A longtime landmark in Tokyo's Shibuya district has opened its doors again after a renovation.
Tsutaya overlooks Shibuya's famed scramble crossing. It held a preview ahead of the Thursday reopening.
The original facility started in 2000 as a place to rent CDs and DVDs as well as buy books. The operator, Culture Convenience Club, closed it in October last year for a major renovation.
The renewed facility no longer rents discs. But it has expanded cafe and event spaces, with an aim to becoming a base for spreading information on Japanese "anime" and "manga."
Culture Convenience Club President and CEO Takahashi Yasunori said that the company hopes the revamped Tsutaya can present Japanese culture from Shibuya to the world.
There are figures of manga characters in the cafe on the third floor, which offers a premium view of the scramble crossing.
There also is a lounge where visitors can compete using the pokemon trading cards that are popular around the globe.