Kyoto is a major pilgrimage site for subculture fans, serving as the real-world setting for hit anime series like K-On!. When you visit Kyoto, expanding your itinerary beyond traditional sightseeing to explore local anime shops is a fantastic way to discover a whole new side of the city!

While Kyoto is often celebrated primarily for its history, traditions, and classical culture, it is actually a city that heavily invests in the content and creative industries. After all, it’s home to the Kyoto International Manga Museum and hosts the massive annual event “KYO-MAF” (Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair). In this article, a local resident will introduce the best anime and subculture shops scattered across Kyoto, complete with photos. Use this guide to plan your ultimate Oshikatsu (fandom shopping) trip!

Shops Featured in This Article

We will introduce 10 highly accessible shops located in downtown Kyoto and around the main station:

• Lashinbang Kyoto Store
• Lashinbang Kyoto Store No. 2
• Melonbooks Kyoto
• Animate Kyoto
• Surugaya Kyoto Teramachi
• Mandarake Kyoto (T8)
• Nintendo KYOTO (T8)
• Kyoto IP Shoten (T8)
• Animate Avanti Kyoto
• Lashinbang Avanti Kyoto

Heading Downtown: The Shijo Kawaramachi Area

Kyoto’s main shopping and entertainment districts are divided into two main hubs: the area right outside Kyoto Station (the gateway to the city) and the Shijo Kawaramachi area, located about 2km northeast of the station. Both are always bustling with tourists and locals alike.

First, let’s explore the Shijo Kawaramachi area. As you can see on the map, the shops here are compactly clustered together, making it incredibly easy to visit them all on foot.

This district is made up of several famous covered arcade shopping streets, such as Teramachi Street, Shinkyogoku Street, and Sanjo Street. Alongside anime shops, these arcades are packed with traditional sweet shops, musical instrument stores, vintage clothing boutiques, and more. If you find other interesting spots along the way, we highly recommend checking them out all at once!

Map of Anime Shops around Shijo Kawaramachi

Lashinbang Kyoto Store

Our first stop is the Lashinbang Kyoto Store. Please note that this is in a separate location from the Lashinbang Kyoto Store No. 2, which we will introduce next. Lashinbang is a major secondhand chain specializing in buying and selling anime, manga, and game merchandise. The Main Store boasts a massive selection of character goods, doujinshi (fan-made books), and anime CDs/DVDs. They also accept trade-ins.

This store offers a great, balanced selection of used items for both female- and male-targeted fandoms. Because it is packed with countless small items like pin badges, acrylic keychains, doujinshi, and CDs, finding your specific favorite might take some effort—but that treasure-hunting experience is half the fun!

Web: https://www.lashinbang.com/special/1223/
X (jp): https://x.com/lashin_kyoto

Lashinbang Kyoto 2nd Store

The Store No. 2 features one of the region’s largest floors dedicated entirely to anime figures. As soon as you step inside, you’ll be awed by the rows upon rows of figure boxes stacked high. Since it’s very close to the Main Store, it’s highly recommended to hop between the two. If you’re hunting for a specific figure, this is absolutely the first place you should check.

X (jp): https://x.com/lashin_kyoto3

Melonbooks Kyoto

Melonbooks is a specialized bookstore dealing in doujinshi, commercial manga, and PC games. It is located in the very same building as Lashinbang Store No. 2, but you cannot access it from inside the Lashinbang floor. You’ll need to use the outdoor elevator to get upstairs.

Melonbooks frequently offers exclusive store benefits and bonus items (like illustrations or clear files) for new manga releases, making it the perfect spot to buy recent publications. What truly sets its apart, however, is its extensive inventory of independent, non-commercial doujinshi. The shop spans two floors and is much more spacious inside than you might expect.

Web: https://www.melonbooks.co.jp/special/b/0/service/overseas_en/
X: https://x.com/Melonbooks_OS

Animate Kyoto

Animate is one of the Japan’s largest retail chains specializing in anime, manga, and video games. While there are two locations in Kyoto (including the one near Kyoto Station), this is the long-standing historic branch.

Although it is situated entirely on a single floor, the store is incredibly vast. It carries everything from the latest manga releases to older volumes, alongside a massive array of character merchandise. In line with recent Animate trends, there is a very strong selection of merchandise tailored toward female fans. Local fans also frequently use this branch for pre-orders and item pickups.

Web: https://www.animate.co.jp/en/
X (jp): https://x.com/animatekyoto

Surugaya Kyoto Teramachi (Newly Renovated!)

This store just celebrated its grand reopening in August 2025! The sales floor has been significantly expanded, bringing in an even richer variety of stock. It’s located slightly further away than the other stores mentioned so far, but it is still well within comfortable walking distance. Enjoy a nice stroll through the arcades to get there! They also buy used goods.

