Ximending: A Youth Subculture Playground (TAIPEI Quarterly 2026 Spring Vol.43)

Post date：2026-03-10

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TAIPEI #43 (2026 Spring)

Ximending: A Youth Subculture Playground
Capsule Toys, Manga Stores, and a Cornucopia of Photo-worthy Spots

TEXT　Han Cheung
PHOTOS　VISION

Ximending is Taipei's energetic youth hub, buzzing with hip yet affordable shops, eateries, and entertainment venues. Its vibrant streets showcase the latest popular trends, accompanied by strong subculture elements such as anime, cosplay, graffiti, and body art. With its street performances and bustling crowds, this is a lively destination for people-watching and social media check-ins.

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Upon entering the Ximending pedestrian zone (just outside Exit 6 of MRT Ximen Station), visitors will quickly notice rows of colorful capsule toy vending machines outside nearby shops. Known as gachapon in Japanese, they dispense oddly specific, well-designed mini collectibles. Some reference anime or popular character IPs. Others depict amazingly detailed food, mundane objects, or scenes like traffic lights or crows perched on garbage cans. Offbeat creatures such as meditating cats, mayonnaise monsters, and animals with exaggerated underbites add to the fun.

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Each turn of a vending machine's wheels brings a random surprise, and many collectors keep trying until they receive a specific item, complete an entire set, or snag the secret treasure they're chasing.

The Wan Nian Building (70, Xining S. Rd.) hosts one of Ximending's densest clusters of capsule machines, alongside toy shops selling figurines and "blind boxes," another form of randomized collectible. Mr. Pink (78, Kunming St.) stands out with its rows of bright pink machines on the ground floor, making the shop a colorful backdrop for photos.

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▲Mr. Pink

The Eslite Spectrum Wuchang Store (77, Sec. 2, Wuchang St.) is different from other Eslite bookstores in that it caters to younger customers. It is home to several toy shops offering everything from high-end collectibles and licensed action figures to blind boxes and more affordable items. Beast Kingdom specializes in Western film and animation franchises, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney. Toys "R" Us carries a mix of Western and Japanese toys, including anime merchandise, while Comic Trap focuses on American comics and hard-to-find older toys, many of them discontinued or limited-edition selections.

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▲Comic Trap

Other popular shops include Boarhat (85-5, Sec. 2, Wuchang St.), specializing in Japanese anime- and manga-themed figurines, models, and character goods. Often packed with tourists, Pop Mart (14, Emei St.) represents the latest designer-toy boom, featuring blind boxes and collectibles with cute, surreal, and sometimes dark characters.

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▲Action figures

Aside from toys, the manga and anime subculture also comes alive through the many cosplayers who gather in Ximending, especially on weekends. Extending north from MRT Ximen Station, the futuristic underground metro mall Undercity: Ximen is the city's latest hotspot for fans.

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▲Undercity: Ximen

Its first stop is Ichiraku Ramen, modeled after the fictional eatery of the same name made famous by the immensely popular Naruto series. Anime retail giant Animate also operates a popup shop and café in the complex.

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Designed in deep-gray tones, neon accents, and metallic finishes, the mall space features LED ceilings, black floors with bright linework, and pedestrian-crossing motifs that evoke a feeling of "crossing dimensions," as if stepping straight into a sci-fi or anime world. Screens play a rotating mix of video content showcasing pop trends, anime themes, and music visuals.

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The underground corridor, which spans three plazas, features a lively mix of shops and eateries tied to anime, manga, video games, pop music, and design, including official character boutiques, pop‑up shops, toy showcases, and specialty stores offering creative goods. K‑pop fans will find dedicated stores like FANFANS and FANME, alongside interactive attractions such as photo-sticker kiosks. Designed as a hub for fans, the space also hosts interactive promotional events.

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▲K-pop merch at FANME

Right outside the underground mall's Exit 6 is Animate's Taipei flagship store (B1, 39, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Rd.), a must-visit for manga and anime lovers. As the first official overseas branch (est. in 2000) of the famous Japanese retail chain, this spacious shop is filled with a vast selection of manga volumes, light novels, art books, and audiovisual content. Many visitors come for the official merchandise, ranging from figurines, model kits, and keychains to posters and stationery. Animate often offers exclusive promotional items and sometimes runs raffles for autographs from manga artists and similar prizes. The complex also features an indoor/outdoor café serving character-inspired drinks and snacks, as well as Lashinbang, a secondhand store from Japan for anime- and video game-related collectibles.

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▲Animate

Chic and minimalistic d/art (2F, 14, Sec. 2, Wuchang St.) brings a refined gallery sensibility to Ximending's anime scene. Focused on the artistry behind the media, it hosts themed exhibitions showcasing illustrations and poster art by Japanese and Taiwanese artists, as well as anime-related original works. Spanning two floors, the venue features a curated shop on the second floor and a ticketed gallery on the third. Visitors can buy books, prints, and exclusive exhibition goods, and attend interactive workshops, artist talks, signing sessions, and intimate live performances.

Those looking to unwind after exploring the scene can grab a draft beer or mixed drink at More Beer (121-1, Hanzhong St.), a cozy bar along a quiet alley. The venue has drawn attention for its playful drink presentations, such as smoking teapots and capybaras made with dry ice, a popular stop for photo-ops.

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▲Smoking capybara drinks made with dry ice

If you're feeling peckish, Lost and Found (92, Liuzhou St.) is another photo-worthy destination. Located to the south of the Ximending area, this Nordic-style café is known for its signature affogato, with a pistachio flavor exclusive to this branch, served with a shot of espresso. The atmospheric space features a sleek wood decor and offers brunch edibles such as creamy egg salad toast and the loaded "Soulmate" platter.

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