Surrounded by many \u00e3\u201a\u00ac\u00e3\u0192\u0081\u00e3\u0192\u00a3 and conveniently equipped with a change machine for your 1000\u00e5\u2020\u2020 bills, Animate is usually my first stop whenever I make a round of Nerd Lane. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s located on the 3rd floor and has an associated cafe a short jaunt down the hallway (though thus far, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve not found any of their featured franchises fascinating). This is your go-to for popular merch recently released. If it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s super popular, though, stuff can sell out rather quickly. I recently went to buy a batch of the newest Sailor Moon <\/em>stationery (because cute, functional things are my weakness) and all but a few things were already gone (Loft and especially Tokyu Hands are good backups for stationery; apparently no one thinks of the latter for whatever reason).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Volks<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n On the way from Animate, the first section of Volks houses cases of figurines and other goods you can purchase using a handy-dandy slip of paper (provided in-store; how exciting!). Some rather risque figurines that I find more hilarious than sexy, personally, are there, though apparently someone has complained recently: they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re now wrapped in opaque packaging so their goods are not bared for all to see. The shelves are often overwhelming and have little in the way of organization, but you can find rarer things for a reasonable price. There are also rumors of an R2-D2 nabe pot. Moving through the shop, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll then see a build-your-own doll section, a model (primarily of the Gundam variety) section, and a section with new-in-box items.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This arcade has the cheapest \u00e5\u00a4\u00aa\u00e9\u00bc\u201c\u00e3\u0081\u00ae\u00e9\u0081\u201d\u00e4\u00ba\u00ba (Taiko no Tatsujin<\/em>) machine in the area, alongside Round 1. At 100\u00e5\u2020\u2020 per play, you can play twice as many times for the same price as at Namco next to the Hankyu station. Dissidia and crane games galore are also draws for me (though I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not particularly good at either).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lashinbang<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve enjoyed looking around their stores in other cities, but this one seems predisposed to idol anime goods. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not my thing, though have at if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s yours! Apparently there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s another on the 2nd floor somewhere, but I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come across this (at least recently; I have a vague recollection of stumbling upon it outside of what I consider Nerd Lane).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The rest of the 3rd floor doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hold many more shops I find interesting, but there are some great knock-off \u00e3\u201a\u00ac\u00e3\u0192\u0081\u00e3\u0192\u00a3 machines. On the 2nd floor, there used to be a shop of nearly ancient goods, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been shuttered the last several times I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ventured down the lane, so perhaps the shop owner and his Sailor Moon<\/em> cells of which he was so proud are now gone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Indian<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n This has a fairly eclectic selection of mostly Western toys.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00e7\u00ab\u00a0\u00e8\u0160\u00b3\u00e5\u00a0\u201a <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Cramped but worth looking into. They have dirt-cheap figurines of dubious authenticity. Also, their online presence is not very good.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I rarely venture in, but there are plenty of retro games and toys that can give you whiplash from the \u00e6\u2021\u0090\u00e3\u0081\u2039\u00e3\u0081\u2014\u00e3\u0081\u201e feeling they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll instill in you. I especially love looking at the old Sailor Moon <\/em>toys that look atrocious and which I will never, ever buy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rental Showcase Collections<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Extremely overwhelming and with little in the way of sensible organization, this shop is nevertheless a great place to stop. They have some of the best prices. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re claustrophobic, it may be best to wait until it clears out, though.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While probably the most expensive option in Nerd Lane, Yellow Submarine has a great selection of \u00e3\u201a\u00ac\u00e3\u0192\u0081\u00e3\u0192\u00a3, so instead of inserting 100\u00e5\u2020\u2020 after 100\u00e5\u2020\u2020 and getting the same thing over and over again (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dave Guy!<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d*\u00c2\u00a0), you can simply buy what you want right off the bat (assuming, of course, they have it in stock). There are plenty of other goods as well. Once, shortly after returning from Tokyo one summer, I happened to find the Sailor Moon <\/em>pen set I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been looking for in their case and fell to the ground in excitement (are you sensing a theme here?). They have many \u00e4\u00b8\u20ac\u00e7\u2022\u00aa\u00e3\u0081\u008f\u00e3\u0081\u02dc if you want to further test your luck.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If, however, you decide the thrill of the crank really does it for you, there are a plethora of \u00e3\u201a\u00ac\u00e3\u0192\u0081\u00e3\u0192\u00a3\u00e3\u0192\u009d\u00e3\u0192\u00b3 machines right across from Yellow Submarine, in addition to throughout Nerd Lane.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"DSCN3207\"](\"http:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/DSCN3207-300x196.jpg\")
<\/a>Taito Game Center<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"DSCN3209\"](\"http:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/DSCN3209-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>Ax<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"DSCN3212\"](\"http:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/DSCN3212-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>Yellow Submarine<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"DSCN3213\"](\"http:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/DSCN3213-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>Should you find yourself in Kobe with time (and hopefully money) to spare, along with an interest in the geekier offerings in Japan, do visit Nerd Lane. You never know what wondrous, joy-bringing item you may discover.<\/p>\n