Nikaku Animart

Nikaku Animart (the animé retail side of Nikaku Japanese Arts) is probably the oldest mail order animé company in the US. I should know, I used to work there back in the 1990s. The employees there are top notch. Some of the people I used to work with, still work there. Both Akio and Jan will go out of their way to help you with anything you need.
I still go back there at least a couple of times a year. Not so much for animé anymore, more for the arts and crafts.

They have the typical Japanese kitchen utensils and a few shelves of manga and magazines. Some items look like they’re older because the color has faded but overall it’s a quaint little stop for gifts :)

This place is a little easy to miss, but It’s right near Minato Japanese Restaurant and you need to take the stairs to get to it.
I’m so happy that this store exists! I can buy my «Girls und Panzer» nendoroid petite figures without buying them online and paying horrendous shipping costs or going to mall vendors that will price gauge me.
This shop carries a good selection of knickknacks, Japanese kitchenware, and animé merchandise. Also, the owner is suuuuper nice and friendly. I’ll be back soon for sure (because I need more figurines).

I also love this wonderful store. I come for the fun of looking at all the amazing things, and buy mainly Japanese bowls, chop sticks, tea cups, cooking paraphenalia, orgami, wrapping paper, and vases. The price is right and I also find the man delightful, pleasant, and helpful. In fact, I hope to pay them a visit tomorrow! XOXOX

Excellent store! Very nice man who runs this shop. Tons and tons of animé and Japanese imported manga. If you’re interested in a manga and animé and also Japanese style cooking wear, come here!!!

Nice little shop with tons of different kicknacks rangingg from kitchenware, teapots, sake cups, and animé goods!
Tons of animé magazines and dvds, but I think deserve much of their credit for their vintage animé figures, mangas, and books.

Everything has pretty much been said in other reviews. 5 stars!

I stopped by when I came to San Jose to visit family because it was the nearest Japanese store to the house I was staying at. It was easy to miss the entrance because the store is located on the side of Japantown.
This was my first time entering a store like this, so I was a little overwhelmed at their selection. They have a lot of manga and animé tucked carefully into the side of the store. The man working at the register read a magazine cover for me to see what posters were inside it, I thought that was really helpful. They also have posters, stationary, and other Japanese items.
The items in the store are fairly priced, although being an otaku isn’t cheap.

I’ve been coming into this shop since I was a five-​year-​old. That was a whole twenty years ago.
I always loved walking up the steps after Japanese school and checking our their animé and manga selection as a kid. It’s a great place to take more grown-​up adult types as they can peruse the Japanese style stationary and wares while you check out the animé corner.
The prices are pretty steep (as is most merchandise of this type), but they carry a wide-​variety of books, posters, keychains, and random t-​shirts that are probably deadstock from the nineties. I’m always impressed with their selection and I hope this will be a place I can come back to in another 20 years.
It hasn’t changed a bit either! It’s been the exactly the same since the early nineties!

AWSOME place for Japanese stuff, has some legit stuff. Lots of manga and DVDs good plus to go at support a local shop

This is a real deal Japanese store where the customer service is outstanding. It’s basically a gift shop with a lot of animé DVDs, tea sets, dolls, and little decorations. We got a set with little ceramic sumo guys on a platform for my father’s birthday, and first of all the store clerk (owner?) RAN to the display to help us, took great care to make sure all the pieces were there and wrapped properly, and then gift-​wrapped it the fastest and neatest I’ve ever seen! Love this place, will definitely go back.

This is one of my most favorite stores in the Bay Area. The customer service is top notch and the offerings varied and unusual. I have shopped at Nikaku since the late 1980’s for wedding gifts and beautiful serving ware for my own home. They also have a lot of neat Japanese kitchen/​cookware and home decorative items. I have also purchased a lot of their origami paper over the years as well as the glass display cases used to display Japanese dolls (but I use them to display other items and keep them dust free).
The shop is tucked away off the main drag of Jackson Street on 6^th Street. Be sure to take a peek the next time you’re in Japantown. I love supporting local small businesses and Nikaku is a real gem.
The shop is up a medium sized flight of stairs so I enjoy the slight workout each time I visit :)

This place is absolutely PERFECT for those otakus out there and people interested in the japanese culture. Most items here are old school Japanese items such as bentos, ceramics, cards, cook books, etc. The animé items are at the counter with the owner. SUUUUUUPER old japanese artists’ album are sold, but not many. If you know the very famous Ozaki Yutaka nikaku only sells albums before his time. the prices aren’t too expensive really. The owner is very nice so 1 star for that and another star for the charms and cookbooks available.

