Akihabara (秋葉原), often called Akiba, is the center of otaku culture. A dense district of electronics, anime, manga, and gaming packed into a few blocks north of Tokyo Station.
Getting There
JR Akihabara Station, Electric Town exit. 1 minute from Tokyo Station on the Yamanote Line.
Major Stores
Yodobashi Camera Akiba: Nine floors of electronics, figures, games, and a massive hobby floor. Tax-free counters on the ground floor.
Animate Akihabara: The main anime merchandise store. Multiple floors covering seasonal anime, merchandise, Blu-rays, and event tickets. The top floor rotates themed exhibitions.
Radio Kaikan (ラジオ会館): The white tower with 10 floors of specialty shops: Mandarake (all floors), figure shops, card shops, and doujin stores.
Mandarake: The used manga/doujin/game chain. Multiple locations in Akiba, but the Radio Kaikan and main store on Sotobori-dori are the largest.
Toranoana (とらのあな): Doujin (fan-made) manga and goods specialist. Two buildings, one for general doujin, one for adult content.
Gamers (ゲーマーズ): Anime and game merchandise, with a heavy focus on current seasonal shows. Good for event ticket lotteries.
Akihabara Gachapon Hall
A multi-floor building entirely dedicated to gachapon (capsule toy) machines. Hundreds of machines spanning many franchises. ¥300–500 per capsule.
Food
- Akiba Curry: Fast, cheap, otaku-curry
- Gyukatsu Ichi Ni San: Beef cutlet
- @Home Cafe: Maid cafe experience, popular with first-timers
- Cure Maid Cafe: Quieter, more traditional maid cafe in the Radio Kaikan building
Tips
- Tax-free: Most major stores offer tax-free shopping with passport (¥5,000 minimum purchase)
- Sunday: The main street (Chuo-dori) becomes pedestrian-only in the afternoon
- Avoid: The escalator on the left rule; stand on the left in Tokyo
Vocab: 秋葉原 Akihabara: “Autumn leaf field.” Also known as Akiba (アキバ), the center of otaku culture.