The Ultimate Otaku’s Shopping Guide to Akihabara (2025)

So, you’re into anime, manga, cosplay, videogames or just otaku culture in general.

Then a visit to Akihabara (aka Akiba) is a must!

This slice of Tokyo is a mecca for any self-respecting otaku megafan of Japanese pop culture or electronics.

But where do you even begin?

Here’s a quick and dirty (in more ways than one) guide to the delights of Japan’s pop culture mecca.

JR Akihabara Station & Atré Akihabara

Centered around the maze-like halls of the JR Akihabara Station and the compact but jam-packed Atré shopping mall, this gateway to Akihabara already has plenty of shops to burn your hard-earned money at.

Your first Akiba stop will probably be atré Akihabara.

Atré Akihabara

Although made up of five floors of various shops and restaurants, most otaku will be interested in the first floor above the ground floor restaurant area.

Just across from each other are the official stores of the biggest franchises backed by entertainment conglomerate Bandai Namco, such as Love Live, Aikatsu! and Idolm@ster.

Between them you’ll also find a pop-up store featuring various pop culture franchises. In fact, campaigns and collaborations throughout the store can bag you some sweet merch like posters and badges.

Atré Akihabara
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm
Location: 1 Chome-17-6 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.atre.co.jp/akihabara/

JR Akihabara Station

Don’t discount the station itself too, as it’s home to a few nerdy shops and spots worth checking out.

To the northwest of the station, at the Akihabara Electric Town entrance, you can find a large square and a pedestrian bridge leading to the Akihabara UDX Building, both areas that make frequent appearances in countless otaku media.

A slight look to the north below the train tracks will also lead you to the Akihabara branch of Tamashii Nations, a Bandai label store specializing in figures.

To the east, just outside the station’s Central Gate, gacha gaming fans can also get their fix of Arknights, Azur Lane and Blue Archive merchandise at the Yostar Official Shop.

To the southeast, next to the tracks, you also have a branch of Book Off, a store focused on secondhand physical books and digital CD media.

Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm
Location: 1-1 Kanda Hanaokacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0028, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://tamashiiweb.com/store/tokyo/

Yostar Official Shop
Opening Hours: Weekdays 11am – 9pm, Weekends/Holidays 10am – 8pm
Location: 1 Chome-17-6 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan ()
Official Site: https://yostar-officialshop-akihabara-station.com/

BOOKOFF Akihabara Ekimae Store
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm
Location: 1 Chome-6-4 Kanda Sakumacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0025, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Website: https://www.bookoff.co.jp/shop/shop20396.html

Electric Town South Exit Area

Finally getting into Akihabara proper, you will be greeted by three entire blocks of shops brimming with otaku goodness.

Tech geeks will immediately be drawn to the sci-fi windows of the blue Sofmap Building, which houses six floors of electronic gadgets and appliances, both new and used.

Just next door is the iconic Radio Kaikan Building with its red and yellow sign. Its eleven floors of space filled with anime, manga and pop culture goods from some of Akihabara’s largest retailers.

Within Radio Kaikan’s colourful and iconic exterior, major retailers like AmiAmi and Lashinbang carry everything from figures to eye masks, card shops like Cardlab offer accessible and rare cards while plastic model kit places like Yellow Submarine offer both sci-fi Gundam kits and down-to-earth train kits.

Did You Know? The Radio Kaikan Building used to house electronics retailers selling radio, electric and computer parts all the way from the 1950s to 1990s before transitioning to its current pop culture focus.

Moving out of Radio Kaikan, you’ll stumble across Gamers, a household name among otaku. Located just opposite the Radio Kaikan Building, it houses a Love Live section, the BanG Dream! official store and an entire floor of idol and voice actor (seiyuu) goods.

Go round the block, just behind the Sofmap Building, and you will find the station-facing Ekimae branch of Surugaya, a second-hand store specializing in otaku goods.

In fact, there’s actually SIX Surugaya stores in Akihabara, with each of them specializing in different niches like boardgames, plastic model kits and video games.

