Anime & Otaku · Akihabara

Akihabara Electric Town 秋葉原電気街

Tokyo's neon temple of anime, games and electronics: multi-storey hobby stores, retro-game shops, maid cafés and crane-game arcades along Chuo-dori. Sunday afternoons the main street becomes pedestrian-only.

HoursMost shops ~10:00–20:00

ClosedOpen daily

PriceFree

Getting thereAkihabara Station (Electric Town Exit), 1 min

Time neededHalf day

Best timeSunday afternoon (pedestrian paradise) or weekday evening

AddressSotokanda 1-chome to 4-chome, Chiyoda City, Tokyo

About

Akiba started as a post-war black market for radio parts and evolved into the global capital of otaku culture. Today the blocks around Chuo-dori are stacked with specialist buildings: Radio Kaikan (11 floors of figures and trading cards), Mandarake Complex for second-hand manga and vintage toys, Yodobashi Akiba for electronics, Super Potato for retro games and the surviving GiGO and Taito arcades. Back streets hide tiny parts dealers in the Akihabara Radio Center under the tracks, and maid cafés hand out flyers on every corner. Sunday 13:00–17:00 (to 18:00 Apr–Sep) Chuo-dori is closed to traffic as a pedestrian paradise, weather permitting.

Highlights

Radio Kaikan: 11 floors of figures, models and trading cards
Mandarake Complex for vintage and second-hand otaku goods
Akihabara Radio Center's tiny electronics stalls under the JR tracks
Sunday pedestrian paradise on Chuo-dori
Crane games, retro arcades and maid cafés

Tips

Most shops open 10:00–11:00, mornings are dead, evenings are lively
Upper floors usually have better prices and rarer stock than street level
Second-hand figure prices vary widely; compare Radio Kaikan, Mandarake and Lashinbang
Bring cash for small stalls, though most stores take cards and offer tax-free

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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Akihabara Electric Town 秋葉原電気街

About

Highlights

Tips

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