BOOKOFF, HARD OFF, Suruga-ya, Mandarake: Japan’s second-hand chains explained

Why second-hand chains matter to collectors

In Japan, collectors sell back what they no longer want, and chains resell it in large, sorted shops. Condition is usually described precisely, and prices follow the market. For a traveller, it means you can find older manga volumes, retro games, loose figures or single cards that new shops no longer carry.

BOOKOFF: the everyday stop

What you find: second-hand manga and books first, then video games, CDs and DVDs. Many shops also sell trading cards and figures. BOOKOFF PLUS adds hobby and toy sections, and the larger “BOOKOFF SUPER BAZAAR” shops add clothes, toys and electronics.

Good to know: shelves are huge and sorted by publisher and series. Popular manga sets are often sold as complete bundles.

BOOKOFF Akihabara Eki-mae StoreBOOKOFF 秋葉原駅前店AkihabaraManga · Retro games · Cards · Figures · Tax-freeSee the shop →

HARD OFF and HOBBY OFF: consoles, electronics, toys

Both are brands of Hard Off Corporation — a different company from BOOKOFF, despite the name. They often share one building with Off House, which sells clothes and furniture and is not a hobby shop.

• HARD OFF sells used electronics, audio, instruments and video games and consoles. Look for the “junk” corner (ジャンク): items sold as is, untested, at very low prices. A classic place for retro hardware, but you buy at your own risk.
• HOBBY OFF sells toys, figures, plastic models, trading cards and games.

HARD OFF · Akihabaraハードオフ秋葉原1号店AkihabaraRetro gamesSee the shop → HOBBY OFF · Akihabaraホビーオフ秋葉原店AkihabaraFigures · Cards · Retro gamesSee the shop →

Suruga-ya: games and anime goods

What you find: video games from every generation, retro consoles, anime goods, figures, manga and trading cards. Suruga-ya is known for a very wide catalogue, including less common titles.

Suruga-ya Osaka Nipponbashi Main Store駿河屋 大阪日本橋本館Den Den Town (Nipponbashi)Retro games · Figures · Manga · CardsSee the shop →

Mandarake: the collector’s chain

What you find: rare and vintage items: manga first editions, doujinshi (fan-made comics), vintage toys, figures, cels, games and cards. Mandarake has fewer shops, often large ones spread over many floors of one building (Nakano Broadway in Tokyo is the best-known).

Good to know: prices reflect rarity. It is the place to look for something specific rather than for bargains.

Mandarake ComplexまんだらけコンプレックスMandarake Complex · AkihabaraManga · Figures · Retro games · CardsSee the shop → Mandarake Honten (Nakano Broadway)まんだらけ 本店3F · Nakano Broadway · NakanoMangaSee the shop →

Other chains you will meet

• Lashinbang and K-BOOKS: anime goods, figures and doujinshi, mostly second-hand.
• Furuichi and Mandai: large regional second-hand stores for games, toys, cards and manga.
• Card chains (Card Rush, Card Labo, Yellow Submarine, Hareruya): trading cards, singles and boxes.

Lashinbang AKIBA Flagsらしんばん AKIBA Flags2F · AKIBA CULTURES ZONE · AkihabaraManga · FiguresSee the shop → Card Labo Akihabara Radio Kaikan 9Fカードラボ 秋葉原ラジオ会館店9F · Akihabara Radio Kaikan · AkihabaraCardsSee the shop →

Tips for shopping in second-hand chains

• Check the condition labels on the price tag, and ask to see items in glass cases rather than taking them yourself.
• Compare between shops: the same item can have quite different prices in two chains a few minutes apart.
• Ask about tax-free: many large chains are tax-free for travellers (see our tax-free guide).
• Mind the junk corner: “junk” means untested, not necessarily broken, but no guarantee.

Find them on the map

Search for a chain name on the Kaidashi map (“book off”, “hard off”, “suruga-ya”, “mandarake”): every shop of the chain shows up, nearest first, with its floor and opening hours when we know them.