Nakano Broadway

There are a few things people often don’t realize about Nakano Broadway. Since it has a reputation as an Otaku (geek) shopping mall filled with action figures, manga, anime stills, Japanese toys, and all manner of character goods, some people mistakenly think Nakano Broadway is only for otaku goods and people interested in them. 

While Nakano Broadway sells all those things, you can also find vintage watches, new and used books, discount kimonos and yukatas, vintage cameras, fun cafes, and other unique stores. In other words, it can be great fun for anyone. Be warned, you may feel nostalgic because you’re guaranteed to see some authentic vintage toys you once had when you were young (no matter what age you are now). 

Another thing most people get wrong about Nakano Broadway is not realizing how cool the area around Nakano Broadway is. The numerous side streets are full of great eating and drinking establishments that are fantastic for an affordable, tasty lunch. —And if you think lunch there is fun, wait until dinner when the whole area comes to life and gives you a real taste of local Japanese culture. If you explore here at night, you will certainly make new friends, eat great food, and have memorable conversations.

Visiting Nakano Broadway Mall is a big undertaking. There are so many levels and stores, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. I know I did…. so much so, that I left and came back the next day. Only then could I focus and buy some vintage books I wanted. My suggestion is to pace yourself, take a break to grab some food, and maybe even allocate more than one day to visit this giant mall.

Here’s the official website for Nakano Broadway. 

My final tip is to grab a map of the mall to help you keep track of what is where.

Beach Commute

If you want to stay in Japan longer than just a 2-week vacation, you might consider becoming a digital nomad. Beach Commute can help you learn about and transition into this lifestyle. Jeff, Marisa, and Diego have been doing this for a long time and have helped many people achieve their dreams of traveling the world by becoming digital nomads.

They have an informative website, an insightful podcast, and a newsletter that helps people find curated remote jobs. I wholeheartedly recommend their services. I am not an affiliate, I am just a fan of what they are doing.

Sake

A buddy of mine recently asked me about sake. By sake I mean nihonshu, which is what Westerners mean when they say sake. Sake in Japan actually means alcohol. So, if you want to be clear, you should order nihonshu.

Ok, now that we’ve cleared that up. Let’s talk about nihonshu/sake (I will use the words interchangeably for convenience even though they are not the same in Japan). The two main categories are sweet and dry. A third style is nigori which is not filtered and looks milky. Personally, I don’t care for nigorizake (the ‘s’ in sake turns into a ‘z’ in this word).

One thing that makes buying sake easier than buying wine, for example, is that most sake is priced fairly. About 90% will be priced according to quality with some outliers charging more based on name. 

I tend to prefer dry nihonshu over sweet nihonshu, but have had both that were amazing. If you think about white wine, dry would be a Pinot Grigio and sweet would be a Chardonnay. Just because you prefer a Pinot Grigio doesn’t mean you wouldn’t drink Chardonnay occasionally, unless you’re a barbarian who only drinks Pinot Grigio. To each his own. Back to sake.

When someone is just starting out drinking sake, I recommend trying dry and sweet side-by-side to compare and start figuring out what is right for your palate.

Then there is the question of hot or cold. I want to say cold. Always. But, just like there is the right time to do some Jaeger shots, there is the right time to drink hot sake as well. But if you want to enjoy higher quality sake and be able to taste the differences, I recommend drinking it cold.

The best quality sake is not generally served heated.

Speaking of quality, you are guaranteed a nice sake if it is called ginjo and an even fancier, higher quality if it is daiginjo.

If you live in the US and want to learn more about sake/nihonshu, this shop has a wide selection and a lot of information.