Akihabara Guide: What to Do in Tokyo's Electric Town

Akihabara, or "Akiba" to locals, is Tokyo's Electric Town: a few blocks of neon, giant anime posters, multi-storey electronics stores, arcades, capsule-toy machines and maid cafés. It is loud, bright and completely unique, and even if you are not into anime or gadgets, it is one of the most fascinating places in Tokyo to walk around.

We came here often while living in Tokyo, sometimes to shop for electronics, sometimes just to wander, and once after a Japanese archery lesson nearby. Here is what to see and do, and how to make the most of a visit.

Quick answer: Akihabara is on the JR Yamanote Line (Akihabara Station, Electric Town exit). Highlights: the anime and manga shops (Animate, Mandarake, Radio Kaikan), retro game stores, multi-storey arcades, the eight-floor Don Quijote with the AKB48 Theater, a maid café experience and the peaceful Kanda Myojin shrine. On Sunday afternoons, the main street Chuo-dori is often car-free.

Anime, manga and figures

Akihabara is the centre of Japan's otaku culture. Shops stack manga, anime DVDs, figures, posters and collectibles floor after floor:

• Radio Kaikan, next to the station: ten floors of figures, models, trading cards and collectibles.
• Animate and Gamers: new manga, anime goods and character merchandise.
• Mandarake: second-hand and rare collector's items in a black tower.
• Gachapon halls: hundreds of capsule-toy machines with tiny figures for a few hundred yen each.

Retro games and arcades

Retro game shops like Super Potato sell old consoles and cartridges from the 1980s and 1990s, and several floors of arcades (game centers) are full of rhythm games, crane machines and photo booths. Even if you don't play, watching the experts on the drum and dance machines is entertainment in itself.

Electronics

Akihabara started as a market for radio parts after the war, and you can still find everything from tiny components to the latest cameras. Yodobashi Akiba, a giant store behind the station, has almost anything electronic. Many shops offer tax-free shopping for tourists (bring your passport; since November 2026 you pay tax first and get it refunded after a customs check at the airport, see our Don Quijote guide); check that devices work with your home voltage and come with an international warranty.

Maid cafés

Akihabara is famous for its maid cafés, where waitresses in frilly maid costumes greet you as "master" or "princess", draw cute pictures in ketchup on your omurice, sing and play games with you. It is very Japanese and either delightfully odd or a little awkward, depending on your taste. Expect an entry or table charge plus food, and note that photos of the maids are usually not allowed (or cost extra).

Don Quijote and the AKB48 Theater

The Akihabara branch of the discount chain Don Quijote is a world of its own: eight floors of snacks, cosmetics, costumes and gadgets. On the top floor is the AKB48 Theater, home of Japan's famous idol group, where the girls perform almost daily (tickets via lottery). More about the chain in our Don Quijote guide.

Kanda Myojin: a peaceful escape

Ten minutes' walk from the station, Kanda Myojin shrine is a calm, colourful oasis with a history of more than 1,200 years. Fittingly, it is popular with the IT and anime crowd, and you can buy charms to protect your electronics.

Tips for visiting Akihabara

• Most shops open around 10–11 am and stay open until 8–9 pm.
• Sunday afternoons: Chuo-dori is often a pedestrian zone.
• Ask before taking photos of maids, cosplayers or shop interiors.
• Bring your passport for tax-free shopping.
• Combine it with Ueno Park and Ameyoko market, one stop away, or Kanda's bookshops.

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