Mandarake

Mandarake is a Japanese specialist retailer and auction operator focused on second-hand manga, anime merchandise, toys, games, publications, and broader otaku and popular-culture collectibles. The business began in 1980 as a very small used-manga shop in Tokyo’s Nakano Broadway shopping complex. Its founder, manga artist Masuzo Furukawa, was associated with the alternative manga magazine Garo and used his public profile as an appraiser on television to promote both the store and the value of rare manga and related material. Mandarake was formally incorporated in February 1987. It expanded from a single used-book outlet into a multi-store operation, acquiring and developing specialized shops in Nakano Broadway and later opening branches in other major Japanese cities. Rather than presenting itself as a conventional general retailer, Mandarake organizes its business around specialist appraisal, purchasing, cataloguing, and resale. Its inventory includes manga and art books, anime and tokusatsu toys, figures, trading cards, video games, DVDs, CDs, cosplay goods, animation cels, original artwork, dōjinshi, and other vintage or limited-production items. The company’s store structure often divides categories into separate specialist departments, allowing collectors to search for particular eras, genres, creators, or formats. Nakano remains the symbolic and operational center of the brand. The original location developed into a group of Mandarake-branded annexes within Nakano Broadway, with individual shops dedicated to areas such as manga, toys, cosplay, dōjinshi, and other collectibles. The company also operates or has operated locations in Akihabara, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Utsunomiya, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Kitakyushu, together with a Chiba fulfillment and buyback facility. Its Akihabara Mandarake Complex, an eight-story specialty store opened in 2008, became one of the brand’s most visible locations. The company’s online storefront operates in Japanese and English and supports domestic and international sales. Mandarake’s commercial model depends on the circulation of used goods rather than the sale of newly manufactured products. It buys material from individuals and other sellers, assesses condition, rarity, provenance, and demand, and resells items through physical stores, online channels, and auctions. The company has promoted its appraisal system and large inventory as sources of transparency in a market where prices for rare manga and collectibles can otherwise be difficult to establish. Its point-of-sale and inventory systems have been described as covering more than 20 million items, while the business has historically handled approximately ten thousand items per day. Exports have represented a meaningful part of sales, and the company has actively sought overseas customers through multilingual services and international shipping. The brand has also extended beyond retail. In 1995 it created a publishing department responsible for catalogues and collector-oriented publications, including Mandarake Manga List and Mandarake Zenbu. In 2001 it launched Mandaray, an internet television channel developed with Activision; the service was discontinued in 2008. Mandarake has maintained a strong connection with the cultural history of manga and collecting, including the sale and preservation of rare original drawings, manuscripts, animation materials, and self-published works. Mandarake became a public company in 2000 through a listing on the Mothers market and transferred to the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2015. Its history has included labor litigation, regulatory action concerning online-auction identity verification, disputes over the ownership or sale of original artwork, and a highly publicized 2014 shoplifting case. These incidents illustrate both the legal complexity of second-hand cultural-property retail and the visibility of the Mandarake brand. Despite these controversies, Mandarake remains one of Japan’s best-known specialist destinations for vintage manga and anime collecting, serving Japanese customers and international visitors and buyers.