Surugaya is famous not just for standard used anime and manga merchandise, but also for its incredibly diverse lineup of niche hobbies. You can find retro video games, classic Gunpla (Gundam plastic models), and nostalgic items that are hard to find anywhere else. Compared to other shops, their stock of older video games and vintage anime plushies is exceptionally strong.

HP (jp): https://www.suruga-ya.jp/feature/teramachi/index.html
X (jp): https://x.com/surugateramachi

The Takashimaya S.C. “T8” Building

This is a modern commercial complex that recently opened in the heart of downtown. Here are three fantastic subculture tenants located inside the building. Since the complex also houses plenty of trendy clothing and lifestyle shops, it’s a great place for a well-rounded shopping spree.

Mandarake Kyoto

Located on the 4th floor, Mandarake is a legendary secondhand shop dealing in all things subculture, including vintage manga, anime, games, and Tokusatsu (special effects/kaiju) memorabilia. The store is packed with retro toys, rare figures, and vintage models. Just walking around and looking at the displays feels like visiting a museum. Depending on the item, I often find their prices to be quite reasonable and affordable!

HP (jp): https://www.mandarake.co.jp/dir/kyt/
X (jp): https://x.com/mdk_kyoto

Kyoto IP Shoten

Located on the 6th floor, this store specializes in rotating pop-up shops featuring various popular IPs (Intellectual Properties) and anime franchises. The store interior is beautifully designed with a traditional Japanese aesthetic, making it a joy to explore. Be sure to check their schedule and stop by whenever a franchise you love is hosting an event!

HP (jp): https://shibuyatsutaya.tsite.jp/kyoto/ip-shoten/
X (jp): https://x.com/KYOTO_IPSHOTEN/

Nintendo KYOTO

Located on the 7th floor, this is an official Nintendo store dedicated entirely to Nintendo games and character merchandise. In addition to exclusive goods, the store features fantastic photo spots, making it a highly recommended stop for families and casual fans alike. The merchandise is incredibly charming, and you’ll easily find yourself picking up items left and right.

HP (jp): https://www.nintendo.com/jp/officialstore/index.html

BOOKOFF PLUS Kawaramachi OPA

Occupying the 8th floor of the Kawaramachi OPA building, this massive Bookoff Plus goes far beyond used books and CDs. It carries a vast assortment of character merchandise, trading cards, plushies, and figures, alongside a massive wall of manga and light novels. It’s an incredibly convenient one-stop shop. The floor area is massive, so be prepared to spend some time digging through the shelves, but it is absolutely worth a visit.

HP (jp): https://www.bookoff.co.jp/shop/shop20461.html

Super Convenient: Anime Shops Right Outside Kyoto Station

While the Shijo Kawaramachi area is fantastic, the area surrounding Kyoto Station is the city’s ultimate transportation hub and a major commercial district. If you find yourself thinking, “I have a little bit of time left before my bullet train home, what should I do?”, these station-side anime shops are the perfect solution.

The following two shops are located inside “Avanti,” a commercial complex directly connected to Kyoto Station via an underground passage. This means you can enjoy your shopping completely protected from the rain. It’s the perfect final stop for the end of your Kyoto trip!

Animate Avanti Kyoto

This Animate branch underwent a major expansion and renovation in 2024, meaning the storefront is still sparkling clean and modern! You can find it on the 6th floor of Avanti.

Thanks to the increased floor space, the store boasts a massive inventory. Beyond manga volumes, magazines, CDs, and DVDs, they carry an impressive selection of character goods and Oshikatsu supplies (merchandise protection, display cases, etc.). Due to its prime location, it attracts many international tourists, giving it a lively and energetic atmosphere compared to other branches.

HP: https://www.animate.co.jp/en/

Lashinbang Kyoto AVANTI Store

While the sales floor here is a bit smaller than the Kyoto Main Store or Store No. 2, it makes up for it with a highly dense, curated selection of premium items. It is also located on the 6th floor of Avanti right next to Animate, making it incredibly easy to hop between the two stores.

They offer a fantastic selection of VTuber and streamer merchandise, anime/2.5D musical CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays, alongside plenty of figures and doujinshi. They also buy secondhand items.

Web: https://www.lashinbang.com/special/1223/
X (jp): https://x.com/lashin_kyoto2

Conclusion: Enjoy Your Kyoto Anime Shop Crawl!

There you have it—a complete guide to the anime shops in Kyoto’s bustling downtown Shijo Kawaramachi district and the main gateway of Kyoto Station! As you can see, Kyoto is a city where historical sightseeing and vibrant anime/manga culture live side by side.

With unique shops scattered across different areas, you can hunt down everything from rare manga volumes and doujinshi to high-quality figures and exclusive character goods. Each store has its own distinct personality, so if your schedule allows, try to visit them all and take home some amazing subculture treasures!