Guide · Akihabara

Part of: Tokyo Anime Tour: Which District to Pick

Shinjuku Anime Stores: animate, Square Enix, Godzilla and the Rest, Shop by Shop

Shinjuku has a scattered but useful set of anime and game shops. animate Shinjuku, on the 7th floor of Shinjuku Marui Men, sells manga, light novels, goods, figures and trading cards and is tax-free. Square Enix has an officially licensed Cafe & Shop by JR Shinjuku Station's southeast exit and its own Artnia shop, café and bar in East Shinjuku. Toho's Godzilla Store Tokyo is on the 1st floor of Shinjuku Marui Annex, near the Godzilla Head. The ONE PIECE Card Game has an official shop in Tokyu Kabukichō Tower, and Crayon Shin-chan has an official shop at Shinjuku Okadaya. I run private anime tours in Akihabara most weeks, and this is the Shinjuku list I give guests staying there.

Shinjuku is a good base, but for depth, especially secondhand figures, Akihabara has far more.

Which anime shops are in Shinjuku?

From each shop's official page: animate Shinjuku, Shinjuku Marui Men 7F, 5-16-4 Shinjuku; Officially Licensed SQUARE ENIX Cafe & Shop SHINJUKU, 3-36-1 Shinjuku; Artnia, 6-27-30 Shinjuku; Godzilla Store Tokyo, Shinjuku Marui Annex 1F, 3-1-26 Shinjuku; ONE PIECE Card Game official shop Tokyo Shinjuku, Tokyu Kabukichō Tower 3F; and Crayon Shin-chan Okashina Mogumogu World, TF Building 5F, 3-23-17 Shinjuku.

For how Shinjuku compares with Akihabara and Ikebukuro, see which Tokyo district for an anime tour. For the Akihabara day, my Akihabara anime tour.

What is animate Shinjuku like?

A general animate store, enlarged and renewed on 26 April 2024 with a bigger book section, a fuller BL corner and a renewed space for limited "only shop" events. It carries comics, light novels, anime and manga goods, figures, trading cards, CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays, and lists tax-free service and many payment options, including UnionPay, Alipay and WeChat Pay.

animate's own page puts it nine minutes from Shinjuku Station's east exit and two minutes from Shinjuku-sanchōme Station exit E2. For animate's Akihabara branch, see animate Akihabara.

Is Shinjuku good for anime shopping?

For official shops and a few specialist stops, yes. For secondhand figures, rare manga, retro games and big multi-floor collector shops, Akihabara and Nakano go much further.

This is the honest section. Shinjuku's shops are spread across the east side and Kabukichō rather than packed into one street, so plan a route. If your hotel is in Shinjuku, Akihabara is easy to reach by JR; getting to Akihabara Station explains the exits.

Can you shop tax-free in Shinjuku's anime shops?

animate Shinjuku lists tax-free service; for others, ask at the till. From 1 November 2026 you pay the tax at the till and get it back after a customs check at the airport.

Tax-free shopping in Japan after November 2026 explains the change. For maid cafés generally, Akihabara maid cafés covers how they work.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an animate in Shinjuku? Yes. animate Shinjuku is on the 7th floor of Shinjuku Marui Men, 5-16-4 Shinjuku.

Is there a Godzilla store in Shinjuku? Yes. Godzilla Store Tokyo is on the 1st floor of Shinjuku Marui Annex, near the Godzilla Head.

Is there a Square Enix shop in Shinjuku? Yes: the SQUARE ENIX Cafe & Shop by the southeast exit and Artnia in East Shinjuku.

Is there a One Piece card shop in Shinjuku? Yes. The ONE PIECE Card Game official shop Tokyo Shinjuku is in Tokyu Kabukichō Tower 3F.

Is Shinjuku or Akihabara better for anime? Akihabara, for range and secondhand. Shinjuku has useful official shops if you are staying there.

Shinjuku for a base, Akihabara for the hunt

If you would like an Akihabara day chosen around the series you love, Adventure in Akihabara with Anime is my private half-day walk, three to four hours, never shared with other guests. The price is on the tour page.

About the author. I am Yuuki, a Japanese teacher and Akihabara anime tour guide based in Tokyo. I run private anime tours here most weeks, rated 4.96★ on Airbnb across 171 reviews. I have watched over 1,500 anime series, which is either a qualification or a warning depending on your point of view.

See the Akihabara anime tour →

Sources: animate, animate Shinjuku (address; walking times; renovation of 26 April 2024; products; payment; tax-free); Square Enix, Related shops (Cafe & Shop SHINJUKU and Artnia addresses); Toho, Godzilla Store Tokyo; Bandai Namco Amusement, ONE PIECE Card Game official shop (Shinjuku shop address); Futabasha, Crayon Shin-chan official shops (Mogumogu World address; entry limits); Maidreamin, Shop list (Shinjuku branches). All checked 4 October 2026. Opening hours and prices are deliberately not given.