Akihabara
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Between the chic shopping district of Ginza and the cultural parks and university district of Ueno lies the mecca of anime geek culture in Japan: Akihabara.
Probably the most prominent thing in Akihabara are the numerous anime shop and video game shops. There are far too many to mention, but you can find pretty much anything you want from figures, manga, collectibles, vintage games, and so much more. There are also many small and large electronic stores as well.
One of our favorite things to find and buy in Japan are gachapons, or capsule toys. Gachapon machines are found all over the city, but in Akihabara there are entire stores and alleyways filled with them. These gachapon arcades have so many different toys from pretty much every popular anime around. There are even non-anime toys like vehicles, animals, and pet hats. Yes, there are many different types of cat hats that can be found. Each capsule toy costs usually between 100 and 300 yen. Just be careful, buying them can get out of hand especially if you don’t get that specific one you want (sleeping Jigglypuff!). The arcades are constantly being updated, so make sure to check the new stock when re-visiting.
There are also video game arcades where you can find so many games ranging from the newest arcades to many of the vintage ones. Our favorite yen-sink though are the UFO arcade machines, otherwise known as claw machines. These UFO machines usually have plushes, but can also have full size figures and electronics. They take a lot of skill to win and are way too good at encouraging you keep spending by frequently letting you almost win.
Akihabara is also well known for all of its maid cafes and themed restaurants. There are also many girls in costumes on the sidewalks handing out fliers for their cafes. People cosplaying can also be seen around.
In addition to the maid cafes there are also many different animal cafes in Akihabara. We did go into a Mocha Cat Cafe while there, which was cute and full of playful cats. Besides the common cat and dog cafes, there are also cafes with owls and hedgehogs. We even saw a young man in a onesie with an owl on his shoulder as he promoted his owl cafe from the sidewalk.
On weekend afternoons, the main street going through Akihabara, Chou-dori, is closed off to vehicle traffic. Other neighborhoods do this as well, like Ginza. It’s quite wonderful to just be able to wander down the street as you please.
If you’re interested in anything anime, manga, video games, theme restaurants, or just geek culture in general then make sure to explore Akihabara. There is a lot to see and do, so give yourself ample time when there.
Google Maps Link: Akihabara