 Here’s a list of them:

Store	Specialty	Opening Hours	Location	Official Site
Surugaya Akihabara Store, Anime & Hobby Shop	Figures, collectible toys, railway and vehicle miniature models, tokusatsu toys	Weekdays: 11am-9pm Weekends/Holidays: 10am-9pm	〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 4 Chome−5−1 Khkビル １～４階 (Google Maps)	https://www.suruga-ya.co.jp/en/shop/shop-detail/353
Surugaya Akihabara Plastic Model Shop	Plastic model kits, tools and magazines	Weekdays: 11am-9pm Weekends/Holidays: 10am-9pm	〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 4 Chome−4−2 共益外神田ビル 2F・3F (Google Maps)	https://www.suruga-ya.co.jp/en/shop/shop-detail/356
Surugaya Akihabara Trading Card & Board Games Shop	Trading cards, boardgames and tabletop games	Mon-Thu: 11am-9pm Fri-Sun/Holiday: 9am-9pm	〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−15−4 トレカ・ボードゲーム館 (Google Maps)	https://www.suruga-ya.co.jp/en/shop/shop-detail/355
Surugaya Akihabara Game Shop	Modern and retro games, arcade PCBs, gaming publications	Weekdays: 11am-9pm Weekends: 10am-9pm	〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−9−8 東洋ビル １階 (Google Maps)	https://www.suruga-ya.co.jp/en/shop/shop-detail/354
Surugaya Akihabara Main Building	Figures, toys, anime publications, doujinshi	Weekdays: 11am-9pm Weekends/Holidays: 10am-9pm	3 Chome-11-3 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Map)	https://www.suruga-ya.co.jp/en/shop/shop-detail/359
Surugaya Akihabara Ekimae Store	Videogames, doujinshi, books and publications	Weekdays: 11am-9pm Weekends: 10am-9pm	〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−15−15 山本無線ビル (Google Maps)	https://www.suruga-ya.co.jp/en/shop/shop-detail/357

This Ekimae store doesn’t have a particular niche, so feel free to browse its overwhelming selection of old and gold otaku merchandise, which includes figures, soundtrack CDs and fan comics called doujinshi (note: beware of adult-only sections!).

Speaking of adult-only, if you’re looking to spice things up in the bedroom, there’s Pop Life Department M’s – an adult toy store that sells everything from innocuous lubricants and novelty condoms to raunchy cosplay gear or stimulant devices.

Note: The adult products sold in Akihabara have questionable legality in certain countries. Check your local laws and practice discretion to avoid any unhappy surprises at the airport.

Sofmap Akiba Ekimae
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm
Location: 1 Chome-15-8 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Website: https://www.sofmap.com/tenpo/?id=shops&sid=akiba_ekimae

Radio Kaikan Building
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm
Location: 1 Chome-15-16 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Website: https://akihabara-radiokaikan.co.jp/

Gamers
Opening Hours: Weekdays 11am-9pm, Weekends/Holidays 10am-9pm
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−14−7 宝田中央通りビル (Google Maps)
Official Website: https://www.gamers.co.jp/shop/detail.php?id=4

Pop Life Department M’s
Opening Hours: 10am-11pm
Location:〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−15−13 太平堂ビルB1F-6F (Google Maps)
Official Website: https://www.ms-online.co.jp/

Chuo-Dori Area

The true heart of Akihabara, this huge 582m stretch from Suehirocho Station to the Mansei Bridge centres around the massive six-lane Chuo-Dori or main street.

Despite the intimidating size of the lanes, the area is easily navigable through multiple pedestrian crossings, which many use to access the seemingly endless blocks of shops, arcades, restaurants and stores that line this legendary lane.

Make sure to get some shots of the green Sobu Line train bridge cutting through the southern end of the street!

Note: The entire street goes car-free on Sundays either from 1pm – 5pm (October-March) or 1pm – 6pm (April-September). Visit then to snap some street views!

Shops

Starting from the southern end, you have the amiami Akihabara Figure Tower, the retailer’s brand-new flagship store that just opened in 2024. Though great to get a closer look at rare or brand-new figures, it’s probably better to pass on buying them to avoid getting slapped with heavy customs duties.

Towards the northern end of the street, you’ll find a cluster of the second-hand Surugaya stores on both sides. But modern otaku need not worry, chain retailers like Sofmap AKIBA Amusement Hall and Animate Akihabara still offer more modern fare, with TRADER offering a good mix of modern and retro videogames.

Also, don’t forget to browse smaller stores like Lammtarra Akihabara and Mulan Akiba! Marked by incredibly retro signs, their limited selection masks a more chill and relaxing shopping experience in the madness called Akihabara.

amiami Akihabara Figure Tower
Opening Hours: 10am-9pm
Location: 1 Chome-15-3 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.amiami.com/eng/store/

Sofmap AKIBA Amusement Hall
Opening Hours: 11am-8pm
Location:〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−10−8 平岡ビル (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.sofmap.com/tenpo/?id=shops&sid=akiba_ams

Animate Akihabara
Opening Hours: 11am-9pm
Location: 4 Chome-3-1 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.animate.co.jp/en/shop/akihabara/

TRADER Akihabara HQ
Opening Hours: 11am-8pm
Location:〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 4 Chome−2−1 トレーダー本店ビル (Google Maps)
Official Site: http://www.e-trader.jp/shop/index.html

Lammtarra Akihabara
Opening Hours:10am-10:30pm
Location: 1 Chome-13-3 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.lammtarrashop.com/lam_catalog/catalog/default.php

Mulan Akiba
Opening Hours: 10am-9pm
Location: 1 Chome-4-21 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://e-mulan.com/top/

Crossing over to Thailand for the weekend? Then bring back some of these Must-buy Thai Snacks and Cosmetics.

