Akihabara

Akihabara is a must-go destination for the fan of Japanese pop culture, especially Otaku culture, and a shopping paradise for video game, anime, manga, electronics, computer-related goods, and more. Akihabara mainly refers to the area around Akihabara Metro Station, Tokyo. The majority of electronic stores are located to the west of the station, while anime and manga shops and maid cafes are to the north of the station. During the weekends and holidays, the main street there will become a walking street.

Akihabara Photos ( 10

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Top Things to Do in Akihabara

1. Experience Occult Otaku Culture in Maid Cafés

Otaku is a Japanese word, and it usually refers to a person who is crazy about anime and video games. In Akihabara, a large number of maid cafés attract countless otaku. Maid café is the most noted café type in Akihabara. The maid is a common and popular figure in Japanese manga and anime. In the maid café, the waitresses will wear delicate and beautiful maid clothes with a kind voice and sweet smiles to serve the guest, their “lord”. Besides, you have the opportunity to view stage performances and take part in interactive activities. Some maid cafés even provide English service, like Home Café. Beyond the maid café, the animal cafe also attracts some visitors. You can touch cute animals, like cats, owls, and rabbits.

2. Dress Up as Anime Characters

It is common for visitors to see a person with an anime character costume, heterochromatic pupil, and colorful hair in Akihabara, which is called Cosplay. If you are interested in it, just give it a try. It is easy to find rental stores that provide all kinds of clothes. In addition, these stores even can help visitors make up their face and hair.

3. Visit Game Stores and Anime Shops

“Super Potato” is the most notable game store in Akihabara, and it collects varied retro games that can meet otaku’s needs. The store even provides a video game room for visitors. “Game” is another popular store that is full of a variety of anime and manga-related merchandises, such as movies, posters, toys, and games. “Kotobukiya” is a famous Japanese hand-made toy store. You can see all kinds of plastic models, human figures, dolls, games, and lucky drawers in the store. The store also has foreign staff who can speak English.

Figures in Vitrine

Store of Game in Akihabara

4. Explore a Wealth of Electronics

Yodobashi Akiba is a large chain shopping mall of home appliances in Japan. Yodobashi Akiba in Akihabara has nine floors, selling abundant goods. Floors one through six mainly sell the most recent electronic products in Japan, such as cameras, computers, mobile phones, home appliances, and video game machines. LAOX is the biggest comprehensive duty-free shop in Akihabara, selling about seventy thousand products, such as cosmetics, jewelry, electronics, clothing, and bags, leading the fashion trend of Japan. It also provides multilingual services, like English. In addition, you can find automatic foreign currency exchange machines.

5. Feel the Crazy Celebrity Atmosphere at AKB84 Theater

AKB84 (Akihabara48), one of the most famous and popular Japanese female idol groups, was established in 2005. The group made its debut here, and now they also conduct performances at the theater. The seats in the theater are close to the stage, making the audience view the performance from a short distance. But, due to limited seats, the tickets are always in great demand and you’d better reserve one in advance on their official website.

6. Eat Authentic Japanese Food and Snacks

A variety of restaurants are distributed throughout the region with economic prices and unique tastes. There are abundant food types, like ramen, curry, and sushi. The outstanding restaurant is always full of fans in line, so you are advised to order food in advance to save you time.

How to Get to Akihabara

From Tokyo City:

1. Take the JR Yamanote Line, and get off at Akihabara Station and out from the Electric Street exit.
2. Take the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, and get off at Akihabara Station and out from the 3 exit.

From Other Cities by Train:

1. Take the train Tsukuba Express Line, and get off at Akihabara Station and out from the A2 exit.

Nearby Attractions:

1. Ueno Park is the best place to appreciate the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, and it also has several museums, a zoo, a shrine, and so on. From Akihabara, you can take the metro Hibiya Line to get there, and a single-ride takes about 18 minutes.
2. Sensoji Temple, a Buddhist temple, is the most famous temple in Tokyo. From Akihabara, you can take the train Tsukuba Express Line to get there, taking about 16 minutes.