2 Best Sights in Nakano, Tokyo

Visiting Nakano Broadway is like visiting Akihabara, but with everything under one roof. When it opened in 1966, it was presented as luxury complex, but it has since has morphed into a center for all things otaku, with five floors of roughly 300 stores largely focused on manga, anime, gaming, and related collectibles—everything from figurines to cosplay outfits. Mandarake, Japan’s largest manga- and anime-related retailer, alone has close to 30 stores here, all divided by specialty. Down in the basement are plenty of places for lunch or a quick snack, including the stomach-busting Daily Chiko, which offers an eight-scoop soft-serve, as well as udon.

If the frenetic energy of Shinjuku, or the otaku epicenter of Nakano Broadway have left you feeling defeated, stop by Kotobuki-yu (just to the north of J Nakano station) for a refreshing soak. Tokyo’s neighborhood baths have been in steady decline in recent decades as only the oldest of homes lack a bath or shower. Kotobuki-yu, albeit modest, maintains the tradition of being a casual place to socialize and unwind. Just note that it opens late: from 4 pm until 1:30 am, so it's definitely something to do once you've gotten your shopping out of the way.

Once you’ve located Kotobuki Yu’s orange building and have found your way to the gender-separated baths, the key thing, as at any public bath, is to follow the basic etiquette. First, you need to be completely naked in the baths, and make sure your wash towel doesn’t go in the communal bathtub. You also need to wash and rinse well in the seated shower area, before getting into the baths. After that, just enjoy a piping-hot soak, then try the on-site sauna.