Akihabara (also known as ‘Electric Town’ or ‘Akiba) is one of Tokyo’s top neighbourhoods to explore by day or night.
From the highest concentration of maid cafes to manga game stores, Akihabara (“秋葉原”) is the ultimate place to release your inner ‘otaku’ and get your geek on. The Akihabara anime scene is epic and it is a 24/7 district (not to mention the spiritual home of AKB48 JPop idols).
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Tokyo’s Electric Town is certainly a sight to behold, full of bright lights and late nights – from Tokyo’s craft beer bars to gaming galore (plus awesome Akihabara anime stores), here is our ultimate guide to Tokyo’s coolest neighbourhood, Akihabara Electric Town.
This article was originally published on 5 May 2024.
Plan My Japan Tip – If you want to shop in peace without traffic, Akihabara goes car-free every Sunday afternoon. You can walk along the main Akihabara street without traffic / pedestrians whilst police put barriers out and keep vehicles away.
Akihabara directions / how to get to Akihabara 秋葉原
If you want to get to Akihabara / Akiba, there are several train stations nearby:
- The JR Akihabara Station (most Akihabara anime activities are located closest to the Electric Town exit)
- The Tokyo Metro Akihabara or Tokyo Metro Suehirocho Station(s)
- Tsukuba Express Akihabara Station
Akihabara accommodation
We’ve stayed in Akihabara several times and generally, affordable hotel rooms within walking distance of Akihabara’s attractions and Electric Town area.
Some of our recommended accommodation in Akihabara / Akiba includes:
Budget ($)
Hotel Plus Hostel Tokyo Akihabara
Popular hostel with both dorms and private rooms, plus a spacious shared lounge, kitchen and laundry. Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Mid-Range ($$)
The Tourist Hotel & Cafe Akihabara
Highly rated 3 star hotel located close to Akihabara station. Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Luxury ($$$)
Nohga Hotel Akihabara Tokyo
Stylish 4 star hotel located in the heart of Akihabara with contemporary restaurant/bar and gym. Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Check out the best hotels in Akihabara via Booking.com >
Japan checklist
We love using booking.com and agoda.com for researching and booking all our hotels, and Hostelworld for booking hostels. You can also purchase eSIMs from Airalo.
For booking tours, transfers and SIM cards we recommend Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook.
For booking rental cars visit Discover Cars.
Check out our Japan travel resources page >
Things to do in Akihabara, Tokyo
1. Akihabara Gachapon Hall / Kaikan
Is this the best place to buy gachapons in eastern Tokyo? We think it is definitely in the running with wall to wall gachapon shops and hundreds of different gachapon toy capsule machines to choose from.
Gachapons are toy capsule vending machines, serving up everything from cute characters like Studio Ghibli or Doraemon through to more anime based fare like DragonBall or Slam Dunk.
You can even get miniature restaurant gachapons like Saizeriya or Mister Donut. Our favourite gachapon are the miniature gachapon machines – how meta!
Be sure to bring lots of 100 Yen coins – Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan is a short, easy walk from the Akihabara Station Electric Town exit.
You might like our guide to the coolest gachapon capsule toys to buy >
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2. AKB48 Theater live music venue
‘Give Me Five’! One of J-pop’s most iconic girl groups (with a mainly male fan-base), AKB48 is named after the Akihabara area and regularly perform in the AKB48 Theater, which is (weirdly) above the Don Quijote Akihabara store.
Formed in 2005, the AKB48 girl group has had many different members over the years (and various versions including trainees) and is one of the biggest selling Japanese female acts of all time.
The AKB48 Theater in Akihabara is a way to see the girl group (or a version of it) up close (and well attended by sweaty men with glow sticks).
Such is the AKB48 phenomen, they even have international AKB48 theatres and groups overseas in countries such as Taiwan and China.
AKB48 Theater tickets are not easy to come by – the theatre only has a capacity of 250 people (so you can get up close) and AKB48 tickets are usually allocated by lottery. You can increase your chances of getting AKB48 tickets by becoming a paying member of their fan-club.
3. Mandarake Complex Akihabara
An easy 5 minute walk from Akihabara Station Electric Town exit, the Mandarake Complex in Akihabara is one of the area’s biggest pre-owned / second hand retailers of manga, anime and collectibles.
Mandarake Complex Akihabara is one of the biggest Mandarakes in Japan with 8 floors of second hand and retro goodness. Mandarake (まんだらけ) has second hand stores in all the big Japanese cities including Kyoto, Sapporo, Osaka, Fukuoka plus another flagship Mandarake store in Shibuya.
