London is no stranger to Japanese culture, and it’s never clearer than in the sheer number of anime shops dotted across the city. These are the ones to have on your radar.
Whether you’re into collecting manga comics, kawaii plushies, graphic novels, or anime characters, if you know where to look, London has one of the most extensive collections of shops dedicated to this niche outside of Japan.
Step away from reality and explore the rich, fantastical worlds of Studio Ghibli, or the darker themes explored by the likes of Deathnote, Paranoia Agent and Tokyo Ghoul.
So if you’re deep into anime and want to know where to fuel your passion, or you’ve always wanted to get into manga and never known where to start, here’s where to go.
The best anime shops in London
Japan Craft
Camden’s Japan Craft is worth a visit if your love for Japanese culture extends beyond anime. Alongside a massive choice of Japanese cultural snacks, candles, decoratives and tableware, those seeking to sate their anime hunger won’t go short either.
With floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with everything anime and manga-related you could want, block off proper time for this one rather than a quick browse.
You can sit down with a box of green tea Pocky and a comic or animated novel, then stock up on cosmetics, accessories and outfits for your next visit to Comic-Con. A genuine Aladdin’s cave for anime enthusiasts.
Forbidden Planet
West End
Located in the heart of London’s West End, Forbidden Planet is a proper anime and manga destination, with almost 3,500 manga titles to choose from.
That’s the kind of choice that can swallow an afternoon. Forbidden Planet also stocks a vast array of anime toys and collectibles, and hosts regular anime events where enthusiasts can gather over sushi and sake. They also hold regular signing events where fans can meet their favourite authors and get merch signed.
TokyoToys
Sidcup
TokyoToys added a Greater London store to their Glasgow and Birmingham shops, in Marechal Niel Parade, Sidcup.
It’s a little way outside the centre of London, but well worth the half-hour train ride from Charing Cross. This award-winning store has more than a decade’s experience and staff who are happy to talk anime with fellow fans.
There’s more than 50 anime series, 18 manga book genres, an army of figurines and statues, bespoke Mecha kits, ten trading game collections (Pokemon included) and, of course, plush toys. TokyoToys also runs a weekly trading card casual turn-up-and-play session.
Gosh! Comics
Located on Berwick Street, Gosh! Comics is an old-school boutique comic book shop that prioritises content over flashy decor and displays. If you’re after rare collectibles, there’s a good chance a visit to Gosh! won’t disappoint.
The range on offer looks modest at first glance, but beneath the surface this is the place for the biggest enthusiasts, run by even bigger enthusiasts. Gosh! sells some of the rarest collectibles and signed copies, rarely seen at the bigger stores, among its range of classic anime and modern favourites.
Japan House
Japan House is a cultural arts centre bringing everything to do with Japanese culture to the heart of London. Spread over three floors, it hosts regularly changing free exhibitions and events, and is home to the AKIRA restaurant and The Stand cafe.
Recent events have included an exhibition dedicated to LGBTQIA+ manga, exploring how anime culture has helped challenge stereotypes and conservative social norms in Japan.
If anime and manga are your main draw, head to the shop, which stocks a genuinely wide range. Worth spending a few hours here if you want to learn more about Japanese culture while you shop.
Raygun Comics
Leafy Richmond is worth a visit in its own right, and it’s also home to one of London’s best comic stores, Raygun Comics.
Raygun doesn’t solely cater to anime fans, those into Marvel, DC and the rest are equally well provided for, but there’s a strong choice for manga readers too. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and alongside comics there’s plenty of anime merch, including card decks, paintings and anime cel-ga (celluloid pictures).
Mega City Comics
Another Camden anime-friendly haunt is the comfortable, homely comic megastore Mega City Comics. Like Raygun, it caters to comic fans of every stripe, but anime fans are well looked after too.
They stock a large range of anime and manga, including most limited editions, and fans can keep an eye out for signing sessions with their favourite authors and artists. The customer service is friendly and knowledgeable, and if they don’t stock something, they’ll try to source it. You can also pre-order releases.
Japan Centre
Fans of anime and all things Japanese get used to the unexpected, and our left-field entry for the best places for anime in town is Japan Centre.
This Japanese food hall opened its doors in 1976 and has sold the best Japanese ingredients to Londoners for almost five decades. What isn’t so well known is the range of manga on sale, from Ribbon to Shueisha’s V Jump.
Open until 10pm on weekdays, the cafe is a genuinely good spot to enjoy a cup of green tea while reading your new manga titles, and the food hall sells an extensive range of anime-inspired food and drink too.
Animetal
Whatever your anime and manga loves, there’s a good chance Animetal in Covent Garden will have what you need, particularly if you’re after anime figures.
As well as hosting a friendly place for anime and manga fans to hang out, Animetal works to educate fans on how to spot bootleg and unlicensed merch. The Covent Garden store also serves sushi, bubble tea and matcha ice cream, and has a dedicated Studio Ghibli area for fans of Miyazaki, Suzuki, Takahata and Tokuma.
Plugy
It’ll surprise no one familiar with Camden Market that there’s a full-time anime store here, specialising in kawaii gifts.
Plugy is a little store run by fans of all things anime and manga, stocking everything from plushies to figurines and magazines to phone stands and screen protectors. Anime is Plugy’s chief focus, but they also stock a decent selection of Thai and Chinese fashion pieces, making it a good spot for niche gift shopping.
ARTBOX
Back in Covent Garden, ARTBOX is the UK’s retailer of authentic Sanrio goods, shipped directly from Tokyo.
Big Japanese names like San-X, tokidoki, Pusheen and BT21 are readily available, with gifts including fashion accessories, stationery, homeware, plushies and bags. Open seven days a week, ARTBOX is a solid central London stop for anyone wanting to indulge their love of Japanese culture.
Bubble Pop Shop
Bubble Pop is just around the corner from Forbidden Planet, and one of the most comprehensive stockists of anime, manga and geek culture apparel around.
It markets itself as a community of like-minded geeks as much as a shop, and it’s a place where enthusiasts can get together and indulge their passions. Whether you’re into Demon Slayer, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh or Naruto, Bubble Pop has you covered, alongside a wide range of Sanrio gifts, from Hello Kitty to Pusheen and even Sylvanian Families. Gamers are catered for too, with Kirby, Pokemon, Mario and Sonic figures, and K-Pop fans can feed their BTS and Black Pink habit.
Nendo Zone
Camden
A newer addition to Camden’s cluster of anime shops, Nendo Zone specialises in anime figures and collectibles, at 5 Malden Road. It’s a smaller, more focused offering than some of the bigger Camden stores, worth folding into the same crawl as Japan Craft and Mega City Comics if figures are your main interest.
Anime Otaku
Westfield London
For anyone who wouldn’t think to look in a shopping centre, Anime Otaku has opened at Westfield London (Level 0), stocking games, manga, merch, plushies and posters. It’s a genuinely different kind of location to the rest of this list, useful if you’re already at Westfield or want anime shopping folded into a bigger trip.
The London x London Take: Camden remains the easiest place to do a proper anime crawl in one afternoon, Japan Craft, Mega City Comics and Nendo Zone all sit close enough together to hit in a single trip. Forbidden Planet is still the best all-rounder if you only have time for one stop. Anime Otaku is the one worth knowing about even if you’re not a dedicated shopper, it’s proof this scene has properly gone mainstream in London rather than staying confined to Camden and Covent Garden.