Maid Cafes

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, try spending a few hours at one of Akihabara’s famous specialties – maid cafes.

Despite their frankly overpriced food, these cafes offer a fun and cutesy experience that can be hard to find anywhere else! For recommendations, try large established chains that frequently serve tourists like Maidreamin or at-home Café. Still, be prepared for little to no English.

Maidreamin Main Store
Opening Hours: Weekdays 11:30am-11pm, Weekends/Holidays 10:30am-11pm
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−16−17 住吉ビル 6階 (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://maidreamin.com/multilp/

at-home Café Main Store
Opening Hours: Weekdays 11am-10pm, Weekends 10am-10pm
Location: Japan, 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−11−4 Mitsuwa Building, 3-7F (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.maidcafe-athome.com/

Themed Cafes

Not a fan of all the attention and sugary service? Then you should try out the Final Fantasy Eorzea Café and the Grandcypher Kitchen.

Located at the far southern end of Akiba in the same Pasela Resorts building, these themed cafés are a dream come true for fans of these games.

Walk into warm wooden interiors, settle down onto lore-accurate furnishings and ogle at the impressive props from these games and more! Oh, and don’t forget to savour the superbly themed food while immersing yourself!

Prospective diners should make sure to book ahead of time, as weekends and holidays can mean packed tables real fast:

Grandcypher Kitchen
Opening Hours: Weekdays 11:30am-9pm, Weekends 10am-10:30pm
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−1−10 パセラリゾーツAKIBAマルチエンターテインメント２階コラボタウンパセラボ内 (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://en.pasela.co.jp/paselabo_shop/grandcypher-kitchen/

Final Fantasy Eorzea Café
Opening Hours: 10:45am-11pm
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−1−10 パセラリゾーツAKIBAマルチエンターテインメント2F (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://en.pasela.co.jp/paselabo_shop/ff_eorzea/

Game Arcades

Of course, Akihabara wouldn’t be called nerd heaven without some giant arcades!

Despite the dominance of home gaming, good ol’ cabinets and ear-splitting halls are still hanging on in places such as GiGO Akihabara – which offer a modern selection of rhythm and collection arcade games – and TAITO Station Akihabara – which has an excellent selection of retro arcade games.

GiGO Akihabara Building 1
Opening Hours: 10am-11:30pm
Location: 1 Chome-10-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://tempo.gendagigo.jp/am/akiba-1

TAITO Station Akihabara
Opening Hours: 10am-12am
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 4 Chome−2−2 貴三ビル (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://taito.co.jp/en/store/00001802

Shopping in Korea instead? Then browse the 5 Best Shopping Spots in Seoul, catered to all budgets!

General Shopping

If you’re shopping for non-otaku gifts or souvenirs for friends and family, try Laox Akihabara to get some household goods, gadgets and electronics at duty-free prices (Tip: The Tiger vacuum flasks make amazing gifts). There’s also a branch of the rock-bottom retailer Donki on the east side.

Laox Akihabara
Opening Hours: 9:30am-7:30pm
Location: 1 Chome-2-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)

Donki Akihabara
Opening Hours: 24 hours
Location: 4 Chome-3-3 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.donki.com/en/store/shop_detail.php?shop_id=98

Western Akihabara

Off to the west of the central street, you go from wide avenues to more narrow streets. Still, the shops and vibes are no less exciting here!

Although the stores here are mostly stores selling electronics and restaurants offering decent fare, there are still a few noteworthy pickings for the otaku traveller.

Major otaku landmarks in the area include the figure retailer Kotobukiya, the flagship branch of Surugaya, the Trader2 secondhand retailerand the gigantic, jet-black Mandarake Complex building – which boasts eight floors crammed full of secondhand otaku goodness.

For otaku seeking stuff off the beaten path, there’s also a model train store called Popondetta Akihabara which features an awesome indoor model train display. Audiophiles will also have a field day browsing the local Hard Off’s wonderful selection of secondhand instruments and audio devices.

If you find yourself getting sick of convenience store food, then a halal kebab from one of the many Turkish places around will usually set you right. Other cuisine like ramen, curry and tonkatsu are also plentiful in the area, not to mention maid cafes as well.

