The obscure Nogata Bunka Market
Old, retro-looking Showa places are sometimes used as filming locations. Nogata Bunka Market in Tokyo’s Nakano ward is no exception. I found a couple of quirky shops and a few restaurants crammed into this small market that has been here since the end of World War 2.
Near Nogata Station in Nakano Ward, there is a hidden place called Nogata Bunka Market (in translation this means Nogata Culture Market). It’s been here since the end of World War 2 and it still retains a distinct retro Showa atmosphere. It’s located on the busy Honmachi Dori shopping street, but you could easily pass by without noticing it because of all the other shops on this street.
The market is a U-shaped covered alley, with two entrances facing the main street. You can go in through one and come out from the other. Eleven shops and restaurants are crammed into this small space. Most of them are closed in the morning and open from the afternoon. There is a 2nd floor with art space and it seems like they sometimes host live music events as well. Perhaps this is why it’s called a “culture” market?
Now, how many times have you seen a pack of mannequin heads planted on an AC unit next to an inflatable octopus? Just part of the collection of a shop called “Damira” that sells all kinds of strange miscellaneous goods that you never knew you wanted.
Between the two entrances at the front, there is a Nepali restaurant and a cluttered second-hand shop called “Only1”. That’s another shop that seems to be selling everything under the rising sun! It’s so cluttered there’s barely any space to step inside. Quick! Go buy something!
Nogata Bunka Market was originally built as a barracks in the postwar turmoil and later became a fresh food market. The Nogata area didn’t suffer much damage from the war and the neighborhood developed into a shopping area. People used to come here from other towns on the Seibu-Shinjuku Line.
Places like this are often chosen as filming locations and this one is no exception. It was used in a TV series called 99.9: Criminal Lawyer.
Next time you feel like you need to refresh yourself with some Showa vibe, or just want to buy a nice vintage rice cooker or a handsome mannequin head, why not give Nogata Bunka Market a try?
