http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/ Aim of this blog is to introduce not the glamorous but the more down-to-earth, easygoing sides, of Tokyo, focusing on the ‘culture’ along the Chuo line!! ja http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=257402 If you ask somebody to name a famous place in Nakano, they would probably tell you the Nakano Sun Plaza. However a person who is well versed in Chuo-line culture would straight away say “Mandrake”. When I first came to live in Nakano, I thought it w...
When I first came to live in Nakano, I thought it was a normal and nice town, close to the centre of Tokyo, with all the things you need without having to go very far from your house.

Little did I know that it was far from normal as I later found that the Nakano Broadway was known as an otaku Mecca, but I was quite overjoyed to hear that since I am a bit of an otaku myself. So it came to no surprise when my friend asked me to write a blog about the otaku specialist shop Mandrake.

Mandrake first opened in 1987 as a second-hand manga shop in the 2nd floor of the Nakano Broadway. Since then it has become so popular that they have opened many other shops in the Broadway catering for other otaku hobbies such as video games, figures, anime, etc.

Today Mandrake has 16 stores in Nakano Broadway alone! each shop is differently themed. From the more mainstream (manga, anime, video games) to the more obscure (doujinshi, cosplay costumes, hentai) Mandrake has it all, if it is part of otaku culture then you will find it in one of its many shops.

Mandrake doesn’t only have shops in Nakano; it also has stores in other parts of Tokyo and even in Kansai and Sapporo. But none of them are as big or as extensive as the Nakano store.

Now Mandrake is known as the largest manga and anime shop in the world, and so many businesses looking to get a piece of the action have also set up their shops in the Broadway, making it an otaku’s paradise.

The four floors of the building are all filled with many otaku things, anything that you can find in Akihabara you can find in this building and more, so I have come to call the Nakano Broadway “little Akihabara”, I believe that one day the whole Nakano Broadway will be taken over by Mandrake.

Recently many maid cafes have opened in Nakano around and inside the Broadway. You can find most of them in the 4th floor of the building.

What Mandrake has over other otaku shops is its huge collection of otaku goods, especially rare things which you will (probably) not find anywhere else, of course you 　　will have to pay very high prices for such goods. It’s amazing just how much money some people will pay for these rare items!

These days, the number of locals and foreigners visiting Nakano for the sole reason of going to Mandrake is on the increase. This goes to show you how otaku culture is becoming bigger not only in Japan but also all over the world.

If you are looking for some toys or manga, and are having trouble finding them in Akihabara, or find it too daunting to find something in one big town, why don’t you come to Nakano Broadway and pay a visit to Mandrake. I’m sure they will have exactly what you are looking for.
]]> Nakano 2006-12-19T11:42:09+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=239417 ‘You go for a drink to Ebisu!' My father once said with the happiest look that I’ve ever seen. That happened in my friend’s house at that age when we were old enough to drink. Ebisu, the Izakaya (pub) which has been loved by the locals for years...
My father once said with the happiest look that I’ve ever seen. That happened in my friend’s house at that age when we were old enough to drink.

Ebisu, the Izakaya (pub) which has been loved by the locals for years in Nishiogikubo, is a tiny, wooden and run-down house, but
has a lively feeling every night. They serve a wide range of yakitori (grilled chicken), traditional Japanese side dishes with beer and sake at cheap prices.

When we have a drink there, because of the narrow space, old businessmen talk to us, treat us to some drinks and food every time.

It is sometimes mistaken as kindness by us, but they go home a with really satisfied smile. The young people can get free food and drink, in exchange for the happiness of stressed old guys. What is happening in Ebisu must do good for Japanese society.

As with the cafes in Paris or coffee houses in the UK, such places give mixed communications beyond the boundaries of age or jobs, which would form the culture. Izakayas do the same along Chuo-line, and so does Ebisu in Nishiogikubo.