Across the 8 floors of Mandarake Complex Akihabara, you’ll find anime toys and cosplay on level 2, vintage on floor 3, male and female doujinshi across levels 4 and 5 plus collectible toys on the top floor.
Mandarake Complex Akihabara is open daily from 12pm to 8pm.
Check out our ultimate guide to Mandarake second-hand stores here >
You might like these Tokyo neighbourhood guides:
Akihabara
Asakusa
Ginza
Harajuku
Ikebukuro
Nakano
Odaiba
Ryogoku
Shibuya
Shimokitazawa
Shinjuku
Also check out our
Where to stay in Tokyo guide
4. Hitachino Brewing Lab Kanda Manseibashi
Cheers to the craft beer scene in Akihabara! One of the best craft beer bars in Tokyo has to be Hitachino Brewing Lab Kanda Manseibashi, a short stroll over the Kanda River from Akihabara JR station.
Hitachino Nest Beer is one of Japan’s most widely available craft beers, available in an array of flavours / styles and brewed by the Hiuchi brewery, a famous sake manufacturer who have branched out into beer.
Not only is the craft beer ‘chef’s kiss’ at Hitachino Brewing Lab Kanda Manseibashi, the taproom is rather unique located under some railway arches and with a terrace looking out over the Kanda River.
We went for a tasting tray of Hitachino Nest beers including a decadent dark stout and sat next to the bar, watching a steady stream of drinkers sup and sit. A nice place for a quite craft beer, away from the hustle and bustle of Akihabara’s busy streets.
You might like our guide to the best craft beer bars and beer halls in Tokyo >
5. Craft Beer Bar Ibrew 秋葉原駅前店
Another top taproom and brilliant bar in Akihabara is the Craft Beer Bar Ibrew 秋葉原駅前店 – they usually have around 50 craft beers on tap (50!) meaning it must have one of the largest selections of craft beers in the whole of Tokyo.
Unlike Hitachino, craft beers from all over the world are available at Ibrew and their IPA selection is unparalleled.
Food available includes pub classics like fish and chips, grilled shrimp plus awesome aubergine dishes.
6. Akihabara Maid Cafes
Maid in Japan! Ask anyone about what first comes to mind when mentioning Akihabara and it is likely they’ll say Maid Cafes.
At the time of writing (October 2025), there are at least a dozen maid cafes in Akihabara and most of them have huge banners and billboards (professional, not home-maid…sorry not sorry) on the sides of tall buildings looking down over the streets.
Each maid cafe / cosplay cafe is different (most don’t allow photographs inside) and popular Akihabara maid cafes include HoneyHoney Akihabara, Maid Made and Cure Maid Cafe. The most popular Maid Cafe chain in Akihabara (and in Japan generally) is Maid-Dreamin.
Expect to pay higher than normal prices for the food and drink inside maid cafes plus some wonderfully wacky service.
You might like this Maid Dreamin Cafe experience >
7. Super Potato Akihabara
We love Akihabara’s retro gaming store Super Potato so much, we’ve written a dedicated Super Potato guide here >
Japan is renowned for its vintage video game shops and retro arcades and Super Potato is one of the best, with locations in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya including this flagship store in Akihabara.
From classic video game consoles like Nintendo NES and Neo Geo to lesser known video games systems like MSX 2 and WonderSwan, Super Potato Japan is a treasure trove of vintage video games and awesome arcade machines from the last few decades.
You can even play classic consoles and ageless arcade machines on the top floor.
See more Super Potato Akihabara images and a floor guide here >
8. Kotobukiya Akihabara toy store
Tokyo’s flagship Kotobukiya toy shop, Akihabara’s branch abounds with anime awesomeness, magnificent manga merchandise, geek gifts and gachapon galore (try saying that after a few craft beers).
There are three floors of fun and this is often one of the busiest shops in the Akihabara area, no matter what time of day.
The first and second floor has figures and models from the likes of Studio Ghibli or Dragon Quest whilst the top floor is more about VTuber merchandise plus anime collectibles.
9. Don Quijote Akihabara
Don Quijote Japan discount department stores are home to thousands of items generally at low prices, from sneakers to stationary, Hello Kitty to Kit Kats (plus more interesting ‘adult sections’).
Don Quijote Akihabara is one of the best Don Quijotes in Tokyo and is open 24 hours a day, so it is somewhere to shop day and night in Tokyo.
You could literally spend hours in this Don Quijote browsing all the shelves – each floor has different sections plus there is a duty free tax counter (and the AKB48 girl group music theater is on the top floor).