I can’t go through a year without going to Nikaku. It’s an old school art and toy store. Chances are that if you are looking for something old or rare, you will find it here. I mean, this is the place that had «Cardcaptor Sakura’s» original soundtrack, old albums from Hayashibara Megumi-​san and Inoue Kikuko-​san and a «Karekano» card holder. Even if you are not an animé/​manga/​game fan, there are art supplies and you can also find a cute kana (Japanese calligraphy) chart.
Unfortunately, the store is not a good place for strollers and wheelchairs. Also, the place is pretty easy to miss. Other than that, there’s not much else for me to say.
The people at Nikaku are wonderful. There are a lot of items to choose from. Just make sure you bring people with you if you carry a stroller or a wheelchair.
+: There are so many items to choose from and the people are terrific!
-: If you don’t follow the last statement I said in my review, you’re in trouble.

I love this shop — they have a such a cool assortment of items that I always find great gifts for any occasion here. Not only do they have housewares and decorative items, but their collection of Animé and Animé related items is an additional bonus to coming here.
Personally, I always stop by here to keep my incense collection nicely supplied as the owners always carry my absolute favorites ^_​^. Nothing’s better than coming home to a wonderfully scented house (sans evil spirits, too, lol!) that doesn’t overwhelm or bring on memories of shopping on Haight St.

I have story about this place back from when I was in grade school. I was a big Sailor Moon fan when it came out. I knew this girl back in grade who was a big a fan as I was but she told me about a place in Japantown that has Sailor Moon books. Well she never told me the name or where to look. Anyway, after pestering my mom of going to Japantown to look for it, we did. We looked for this place up and down the street until my brother found it, which is kind of hard to find if you don’t have any instructions going there. So boo on that bitch! Yes, I have a couple of Sailor Moon books thanks to my mommy buying them when I was in 4^th grade. haha!
It’s not just animé items here. They have novelty items as well. It’s big but small at the same time so if there’s a lot of people it can become very cramp.
The people that work here are really helpful. My friend’s brother bought a couple of Naruto items and there was this frame that says something in Japanese. They even told us what the frame says and I think it’s «memories.»

I used to come to this place pretty frequently when I was still in high school and totally into Animé. I haven’t been to this place for nearly 10 years until recently, and I swear, the place hasn’t changed much at all! Great assorted Japanese art store, but I think people come here mainly for the Japanese Animation selection which looks like it might have shrank since the last time I’ve been here. Probably still the only place you can get a series on VHS, lol.
The place is clean, somewhat easy to find, and a classic. Brings back old memories.

I’m not a big fan of animé, but if I was… this would be my spot. This store seems to have a whole mess of animé figurines. They also have a variety of Sanrio-​Hello Kitty trinkets.
I came by here during the Spirit of Japantown festival last October and it was packed with people checking the stuff out. May be worth a stop if you’re curious about animé figurines and other like items for those who are big fans.

Last time I went here, this Jeff Albertson type (better known as the Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy) was drilling us on the top 3 movies Miyazaki won awards for. He was serious on this challenge, and luckily we had the answers before he started «EH!“ing us.
Two floors of housewares, clothing, stationary, and animé toys spread throughout. Lots and lots of DVDs and comic books for the otaku obsessed. If it’s something old and nowhere to be found, chances are it might be here. They also rent too!
Along with all the complete boxed editions of Sailor Moons, Ranmas, and Urusei Yatsura, Nikaku’s own Comic Book Guy (just a patron like you and I btw) made our visit quite an experience. I just hope you are as fortunate as we were.

This place has tons of animé stuff so you can definitely get your otaku on. Ohh yea. It also has lots of various stationary, toys, stamps, magnets, glassware, fans and other Japanese-​arts, crafts & gifts.
I like coming here a lot, its a cute and friendly store. The staff is always helpful and friendly. They try to be there for you. I usually just come in here to browse and look at the cool animé stuff. I bought a neko bus from «My neighbor Totoro» from here.
Prices seem reasonable, as most animé things are really expensive anyway.
They also have a dvd rental/​sell store downstairs. I would love to have a membership here and watch animé. Too bad I’ll be addicted and not study for college.