Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station Guide + Photos 2025

Tokyo Character Street (AKA First Avenue) at Tokyo Station is a colourful, cartoon world packed full of anime stores, gachapon galore and all your favourite animated characters.

Otaku heaven and a cute Kawaii thing to do in Tokyo, Character Street (“東京キャラクターストリート”) is located in the First Avenue section of Tokyo Station (close to Ramen Street too – how cool!). All your favourite Japanese animated characters are here from Studio Ghibli to Sumikko Gurashi.

Featuring the finest First Avenue Tokyo toy shops like Tomica to Snoopy Town, TV character stores like NHK to TV Asahi, here is our ultimate guide to visiting Tokyo Character Street at Tokyo Station First Avenue, updated for 2025.

This article was originally published on 18 April 2024.

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How to get to Tokyo Character Street

Located in JR Tokyo Station, Tokyo Character Street is easy to find and accessible past the barriers.

It is underground in the basement area (B1) of JR Tokyo Station by the North Yaesu exit gates, near the Shinkansen exits.

Just follow the signs to First Avenue and you’ll find Tokyo Character Street.

After all that shopping, head for some food at the nearby Tokyo Station Ramen Street, also inside the station on the same level (B1).

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Tokyo Character Street store list and map

Below is the Tokyo Character Street map and store directory we took on our last trip to First Avenue.

There are around 30 stores in Tokyo Character Street (as of 2025) plus there are frequent pop-ups so the number of cartoon character shops can vary. Check the official site for the latest line-up of character shops on B1 of First Avenue >

Since we took these photos, many more new stores have opened at Tokyo Character Street  including Mofusand and a new Kirby Cafe Petit – so every time you revisit, you never know what stores to expect! And the Tokyo Station Pokemon store has moved upstairs into a much bigger shop space.

Baby changing facilities can also be found here at 東京キャラクターストリートas well as parent-baby resting rooms and toilets.

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Tokyo Character Street stores and famous characters

No trip to Tokyo is complete without a few hours spent in Tokyo Character Street, browsing and buying awesome anime gifts, Manga merchandise, cartoon collectibles or hugely popular toys like LEGO and Tomica toy cars and trains.

Given how many stores and incredible collectibles there are here, we’d recommend allowing at least 2 to 3 hours to visit all the stores.

Make sure you have plenty of suitcase space – heck, maybe even buy a second suitcase especially for all the character toys – we saw lots of cute bags here like Miffy backpacks or Snoopy sacks.

Some of our favourite shops at Tokyo Character Street  / 東京キャラクターストリートinclude:

Tomica Tony Toys

You’ll often see Tomica toy cars and trains in big toy stores Hakuhinkan Toy Park in Ginza, Japan’s biggest toy store, but here in the Tomica Tokyo Character Street store, this is a dedicated store chock full of collectible cars, tiny trains plus lots of character cars like Disney Tomica or Studio Ghibli.

As well as looking at the train sets, there is even a Tomica repair shop where staff are on hand to help you fix your broken Tomica toys – cool!

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Donguri Republic

‘Spirited Away’ by all things Studio Ghibli? Take the Cat Bus to First Avenue and visit the Tokyo Station Donguri Republic, selling all things My Neighbor Totoro or pick some Princess Mononoke presents.

There is something to suit all budgets here from Studio Ghibli pin badges and magnets through to much more expensive limited editions items and merchandise.

Alas Donguri Republic Tokyo Station doesn’t offer a delivery service (maybe Kiki can lend a hand…)

Check out our guide to the best Studio Ghibli things to do in Tokyo or read more in our guide to Studio Ghibli Donguri Republic stores >

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Pokémon store in Tokyo Station (now relocated to level 1 in a bigger space)

2025 update – the Pokémon Tokyo Station store has now moved upstairs onto level 1 and is much MUCH bigger now (it has a trading card gaming area, Pokedex etc and much more).

This is a great store to stock up on Pokémon plushies or Pikachu presents plus they even have Pokémon merchandise exclusive to this store, where the characters are in train uniforms –  but remember, you gotta catch ‘em all…

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Rilakkuma store

Is there any Japanese cartoon character more beloved than the Rilakkuma series? We couldn’t ‘bear’ to visit Tokyo Character Street without dropping into the Rilakkuma store.

Be sure to check out the exclusive Rilakkuma Tokyo merchandise including a cute Rilakkuma cuddly toy where he is climbing up the nearby Tokyo Skytree – adorable!

Miffy Style

A joyful Japanese Miffy Style store (there are several in Japan but this is one of the most popular), this marvellous Miffy shop at Tokyo Character Street has Japan exclusive merchandise – so go down the ‘rabbit hole’ and spend some of your Yen here.

You might like our guide to Miffy Kitchen Bakery stores in Japan >

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Snoopy Town

Yes, beagles are allowed in JR Tokyo Station – even if your budget is ‘Peanuts’, there are lots of Snoopy gifts to discover in Snoopy Town.

We particularly liked the exclusive Tokyo Station Snoopy and Woodstock plushies (although they may have sold out since this picture was taken).

Other popular stores and cafes Tokyo Character Street stores as of October 2025 include:

Star Wars store

Precure Pretty Store

Hololive Production official shop in Tokyo Station

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Other things to do near Tokyo Character Street / First Avenue

Beneath JR Tokyo Station and along First Avenue, two other cool things to do near Tokyo Character Street include:

Tokyo Gashapon Street

You are never far from a gachapon machine in Tokyo, whether it be in a 7-Eleven or Daily Yamazaki store or a gaming arcade or dedicated shop.

JR Tokyo Station goes one step ahead and has a whole Tokyo Gashapon Street, lined with a gamut of gachapon toy machines and shops.

Popular with otaku (オタク – Japanese pop culture) and Tokyo tourists, gashapon machines in Japan are vending machines that dispense capsule toys in a small plastic case – the choice here is EPIC!

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Calbee+ Tokyo Station

A popular Japanese potato chip company (or crisps for our UK readers), Calbee+ at Tokyo Station is a store dedicated to their snack range, with dozens of flavours and chips to try.

Best of all, buy colossal Calbee hot potato sticks from the food counter onsite – a must do for any Calbee connoisseur visiting Tokyo.

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Tokyo Character Street 2025 opening hours

JR Tokyo Station Character Street is open daily from 10am to 8.30pm daily. Individual store opening times may vary, including on public holidays.

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Tokyo Character Street address

First Avenue Tokyo Station on the B1 level-  〒100-0005 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Marunouchi, 1 Chome−9−1 東京駅一番街

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