Ebisu is 2 minutes away from the north exit of the Nishiogikubo station, walk down the street between a clothing shop and a Pachinko parlor. ]]> Nishi-Ogikubo 2006-11-29T16:07:38+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=221445 The most western, and also the last station this blog covers is Kichijoji. The second largest town next to Shinjuku on the Chuo line, and in recent years people have far more interest in her. The town is always ranked as top 3 in research of favorite t...
Any numbers of major shopping streets and departments stores satisfy people's cravings, and many modern or cutting-edge restaurants and cafes give a fashionable break with chill-out music. There are also enough culture spots such as theaters, record shops like Tower Records and HMV, decent bookshops and some galleries.

It would be said that the reason why such major capital flows into Kichijoji is the connection to another line in the South which is bound for another young-favored town, Shimo-Kitazawa, and the massive everything-packed town, Shibuya. Mingled with such different tastes, Kichijoji has a different mood which is more lively in a good sense, or superficial in a bad one, especially in recent years.

But what differentiates Kichijoji from other Chuo line towns is Inokashira Park which is located just off the south of the station. In weekend called "artist heaven", artist do performances from music to plays. Young couples challenge their dooms against the superstition that if a couple row a boat together in the park's pond, they would soon break up. I’ve seen it happen with some of my friends, but just try it with your faithful boy/girlfriend.

Turning to the North side, the must-see spot for Chuo-line lovers is Harmonica Yokocho the old-style shopping street, but recently, young people have put new senses into it by opening bars or pubs, the street takes on added heat all day.

While Kichijoji is still growing and growing and welcomes new capitals and people, some leave the town hating the current situation. Someday my hometown Nishiogikubo might be merged into Kichijoji, if that were to happen, then that is the time I would leave this country.
]]> Kichijoji 2006-11-10T12:07:56+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=203989 Located between two big towns, Ogikuboand Kichijyoji, Nishiogikubo (‘Nishi’ means ‘west’ in Japanese) or “Nishiogi” ,(as called by the locals) is the smallest town among the ones that have been so far introduced. This is without a doubt a Chuo-line sta...
I’ve lived in this town almost all of my life, and sometimes I would try to recommend it to friends by saying, ‘Nishiogi is a small but exciting town! Come and visit it!’ But they always said, ‘Nishiogi? I don’t know. There is nothing there. We prefer to go to Kichijyoji’.

Although this town has been hailed by many for its nice mood, antique shops and second-hand book stores for years, it has basically only been frequented by used-book or antique fanatics.

But some people say that Nishiogi is the best Chuo-line-like town. Small scale, unique second-hand book and antique shops, any number of early modern Japanese cafes and Izakayas, Nishiogi is full of these essential factors of the Chuo-line culture.

In recent years, Nishiogi has at last been on the spot light, even for young people, as one of the ‘slow life towns’. New comers open stylish cafes, bars restaurants and clothing shops; the facet of the town has changed at such a fast rate for the young. Unlike before, Japanese youth culture magazines now take up this town.

A friend who ‘neglected’ Nishiogi several years ago recently said to me ‘Nishiogi is very nice, isn’t it?’ Yeah I know, I know that you always believe the media instead of me.
]]> Nishi-Ogikubo 2006-10-25T12:34:25+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=181755 Ogikubo is　a genuinely residential town which is, unlike other Chuo-line towns, a relatively posh area. Especially the south part of it looks so, very calm, with nothing to see around, unless you’d like to see gorgeous residences, how much they cost,a...
Some perfectly ordinary shopping buildings stand just outside of the station, and a few old fashioned shopping streets still exist raging against the machines of the new development. Just a few tiny, cozy Izakayas welcome tired businessman, but the big chains are strongly push them away.

The fact that Ogikubo isn't like other Chuo-line stations, means that not only me but also the other locals never spend our nights out here, just pass through to other towns looking for the more Chuo-line mood.

But, this city has one thing that it is praised for, even all over the country. That is, Ogikubo ramen (Japanese noodle). Some shops are widely known to not only ramen junkies but also to others, and during lunch and late dinner time you wouldn’t have ramens without vwaiting in long queues. If you are awfully fond of ramen, Ogikubo suddenly turns to be a must to visit more than any other.