You might like our ultimate to Don Quijote discount stores in Japan >
Did you also know there is a Don Quijote ferris wheel (the only one in Japan) in Osaka? Jump aboard here to see photos >
Heading to Tokyo soon? Check out our events, festivals and gigs guide for November 2025 Tokyo and December 2025
10. TAITO Station Akihabara arcade
Once billed as the ‘largest games arcade in the world’, the TAITO Station Akihabara arcade takes gaming to the next level (several levels in fact).
From UFO claw machines to dance mat mania, TAITO Station Akihabara arcade has six floors of gaming fun including two floors of prize machines (UFO), a print party / photo booth basement plus arcade machines new and old including Pokemon and Mario.
Open daily from 10am to 11.30pm, a few people have said online that the claw machines / UFOs are rigged / fixed (but these players might just be sh*t eh) so buyer beware.
11. Kanda Shrine
Everyone associates Akihabara with anime / gaming stores and bright lights, busy roads but you can have a moment of peace and tranquillity at the Kanda Shrine.
Originally built over 1200 years, the Kanda shrine has been rebuilt several times due to war and earthquake damage. It is a peaceful place to escape the crowds or have a brief moment of respite.
Interestingly, the Kanda Shrine also sells tokens and talismans that have been blessed specifically to assist with fixing electronic equipment and troubling technology. The annual Daikoku festival is also held annually at Akihabara’s Kanda Shrine every January.
Within the grounds of the shrine you’ll also find the four-story EDOCCO Edo Culture Complex which has a cafe, event hall and a gift shop that sells amulets and souvenirs.
You might like – The best malls and shopping districts in Tokyo >
12. Akihabara Radio Kaikan mall
Akihabara’s anime array and awesomeness continues at the Akihabara Radio Kaikan Mall, a 10 storey shopping center full of sublime subculture souvenirs and retro gifts.
The whole Radio Kaikan building has dozens of small shops and booths selling everything from character merchandise to cosplay outfits, dolls to gachapon.
In fact, there is so much choice, you’ll be going Radio Ga Ga. Allow a couple of hours to explore the labyrinth of stalls across all 10 levels.
You might like – Things to do in Tokyo with kids >
13. Mocha Cat Cafe
Japanese cat cafes are the thing of legend and Akihabara has one of Tokyo’s largest cat cafes – Mocha Cat Cafe Akihabara. The best time to go is during feeding time and the cats are seemingly well looked after (fluffy as too).
Admission starts from 250 Yen (275 Yen with tax) per 10 minutes on weekdays, up to a maximum fee of 3,200 Yen (3,520 Yen with tax) – plus a drink bar fee of 350 Yen (385 Yen with tax).
On holidays and weekends, the Mocha cat cafe Akihabara costs 350 Yen (385 Yen with tax) per 10 minutes, up to a maximum fee of 3,800 Yen (4,180 Yen with tax). Prices correct as of October 2025.
If you get bored of the cats (not possible!), you can also read Manga magazines and books.
Read more in our guide to the Cat Cafe Mocha chain in Tokyo >
You might like – Takeshita Street in Harajuku Guide >
14. Akiba Cultures Zone shop
Yey more anime action in Akihabara, Akiba Cultures Zone shop has five floors of new and used figures, models and all manner of Manga merchandise including DVDs, CDs and posters.
A warren of wonderful finds, make sure you keep back some room in your backpack or suitcase for all your purchases (you’re welcome).
You’ll also find a maid cafe on the top floor for more cosplay cuteness and overpriced food fare.
You might like – The cult of 3D billboards in Tokyo >
15. 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan
A little different from the main shopping area, 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan in Akihabara is cute shopping centre underneath some railway arches featuring dozens of boutique shops and artisan crafts.
The name 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan derives its distance away from Tokyo Station (2.54km) and it isn’t uncommon to see people browsing here with dogs in pushchairs or in their finest Sunday wear.
Japanese jewellery, gorgeous garden gear and handmade gifts are all part of the mix plus there are several cafes and restaurants to dine at.
We really enjoyed our walks through 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan as it was the antithesis of the usual Akihabara technology stores and gaming gear. Recommended!
Read more in our guide to 2k540 Aki-Oka >
16. Tamashi Nations Akihabara flagship store
Welcome to the largest permanent figure exhibition shop in Japan – it is a cool collectibles shop where you will (likely) spend lots of money on the likes of Gundam, Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Kamen Rider.
A marvellous place for Mecha merch and geeky gifts, Tamashi Nations Akihabara is open daily from 10am – 8pm.
17. Akihabara Hobby Off and Hard Off
Second hand stores in Tokyo and Akihabara are pretty common but two of the best known brands can be found right next door to each other.
