front of a secondhand shop display case deep on Nakano Broadway's second floor—the spot farthest from the stairs—you already understand the essence of these pilgrimages. Most tourists take the elevator from the first-floor entrance up to the third floor and start with the famous chain stores. But during my first visit to Nakano in 2010, I discovered a then-out-of-print Kotobukiya 1/8 scale in a small shop deep on the second floor, priced below retail. After that day, my pilgrimage routes changed completely.
Akihabara and Nakano Broadway operate on different timetables. Radio Kaikan in Akihabara is already crowded with tourists by 10 AM on weekends, but Nakano remains relatively quiet until 1 PM. Den Den Town is different again. This Osaka street is actually more relaxed on weekday afternoons. Knowing the different rhythms of each holy site—that's the first technique of pilgrimage.
Why You Should Start on Radio Kaikan's Fourth Floor
At 11 AM on a weekend, the first-floor entrance of Radio Kaikan is already packed. Most visitors start with the first-floor major chain stores. From an efficiency standpoint, this is the worst choice. The first floor is mostly new items, and popular products are often already sold out on pre-order. I always start from the fourth floor.
The secondhand shops on the fourth floor are small but have fast turnover. Items that arrived the previous day often make it onto the shelves during morning hours. One Saturday in 2015, I found an unopened, unused Max Factory figma in a corner shop on the fourth floor at 70% of retail price. When I passed the same spot again around 3 PM, that space was already empty.
Understanding the characteristics of each floor in Radio Kaikan reveals the optimal route. The efficient path is: fourth-floor secondhand shops → third-floor small specialty stores → second-floor major figure specialty stores → first-floor new-item chain stores, working your way down. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Display cases next to stairways are in positions people easily pass by, so unexpected items often remain there.
Why Should You Start Scanning Nakano Broadway from the Second Floor?
The most common mistake first-time visitors to Nakano Broadway make is heading straight for the famous chain stores. But Broadway's real treasures are in the small secondhand shops deep on the second floor, at the far ends of the corridors. These shops have lower turnover but tend to hold onto rare items longer. The out-of-print Nendoroid I'd been searching for in 2012 was found in exactly that kind of shop.
Broadway has four floors total, but the density of figure secondhand shops is concentrated on floors 2-3. The first floor is mainly food and general goods, and the fourth floor is mostly card shops and subculture merchandise. If you want an efficient pilgrimage, start from the second floor, walk to the end of the corridor checking every shop, then go up to the third floor and repeat the same pattern.
One tip: Broadway's secondhand shops often display new items between 2-3 PM. If you scanned the area in the morning, checking the same sections again late in the afternoon is worthwhile. Time your lunch break near Broadway to match this schedule. I've actually discovered scale figures in the afternoon at 3 PM that I hadn't seen in the morning using this method.
F:NEX/FuRyu 1/7 Scale figure Emma →The Difference Made by the Order You Scan Display Cases
When you stand in front of a secondhand shop display case, where do you start looking? Most people begin with the eye-level center shelves. But that's a spot dozens of people have already checked. I always start from the bottom corners.
The lowest shelves of display cases, especially the corner positions, don't get good lighting and require bending over to see. People easily overlook them. In 2017, at a Nakano secondhand shop, I found an out-of-print Alter 1/8 scale in the bottom left corner. The box had accumulated dust, but the condition was graded A, and the price was about 60% of the going secondhand rate at the time. It had probably been sitting there for days. Because no one bothered to bend over and check.
My order for viewing display cases is this: bottom corners on both sides → top rear section → eye-level edges → and finally the center. Following this order increases your probability of finding items others have missed. If you're short on time, at least check the bottom and top shelves. Everyone else has already seen the center.
Akihabara vs. Nakano vs. Den Den Town: Each Holy Site's Timetable
The three holy sites each operate on different rhythms. Akihabara is most crowded on weekend mornings and gets quiet after 5 PM. Nakano Broadway is most relaxed on weekday afternoons, and remains busy even after 2 PM on weekends. Den Den Town doesn't see much difference between weekdays and weekends, but Sunday evenings are relatively quiet.
Akihabara's secondhand shops often display newly acquired inventory on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Therefore, visiting on Friday evening or early Saturday morning gives you better odds of encountering good items. Conversely, Sunday evening is when only the weekend's leftovers remain.
Nakano gets a lot of new items on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It's a system where items purchased over the weekend are processed during the week and placed on display. When I visited Nakano on a Thursday afternoon in 2019, I purchased a Good Smile Company scale that appeared to have arrived the previous day, priced below market rate. It was in a poor display position and hadn't been seen by many people yet.
Den Den Town has a lower proportion of tourists compared to Akihabara or Nakano. The main customer base is local collectors, so weekday evenings are surprisingly busy. Conversely, weekday afternoons from 2-4 PM are the quietest hours. If you target this time, you can chat leisurely with staff and ask them to check inventory.