One more thing that represents Ogikubo is classical music. The city hall, called Suginami Kokaido, which was finished being refurbished this summer, mainly holds concerts from the Japanese Philharmony Orchestra to amateur high school lads (I did sing songs as well). In autumn the town holds a classical music week festival where loads of pro / amateur musicians play in many areas of the town.

As I mentioned before, there is nothing special in Ogikubo. But this very ordinary daily life in it has attracted some notable photographers such as Daido Moriyama and Masashi Sanai both who cut up the scenes in this town (you can see works of the former here: http://www.moriyamadaido.com/top.html). Seeing these pictures, I found out that Ogikubo definitely has a Chuo-line mood as well and, yeah, not just for ramen junkies!!
]]> Ogikubo 2006-10-06T18:15:44+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=171613 The first thing you should know about Asagaya is that it is the geographical center, and therefore the government center of Suginami ward. It holds the ward and tax office, police station and fire department. A big street surrounded by zelkova tree...
A big street surrounded by zelkova trees from north to south adds a vibrant green to this ‘governmental’ town.

There seems to be nothing special in this town compared with other Chuo-line towns, like Koenji or Nakano. I can frankly say that I hardly walk or drink around it, just pass through.

And after researching the city for this blog, I found out that Asagaya is not for the youth (yes, I’m just a 22 ordinary lad) but for the older crowd.

In addition to its governmental functions, Asagaya used to be like a Japanese Grub Street where the somebodies and nobodies of literature like Masuji Ibuse or Osamu Dazai (you can get English translated books of the latter) gathered and enthused about literary every day and night.

One of legends in Japanese Manga history, Shinji Nagashima (if you wanna read his Manga, you must learn Japanese!) also lived in this town, and even now his worshipers come to the town to follow his trail, and as it already might come to mind, drink a lot and enthuse about their passions for Manga!!

This was mainly because Asagaya has once been,and still is,one of the most concentrated areas of Izakaya (Japanese pub) in Tokyo, especially in the narrow street called‘Star Road’where there are loads of tiny Izakaya giving off the nostalgic Showa aura in the twilight.

Lastly I'd like to finish off this blog to by telling you about the place called‘Susukien’(寿寿木園), which is one of the few small fish ponds in Tokyo, and has been for more than 80 years an oasis for the local people. You can fish for gold fishes and carps, there are maximum of three can be brought back, and eaten at home if you have that sort of challenging spirit.

Asagaya doesn't show her attraction with just a visit. But as with the people who moved from Koenji to this town when getting older, this town gradually permeates your body and mind, and you find yourself living in this town.
]]> Asagaya 2006-09-29T12:06:09+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=161388 The Japanese ‘king of subculture’ Jyun Miura once said Koenji is ‘Japanese India'. at just one stop from Nakano, you can the feel ethnic atmosphere. Walking around the town, you can find many shops with Southeast Asian goods (personally I used to w...
Walking around the town, you can find many shops with Southeast Asian goods (personally I used to work for one of them!), Indian curry houses and people who have dreadlocks or wear ethnic clothing, all of which make the town smell of Chandan incense.

Furthermore this town has loads of secondhand clothing, record and book shops and small live venues which play all sort of underground music. And some lively and cozy shopping streets that help young people who can barely make ends meet.

As can be imagined through such description, Koenji is always attracting young people, and as for recent years they have created new aspects of this town such as modern style cafés, bars or unique clothing shops.

There surely exists some nostalgia as these new areas push the older parts of the town aside and make it similar to other big towns like Shibuya or Daikanyama. And although the number of uninteresting shops that are essential in today’s modern world are increasing, it is good to see that Koenji still keeps its own unique mood and much of the Chuo culture.

I personally believe, this is because of its temples and shrines, one of which this name of the town is derived from. (‘ji’ means ‘temple’ in Japanese).

Every summer the town has a massive ‘Awa-Odori’ (one of the traditional local dances from Tokushima) festival which attracts more than million people just for a couple of days. Both temples and this festival seem to keep the old face of the town and the new development to a minimum.