Hobby Off specialises in second hand models, statues, geek merchandise and trading cards, whilst Hard Off specialises in hardware, electronics, sound systems, musical instruments, gaming and consoles.
There are several Hobby off branches in Tokyo but Akihabara is one of the biggest with several stories of second-hand shopping. Honestly, it is a treasure trove of geek goods so allow plenty of time to explore.
Read more about Hard Off and Hobby Off second hand stores >
You might like – Our guide to Tokyo Kawaii things to do >
18. AmiAmi Akihabara Figure Tower
From the same brand as Radio Kaikan, Amiami Akihabara has eight floors of figures and models including a special theater for pop-up events on the top floor – it reminded us of Japan’s largest Animate store in Ikebukuro.
Each floor has different themes from gachapons and blind boxes to famous figures like Gundam, Godzilla, Kamen Rider and Ultraman to several floors of Bishoujo and dolls.
You might like – Our guide to buying Tokyo sumo tickets >
19. Akihabara Gamers hobby store
A big hand for this hedonistic hobby shop, located less than a minute’s walk from Akihabara Station (handy if you are making massive Manga buys).
One of the best known Akihabara gaming stores, this one is also popular as it stays open until 10pm which is later than most other gaming and computer shops in the area.
From One Piece to Osica, this is your one stop shop for trading cards, consoles and retro valuables.
Try this – Tokyo SEGA Joypolis gaming passport >
20. Yodobashi Akiba (Flagship Store)
A huge selection of geek gear, otaku gods and technology gadgets await at Yodobashi Akiba.
It isn’t just cameras – here you can buy everything from smartphones and tablets to tourist SIM cards and cookers (alas our bag wasn’t big enough for the latter).
At the time of writing (October 2025), there are over 25 mega Yodobashi Camera stores across Japan – Yodobashi Akiba is their flagship store.
There are ten floors of goods (plus five floors of basement car parking – that is how popular it is) including a golf zone on level 9 plus a whole host of restaurants and conveyor belt chains on level 8.
And as you’d expect from a store called Yodobashi Camera, there are aisles and aisles of photographic equipment on level 3. You’ll be ‘snap happy’ at Yodobashi Camera.
21. Namco Akihabara arcade (formerly SEGA GiGo video arcade) – 2025 rebrand due
2025 update – the famous Akihabara Gigo 1 closed on 31 August 2025 but should reopen with a new name later in 2025.
Taking over the old SEGA GiGo arcade, the Namco Akihabara arcade is the newest video games lounge in the area, opening in 2023.
It comprises six floors of gaming and is the first official Namco arcade in Akihabara – it has everything from trading card tables (5F) to official Bandai Namco gachapon machines (4F) and crane games galore.
Amazingly, the third floor has the biggest collection of Taiko no Tatsujin drumming games ever (so loud) plus Gundam machines.
22. Karaoke in Akihabara
Karaoke is commonplace in Tokyo / Japan but Akihabara has its fair share of karaoke booths and lounges (over 10 on our last count).
Given the area’s reputation, several of the karaoke lounges even have themed rooms like the Monster Hunter concept karaoke room at Karaoke Pasela Akihabara.
All the major chains are here like Big Echo, Manekineko and Karaoke Kan, and song language choices usually include Japanese, English and Mandarin.
This is one of the best late night activities in Akihabara with most karaoke lounges open from 9am until 5am to 6am the next morning – so get singing!
You might like – Things to do in Tokyo at night >
23. Akihabara Vending Machine Corner
Also known as horror vending machine or mystery vending machine alley, this is a very weird Tokyo attraction.
It is literally a dark and dinghy corner of Akihabara where you’ll find old vending machines, crammed into a very dirty space – it isn’t for claustrophobic people and the contents of the machines aren’t that great.
On our visit, most of the vending machines weren’t working and the inside area was just full of rubbish and detritus – make sure your tetanus vaccines are up-to-date.
We don’t think Akihabara Vending Machine Corner is worth a special visit and only go if you are really curious.
You might like our guide to unusual Japanese vending machines or colorful manholes >
Akihabara Electric Town 秋葉原 – Our final thing to do in Tokyo
24. Tokyo Go Kart: Akihabara, Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree
See Akhibara from another angle – by street-kart. Whizz around the streets of Tokyo driving through the coolest Tokyo neighbourhoods including Akihabara, Shinjuku and Asakusa. Dress us as your favourite cartoon character and release your inner otaku.
You can pay extra for an action camera – please note an international drivers licence is required to go street karting in Tokyo.
Book your Tokyo Go Kart with Viator or Get Your Guide.
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