Düsseldorf is a great city for a city trip if you like museums and geeky shops. Will you join me for a shopping spree?
Of course, there is much more to Düsseldorf than museums and geeky shops. It is full of delicious restaurants, cafes and there are many more fun activities you can do. But for this blog I will specifically talk about a number of geeky shops that you should not miss on your next nerdy trip to the city. Especially for people who are interested in Asian culture, this is a nice city if you want to immerse yourself in Asian culture, but a ticket to the other side of the world is not in your budget right now. Or just because you feel like a weekend away and want to stay close by (if you are from the Netherlands like me). You can quickly reach the city by train and as soon as you walk out of the station, you almost immediately walk into Little Tokyo.
Rune Store
Bismarckstraße 88
A manga specialty store but also has other manga related products. This store was the first geeky store I visited during my trip and to be honest this was my favourite manga store. Since the comics are sorted by publisher and then alphabetically, everything is very easy to find. In addition, they have a wide range of merch and plush.
Manga-Mafia Store
Immermannstraße 59
Two streets further you can find this manga specialty store. Besides the focus on manga, you can also find many anime related products. From merch to plush. Despite the fact that the store is mega, I have never seen it quiet there. That is also due to the fact that it is a meeting place for many cosplayers. Related products for cosplayers and even clothing can also be purchased in this store. Events are organised regularly, and that is certainly fun to experience once. If you come in another day, you can indulge yourself in the walls and walls full of manga.
Takagi
Immermannstraße 31
In the same street you can find this store that is completely focused on Japanese (pop) culture. The store also has merch and manga, but the latter is also available in Japanese. Can’t read the language yet, but would you like to? Well, this store also has a number of bookcases full of Japanese language study books! If you want to practise your reading level in Japanese, there is plenty of choice when it comes to Japanese books. From youth books to literature. In addition, there is even a separate section for art books and magazines.
Sphere Bay Manga Café
Immermannstraße 29
Unfortunately, I haven’t been inside myself, but I hope to be able to do so in the future. A manga café is an indispensable part of Asian culture and I think it’s amazing that there is such a café in Europe. They don’t serve food here (at the time of posting this blog), but they do serve many different types of bubble tea.
Sphere Bay calls itself a meeting place for manga, anime, K-pop and cosplay fans who chat, draw, relax and have fun with a cup of tea/bubble tea… And of course for all other fans of high-quality, traditional tea drinks.
Mayersche Droste
Königsallee 18
Outside Little Tokyo there are also plenty of geeky shops to be found, but one I have been to myself is the largest bookstore in Düsseldorf with a large English-language department. The store also sells matching geeky book merch in various theme corners. And if you want to relax for a while, you can sit in the café on the top floor. You will not only have a great view of many books, but from the window you can also see the cosy shopping streets of Düsseldorf.
Which store is your number one stop when you visit Düsseldorf?
Love,
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