Some say,‘If you wanna get rich, don’t live along Chuo-lone’.

Koenji strongly represents such a word. Thanks to cheap living cost, scents of India, cozy people and lots of sub culture, once you live in Koenji and experienced such simple life, you would never want to move ever again.
]]> Koenji 2006-09-23T01:04:02+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=136207 Located one stop by train on the Chuo line (about 4 minutes) from Shinjuku is a town called Nakano. There are has 2 exits in Nakano station, north and south. The north side is the main downtown area where many “IZAKAYA” (Japanese pubs) and shops ...
There are has 2 exits in Nakano station, north and south.

The north side is the main downtown area where many “IZAKAYA” (Japanese pubs) and shops line the streets of the shopping district. The south side is home to a department store and a few stores as well. Peaceful residential areas follow to either side of the station.

Now days, Nakano has become an interesting town in which many students gather due to its many technical colleges. In addition it can be said to be a melting pot for homosexuals, variety show entertainers and many “MANGA” artists (cartoonists) of the Showa 30s era (~1960s). Of course, average people also live there and it is a leading high population zone in Tokyo.

The places in which people immediately think “this is Nakano”, in particular the area around the train station are the Nakano Sun Plaza, located just out of the north exit, visible to the immediate left, a huge white building with unique architecture, home to convention halls, a swimming pool, and more.

And the “Sun Mall” which continues straight into the Broadway shopping center and has many small streets and “ROJI” (alleys) in which there are many bars.

In Broadway there is a famous shop called “MANDRAKE” which is said to be a palace for “OTAKU”. There you can get used “MANGA” (comics), animation goods, toys, video games etc.

Mandrake isn’t just one shop, but a series of specialty shops catering for different Otaku and maniac subcultures, such as MANGA mandrake, video game mandrake, old toys mandrake, “COSPLAY” (comic and game character costumes) mandrake, card collection mandrake, and much more. These shops are spread throughout the four floors of the Broadway building.

And of course, the now popular craze of “MAID – KISSA” (girls dressed in maid costumes serving drinks and food) has made it to Broadway and also the surrounding area outside of the mall.

When you take one step in a Mandrake shop, you will be overwhelmed by the Otaku atmosphere. So the Broadway and, to a lesser extent, Nakano has also been called little Akihabara. These days, people who visit Japan from around of the world to buy Otaku things, such as animation and games are increasing in number.

There are a hundred IZAKAYAs, ramen shops, karaoke places, and other shops, that line the streets of the ROJI that extends from the North exit. And it is crowded with lots of businessman, students, residents of Nakano, etc every day.

There are many shops where the prices are reasonable and you can eat and get drunk with only 1000 to 2000 yen. Of course, there are many choices of Izakayas and restaurants that are famous for their delicious fish or having great tasting sake, bars which have been in business for 40 years or more. In fact, there is a famous Ramen shop called “Aoba” which is rated as one of the top 5 ramen shops in Tokyo.

People say that the crowded and interesting ROJI are one of the great assets of Nakano.

Recently, foreigner residents have increased in Nakano city. We believe that Nakano will become a more interesting and lively place in the future with a great variety of people and cultures.
]]> Nakano 2006-09-08T11:01:57+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=117191 Shinjyuku is, both geographically and economically, one of the major towns in Tokyo, and as other massive world-class cities, very chaotic. More than a million and half passengers use Shinjuku station a day (the most in Japan), threading hurriedly thro...
In the west the business area it is hard to look up at the sky because there are loads of skyscrapers surrounding you, and businessman (so called “SaIary-man” in Japanese) are bustling around with mobiles.

The east and south sides are mainly shopping areas where, I would say, you can get almost everything you want. In the daytime, Shinjyuku shows a somewhat ‘healthy’ face as the center of not only Tokyo, but even of Japan.