Mandarake was founded in 1980 by Masuzo Furukawa, a manga artist associated with the alternative manga magazine Garo. The first shop occupied approximately seven square meters in Nakano Broadway, a Tokyo shopping complex that later became the company’s best-known base. Its initial focus was used manga, but Furukawa’s knowledge of manga history and his public appearances as an appraiser on Tokyo television helped establish the store as a destination for rare and vintage material. The business was incorporated in February 1987, with Furukawa’s father serving as president at the time of incorporation. During the following years Mandarake expanded within Nakano Broadway, acquiring or developing multiple small specialist outlets. The company’s retail concept became more granular than that of a conventional bookstore: separate departments could focus on manga, toys, dōjinshi, cosplay, animation materials, or other categories, enabling staff to develop specialized appraisal knowledge. Mandarake opened its second store in Shibuya in 1994 and continued expanding across Japan. In 1995 it established a publishing department, producing a mail-order catalogue known as Mandarake Manga List and the premium collector magazine Mandarake Zenbu. These publications supported the company’s role not only as a seller but also as an organizer and interpreter of the collector market. The company entered digital media in 2001 with Mandaray, an internet television channel created in partnership with Activision. The service carried otaku-related programming but was suspended in 2008. Mandarake also developed online sales and auction channels, eventually offering Japanese- and English-language shopping services and international shipping. Physical expansion included the relocation and enlargement of the Nagoya store in 2007, the opening of the eight-story Mandarake Complex in Akihabara in April 2008, and the movement of the Sapporo store to Norbesa in March 2012. The Sapporo relocation substantially increased the store’s floor space. The company’s network has included stores in Tokyo, Utsunomiya, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Kitakyushu, as well as Mandarake Sahra in Chiba, a warehouse and fulfillment site that also accepts customer buybacks. Mandarake became a publicly traded company on July 26, 2000, when it listed on the Mothers market. It moved to the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange on February 1, 2015. Its business has remained centered on buying and selling used cultural and entertainment goods. Historically, toys have represented the largest product category, followed by books, dōjinshi, other publications, and miscellaneous collectibles. International sales have also been significant, supported by multilingual staff, the English online store, and shipping to overseas markets. The company’s prominence has brought legal and reputational challenges. In 2003 it was involved in a dispute over manuscripts sold by a publisher without, according to the artists, the necessary authority. In 2012 a former employee won a court case concerning unpaid overtime. In 2014 Mandarake’s response to the theft of a vintage toy sparked public debate after it threatened to publish an uncensored security image of the suspected thief, although the image was ultimately not uncensored. In 2016 the company faced regulatory consequences for inadequate identity verification connected to online auctions. In 2018 it listed a disputed original illustration from Ai to Makoto, prompting a request from the publisher that the work be returned and a public appeal against bidding. Mandarake’s long-term importance comes from its combination of retail scale, specialist valuation, and cultural preservation. It handles a broad range of objects that can be difficult to classify or price, from ordinary used books to rare original artwork and animation materials. The company has helped make second-hand manga and anime collecting more visible to international visitors and online buyers while retaining Nakano Broadway as the central physical expression of its identity.

• 2015

  Moves to the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Mandarake transfers its listing to the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange on February 1.

• 2012

  Sapporo store moves to Norbesa

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Mandarake Sapporo relocates from Sapporo Nanairo to Norbesa, substantially increasing its floor space.

• 2008

  Mandarake Complex opens in Akihabara

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  An eight-story specialty store opens in Tokyo’s Akihabara district in April.

• 2008

  Mandaray service is suspended

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  The company’s internet television channel ends operations.

• 2007

  Nagoya store relocates and expands

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  The Nagoya branch moves to a larger site in Naka-ku because of space limitations at its former location.

• 2001

  Mandaray internet television channel launches

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Mandarake launches an otaku-focused internet television service in partnership with Activision.

• 2000

  Company lists on the Mothers market

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Mandarake becomes a publicly traded company on July 26.

• 1999

  Temporary California store opens

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Mandarake operates a U.S. store, first in Torrance and later in Santa Monica, before closing it in 2003.

• 1995

  Publishing department established

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Mandarake begins publishing collector-oriented catalogues and magazines, including Mandarake Manga List and Mandarake Zenbu.

• 1994

  Second store opens in Shibuya

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Mandarake begins its expansion beyond the original Nakano location.

• 1987

  Mandarake is incorporated

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  The business becomes a formal corporation, with Furukawa’s father appointed president at incorporation.

• 1980

  First Mandarake shop opens in Nakano Broadway

  [1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Masuzo Furukawa establishes a small used-manga shop in Tokyo’s Nakano Broadway shopping complex.

Specialist second-hand retailer and appraisal marketplace for manga, anime, toys, games, and rare otaku collectibles.

• Books · 1980

  Used manga and books

  Used manga remains the foundation of Mandarake’s business. The company handles ordinary back issues as well as scarce editions, signed material, art books, and historically important publications. Its appraisal-oriented model emphasizes condition, edition, creator, rarity, and market demand.