Phat! Company 1/7 Scale figure Schwarz Gran →What You Can Ask Secondhand Shop Staff
Many people just look at what's displayed in secondhand shops and leave. But there's information you can get by asking the staff. If you ask "Do you have other versions of this character in stock?" they'll sometimes check for items in the warehouse that haven't been displayed yet. This is especially likely during quiet periods like weekday afternoons.
In 2016, at an Akihabara secondhand shop, when the figure I was looking for wasn't in the display case, I asked the staff. He checked the inventory on a tablet and told me "We purchased it yesterday but it's still being inspected." When I returned the next day, that item was on display, and I bought it. If I hadn't asked, I would have just walked past.
However, timing matters when asking staff. During busy times like weekend mornings, staff don't have much spare time. Target quiet hours like weekday afternoons or weekend evenings. And be specific with your questions. Rather than "Do you have Hatsune Miku figures?" something like "Do you have the Hatsune Miku 1/8 scale released by Max Factory in 2015?" makes it easier for staff to help you.
Creating Efficiency Within Limited Time
If you have to cover both Akihabara and Nakano in a Tokyo 1-night 2-day itinerary, what should you do? I'd allocate the first afternoon to Nakano and the second morning to Akihabara. Nakano is quiet in the afternoon, and you need to go to Akihabara early in the morning to claim good items first.
The specific route would be: Arrive at Nakano at 1 PM on the first day → Scan Broadway from second to fourth floor → Finish Nakano around 5 PM → Move to Akihabara for the evening and explore the area. Second day, arrive at Akihabara at 9 AM → Start from Radio Kaikan's fourth floor → Tour surrounding secondhand shops → Wrap up at 1 PM. This schedule lets you check all the major secondhand shops at both holy sites.
If time is really limited, you need to prioritize. If you're mainly looking at new items, focus on Akihabara. If you're searching for rare secondhand or out-of-print items, allocate more time to Nakano. I've seen many cases of people trying to catch both rabbits and missing both.
1/7 Scale figure Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Ram Cream Soda →What Holy Site Pilgrimages Give You in the Age of Forwarding Services and Direct Purchasing
Now you can sit in Korea and order from Japanese online retail sites. Route through a forwarding service and it arrives at your door within a week. So why do people still buy plane tickets and visit these holy sites? My answer: the tangible weight you feel standing in front of a display case—you can't get that from a monitor.
There are things you can't know from online photos. The transparency of clear parts on hair tips, the shadow expression in clothing wrinkles, the actual size presence of the base. These details can only be judged by seeing them in person at a display case. In 2018 at Nakano, I examined in person a scale figure I'd been hesitating over online. It was much better than the photos. I purchased it on the spot.
Another charm of secondhand shop pilgrimages is unexpected encounters. Online, you can only see what you search for. But in front of display cases, you accidentally discover characters you weren't looking for, works by sculptors you didn't know. Half of my collection began with such coincidences. Unplanned encounters—that's the gift these pilgrimages give.
Of course, considering shipping costs, time, and physical stamina, direct purchasing is far more efficient. I also pre-order or directly purchase most figures from Korea. But I still reserve time once or twice a year to visit these holy sites. Because that journey reminds me that collecting figures in glass cases isn't simply the act of buying things.
FAQ
Should I go to Akihabara or Nakano first?
If you're focused on new items, Akihabara; if you're searching for secondhand and rare items, visit Nakano first. If time is limited, weekend mornings for Akihabara and weekday afternoons for Nakano are the most efficient time slots. If you plan to visit both, I recommend the route of leisurely exploring Nakano first, then moving to Akihabara.
When viewing display cases in secondhand shops, where should I check first?
Check the bottom corners on both sides of the display case and the rear of the top shelf first. These positions don't get good lighting and are outside normal sightlines, so people easily miss them, but the probability of older inventory or rare items remaining there is high. The eye-level center has already been checked by most visitors, so looking there last isn't too late.
Is it better to visit on weekdays or weekends?
Akihabara has more newly acquired inventory on weekend mornings but is crowded, so to claim good items you need to target right after opening. Nakano Broadway is quiet on weekday afternoons and good for conversing with staff, allowing for relaxed shopping. Den Den Town's quietest hours are weekday afternoons from 2-4 PM.
Is it okay to ask staff to check inventory?
It's perfectly fine during quiet periods like weekday afternoons or weekend evenings. However, the more specific information you provide, the easier it is for staff to help, so clearly communicate the manufacturer, character name, release year, etc. During busy times like weekend mornings, staff don't have spare time, so choosing the right timing is important.
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I hope good connections reach your display cases today as well.
![[w/Corrected Parts] The Five Star Stories 1/144 A-Toll BS Plastic Model [Volks Shop Room, Akihabara Hobby Tengoku, etc. Exclusive]](https://img.yosimarket.com/TOY-RBT-4620-R/0?v=4)