Kotobukiya Akihabara
Opening Hours: Weekdays 12pm – 8pm, Weekends/Public Holiday 11am-8pm
Location: Okajima, 1 Chome-8-8 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.kotobukiya.co.jp/en/kotobukiya-shop/detail/3/

Trader2
Opening Hours: 11am-8pm
Location: 1 Chome-4-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: http://www.e-trader.jp/shop/akiba02.html

Mandarake Complex
Opening Hours: 12pm-8pm
Location: 3 Chome-11-12 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.mandarake.co.jp/dir/cmp/index-en.html#googtrans(ja|en)

Popondetta Akihabara
Opening Hours: Weekdays 10am-8:30pm, Weekends/Holidays 10am-8pm
Location: Japan, 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−3−3 Rail Way BLD (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.popondetta.com/akihabara/index.html

Hard Off Akihabara 1st Store
Opening Hours: 11am-8pm
Location: 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−11−2 Rock Building, 2F•3F•B1 (Google Maps)
Official Site: https://www.hardoff.info/pickup_store

Getting Here

Akihabara can be reached via the JR East, Sobu and Tokyo Metro rail lines.

For more details, check out Japan Travel by NAVITIME and Google Maps.

Travel Tips

Pay attention to opening hours

Compared to places like Malaysia, shops in Akihabara usually open later and close earlier, usually around 10am to 9pm.

However, this varies across place to place. During the colder months and seasonal holidays like New Year’s, hours are usually shorter while some stores shut entirely.

If you’re visiting in winter or colder months, check out our winter travel tips for Japan here.

For peace of mind, it’s usually best to check the stores’ official website or social media.

Ideally, you should also plan your Akihabara shopping itinerary by visiting shops that close earlier before ones that close later.

Take advantage of tax-free options

As you can gather from the giant “tax-free” text plastered across many signboards, many stores in Akihabara offer tax-free shopping for tourists.

To enjoy this perk, simply bring your haul to the cashier and ask for “tax-free” or “menzei” (免税 ). You’ll then have to produce your passport and wait a while as the cashier inputs your details. After this, you will then be charged the tax-free rate, shaving off a handsome 10% consumption tax off your final receipt!

However, do note that most retailers require a minimum purchase of around 5,000 yen before offering tax-free purchases. So feel free to shop till you drop!

Note: Japan is looking to revamp its tax-free procedures from Nov 2026 onwards. Travellers will have to pay the full tax during purchase. They will then receive their tax refunds at the airport after going through the relevant procedures. For more details, check out this Japan National Tourism Organization page.

Check Your Prices

With Akihabara being visited heavily by tourists keen to take advantage of the weak yen, many shops have jacked up prices accordingly as well.

Make sure to do your research on items that are frequently flipped in collectors’ markets like retro video games and consoles. If possible, try and visit shops in smaller cities or towns beyond Tokyo to get much better deals.

Take note of public toilets

Past the JR Akihabara Station and Atré, public toilets are particularly hard to find in convenient spots in Akihabara.

Most of the outdoor public toilets are found south near the Shohei-bashi, Mansei-bashi and Izumi-bashi bridges while indoors, only a select few stores open their toilets to patrons.

If you’re out shopping and find yourself reaching your limit, look out for game arcades along with larger restaurants and department stores. They tend to have public toilets more often than not, but be prepared to wait.

If all else fails, try asking “sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka?” (excuse me, where is the toilet?)

Travel light

Many stores in Akihabara have extremely narrow walkways and stairs that can be hard to navigate at the best of times, more so when there’s crowds moving about.

Bring as little as possible besides your own shopping bags, preferably some spacious and collapsible tote bags.

If you’re doing some last-minute shopping before your return flight and can’t easily store your large luggage, there are a few coin and electronic lockers in and around the station, but they get filled up fast by midday.

There is a little-known locker area on the 1st floor of the Akihabara station just above the Central Gate exit, you just need to use a somewhat obscure pair of escalators to reach them.

Akiba Alternatives

Jinbocho: A book-lovers paradise with plenty of shops also selling retro memorabilia like posters and animation cels. (Google Maps)

Ikebukuro:  Shopping and entertainment hotspot with otaku stores catering more to the female crowd, particularly around Otome Road.

Nakano: Home to plenty of otaku stores centered around the Nakano Broadway, particularly Mandarake stores.

Odaiba: Island full of leisure activities that hosts the biannual Comic Market event and the giant life-sized Unicorn Gundam, alongside various otaku-flavoured stores.

Akiba still not enough for you? Then try a pilgrimage to one of these Eight “Sacred Sites” from Anime.

If you need a break from the madness of Tokyo, you can also try a hike across Tokyo Bay at Mount Nokogiri. Or try out Japan’s less-travelled rural regions at its Seven Most Underrated Prefectures.