Shopping & Merch Guide

Shibuya Record Shop Guide: 7 Stores in Tokyo’s Densest Digging District

Seven record shops inside Tokyo’s densest digging district, what each one specialises in, opening hours, and a walking order that saves you an hour.

2026.08.03

Shopping & Merch Guide

Shimokitazawa Record Shop Guide: The 4 Shops Still Worth Digging in 2026

Most Shimokitazawa record shop lists include shops that have closed. Here are the 4 still trading in 2026, what each one is strong on, and how to walk it.

2026.08.03

Shopping & Merch Guide

Den Den Town & Amerikamura: The Osaka Guide for Otaku and Vintage Hunters

Osaka has a complete otaku and vintage district of its own, and it is more walkable than Tokyo. How Den Den Town is laid out, where the Amerikamura vintage shops actually are, and how to cover both in one day.

2026.08.03

Shopping & Merch Guide

Akihabara Anime & Manga Goods Guide: 4 Stores for Otaku Shopping

Akihabara is the default answer to “where do I buy anime merch in Tokyo,” and it earns that reputation many times over....

2026.07.31

Shopping & Merch Guide

Akihabara Retro Game Shop Guide: 4 Stores for Classic Console Hunting

Friends Akihabara closed in 2024 and still appears on almost every English list. The 4 retro game shops actually worth your time in 2026, what each one is strong on, where Trader moved to, and the landmarks that changed name.

2026.07.27

Shopping & Merch Guide

Akihabara Maid Cafe Guide: What It Actually Costs, and the Touts (2026)

What an hour in an Akihabara maid cafe really costs, why the street touts are legal, how maid cafes differ from concept cafes, and the famous names that have moved or closed — including the one every guide has at the wrong address.

2026.07.27

Shopping & Merch Guide

Ikebukuro Otome Road Guide: Where BL and Otome Shopping Actually Is (2026)

Otome Road in Ikebukuro, verified for 2026: which K-BOOKS halls still exist, why the district is two blocks and not one, the 12:00-20:00 window that catches visitors out, and the shops other English guides still list years after they closed.

2026.07.27

Shopping & Merch Guide

Akihabara Doujinshi & Zine Shop Guide: Where to Buy Now Toranoana Has Gone (2026)

Toranoana left Akihabara entirely between 2021 and 2022, and most English guides have not noticed. The six shops that actually sell doujinshi now, which floor to go to, how Comiket week changes the hours, and what closed.

2026.07.27

Shopping & Merch Guide

Tokyo Record Shops: 4 Essentials, Plus 16 More by Neighbourhood (2026)

Four shops worth crossing Tokyo for, then dig by neighbourhood: 7 in Shibuya, 5 in Koenji, 4 in Shimokitazawa. Grading, obi and getting records home.

2026.07.27

Shopping & Merch Guide

Shimokitazawa Vintage Clothing Guide: Tokyo’s Biggest Secondhand Scene

Around 150 secondhand shops sit within 200 metres of Shimokitazawa Station, which is why most guides give up and list everything. The four worth starting with, what opened since 2025, and how it compares with Koenji.

2026.07.27

Shopping & Merch Guide