• Collectibles

  Toys, figures, and character collectibles

  Toys and figures form one of Mandarake’s largest business categories. The range includes vintage tin toys, character merchandise, model figures, tokusatsu goods, and other collectible objects associated with anime, manga, television, and film franchises.

• Self-published media

  Dōjinshi

  Mandarake buys and sells dōjinshi, including independently produced manga, fan works, and other small-circulation publications. These materials are served through specialist departments and are an important part of the company’s connection to Japanese fan publishing.

• Original production art

  Animation materials and original artwork

  The company trades in animation cels, original illustrations, manuscripts, and related production or publication materials. Such objects require provenance and condition assessment and can become the subject of ownership or authorization disputes.

• E-commerce

  Online store and auctions

  Mandarake operates Japanese- and English-language online sales channels for its used inventory and auction offerings. The service extends the company’s specialist assortment to domestic and international buyers and supports shipping to overseas markets.

• Collector publication · 1995

  Mandarake Zenbu

  Mandarake Zenbu is a premium collector-oriented magazine published by the company. It supports the brand’s role as a source of market information, cataloguing, and commentary on rare manga and related collectibles.

• 2018

  Ai to Makoto illustration ownership dispute

  Kodansha requested the return of an original Ai to Makoto illustration listed by Mandarake and asked the public not to bid. The item nevertheless sold at auction to a private purchaser.

  Source

• 2016

  Online-auction identity-verification violation

  The company was cited for failing to adequately verify the identities of some online-auction purchasers as required under Japan’s second-hand-goods regulations. A court suspended Mandarake Complex’s online-sales license for one month and imposed a fine.

  Source

• 2014

  Security-image controversy after toy theft

  Mandarake’s decision to publish a partially obscured image of a suspected shoplifter, together with a warning that the face could be revealed, triggered debate about privacy, intimidation, and the limits of public identification. The company ultimately did not publish the uncensored image.

  Source

• 2003

  Dispute over manuscripts sold by Sakura Comics

  Mandarake sold manuscripts by Kenshi Hirokane and Yayoi Watanabe that had been transferred to the retailer by their publisher during financial difficulties. The artists argued that the publisher was not entitled to sell the works, and the manuscripts were eventually returned after litigation.

  Source

Read more

• 2015

  Transfer listing to the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second SectionStrategy

  Background

  After becoming publicly traded on the Mothers market in 2000, Mandarake continued developing its corporate and retail footprint.

  Action taken

  The company moved its listing to the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange on February 1.

  Aftermath

  Mandarake remained a publicly listed specialist retailer.

  Source

• 2008

  Open a large Akihabara flagship-format storeStrategy

  Background

  Akihabara was a major destination for electronics, games, anime, and other specialist popular-culture retail.

  Action taken

  Mandarake opened the eight-story Mandarake Complex in April 2008.

  Aftermath

  The store became one of the company’s most prominent locations and consolidated multiple specialist categories in a major Tokyo district.

  Source

• 2001

  Enter internet broadcastingStrategy

  Background

  Mandarake pursued new ways to reach audiences interested in manga, anime, and otaku culture.

  Action taken

  It launched Mandaray, an internet television channel, in partnership with Activision.

  Aftermath

  The service was suspended in 2008.

  Source

• 1995

  Build a publishing and cataloguing businessStrategy

  Background

  As Mandarake expanded beyond a single used-manga shop, it sought to provide collectors with catalogues and specialist information.

  Action taken

  The company created a publishing department and launched Mandarake Manga List and Mandarake Zenbu.

  Aftermath

  The publications reinforced Mandarake’s position as an authority and information source within the collector market.

  Source

• 2012

  Former employee wins unpaid-overtime case[1]Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org

  Lawsuit · Other

  A former employee sued Mandarake over work performed before and after store opening hours. The Tokyo District Court ruled for the employee and ordered payment of unpaid wages and additional damages.

1. 1Mandarakeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Mandarake official websitemandarake.co.jp