But Shinjyuku was originally developed more than hundred years ago, as a red-light district, whose remnant partly remains in the night. In the most famous and notorious area, Kabuki-cho (‘cho’ means town in Japanese) which is neon-glittering night life mecca like Patpong street in Bangkok or Reeperbahn in Hamburg, African-Americans and Africans are soliciting, and not only Japanese but also other Asian girls are working (sometime illegally) in this area.

The last two areas following have a very Chuo-line-like mood. One in the west is ‘Golden-gai (‘gai’ also means town) where loads of small, cozy and cheap Izakaya (Japanese style bar or pub) stand side by side. Over-stressed and weary businessman bellyache with their colleague, and struggling students, musicians, actors, and painters etc talk passionately about their future.

Also near there you can see old-school Japanese one-man talk shows called ‘Rakugo (落語)’ , which nowadays are more popular among young Japanese, in Suehirotei (末広亭).

The second also in the west side, is ‘Shinjyuku 2 chome’ which is famous for its gay bar and clubs. This is most lively gay area in Japan, and many TV stars in secret come to see it. Unfortunately I have never been there, so I cannot elaborate any more details but I will report it later in this blog!

Shinjyuku is such a huge sleepless city that various kinds people and culture are mixed in, and various of their earthly desires seethe within.
]]> Shinjuku 2006-08-30T14:50:47+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=101058 The Chuo line, which has been running thru the center of Tokyo for more than 100 years, shows different faces between the west and the east of Shinjyuku station. In the east side is the center of the center of Tokyo, where the headquarters of the b...
In the east side is the center of the center of Tokyo, where the headquarters of the bosses of big companies and universities concentrate, and the Imperial place is also there.

On the other hand, the west of Shinjyuku looks just like residential areas in which there seems to be ‘nothing’ in particular to see around for the short stay comers, and even more, foreigners.

But at the same time this is the area that has for years been fascinating many big-name writers like Osamu Dazai, artists, musicians and even hippies.

These is mainly because of its cheaper living cost, cozy people and restaurants, cafés, pubs and live venues, second-hand clothing and book shops which make this area more free atmosphere and even now attract the same sorts of people who start new lives in Tokyo.

As told in the last blog, ‘some areas’ such as, from Nakano to Kichijyoji, have this atmosphere so much that we mainly cover them by choosing any shops, people, music, novels and the events of the day.

So from the next blog we will start by firstly introducing each station, and the first is one of largest hub stations in Tokyo, Shinjyuku.
]]> Chuo Line 2006-08-21T18:08:05+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture http://chuo-line-tokyo.tabibito-bunka.com/?eid=62381 The Japanese capital city, Tokyo is without a doubt living up to its name as one of the biggest cities both economically and culturally in the world, which is even now changing faster and faster. When you imagine this massive city, you might think ...
When you imagine this massive city, you might think of a huge concrete jungle, loads of people crammed in the street or train, cutting-edge designers` shops or products and, more recently Japanese manga paraphernalia in Akihabara, etc.

Or you may have heard of the more historical, cozy aspects of Tokyo, such as Asakusa, Ueno and ‘Yanesen’, called ‘Shitamachi’, area which has kept the old landscape of the Edo era (Tokyo’s name more than 100 years ago).

These are definitely Tokyo’s representative commercial areas that most guidebooks and internet sites cover.

But it is rare for more residential areas from the middle to the west to be shown in them.

That’s a pity for a person living in Tokyo, so the very aim of this blog is to introduce not the glamorous but the more down-to-earth, easygoing sides, of Tokyo, focusing on the ‘culture’ along the Chuo line.

The‘Chuo (meaning ‘center' in Japanese) line’is the local orange train running from Tokyo to Takao station over 53.1 km which is different from the‘main' Chuo line going more than 400km west to Nagoya!

Interestingly, the‘culture' along this line is unique to other lines and this is why it has nowadays been in the spotlight in Japan within the wide trend of ‘Slow Life'.

And along this long line, some areas especially show this Chuo culture very much in the west of Shinjuku.

What is this culture like?
Where are 'some areas'?
The next blog will touch on them!
]]> Chuo Line 2006-08-09T12:56:24+09:00 Chuo-line Culture Chuo-line Culture