TOKYO GUIDE TO SHOPPING

Akihabara is dubbed electric town for a reason. Akihabara is the place to get all your electronic goods. On the main road of Chuo Dori, you can find find hundreds of small electronic stores with the latest gadgets. Be sure to go down every alleyway for the hidden electronic shops!

Check out some of these stores while you’re in the area:

• Yodobashi Camera, the biggest electronic department store

• Radio Center is a historic electronic shop. You can also find anime goods here

• JANPARA for second hand hardware electronics.

Japan Travel by Navitime

Location: Around Akihabara Station

Hours: Typically from around 11:00am - 8pm ish.

Website: N/A

How to get there: Akihabara Station is on the JR Lines Keihin Tohoku, Yamanote and Chuo-Sobu Lines. The Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line also runs through it.

 

Around the Akihabara area, you can find some of the best collectibles for gaming and anime goods. While Akihabara is known for its electronic goods, but in the recent decade, every nook and cranny has been filled up with stores specializing in games, anime, manga, retro video games, figurines, card games and any kind of collectibles you can think of.

Check out some of these stores while you’re in the area:

• Mandarake for all your otaku goods.

• Super Potato for retro gaming

• Gamers Main Store, a well known gaming shop

• Animate for 8 floors of Anime shopping

• SEGA gaming

Photo credit: Kanpai Japan

Location: Around Akihabara Station

Hours: Typically from around 11:00am - 8pm ish.

Website: N/A

How to get there: Akihabara Station is on the JR Lines Keihin Tohoku, Yamanote and Chuo-Sobu Lines. The Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line also runs through it.

 

The hundreds of girls dressed as maids, handing out pamphlets and luring you to come into their cafes may come as a surprise for first timers. Akihabara is arguably the center for maid cafes in Tokyo and takes up much of the otaku culture that revolves around the area. Guests are served by “kawaii" waitresses dressed up as maids. You can enjoy drinks and foods while they accompany you with kawaii dances, songs and performances that the maids will put on for entertainment. Depending on the menu selection, often times guests are asked to join the performances with the maid to help make your drink or food taste better and take commemorative pictures with the maid. If you’re looking for the bizarre and unique side of Japan and want a fun little treat, ask a maid on the streets of Akihabara to show you to their store!

Photo credit: JW Magazine

Location: Around Akihabara Station

Hours: Typically from around 11:00am - 7pm ish.

Website: N/A

How to get there: Akihabara Station is on the JR Lines Keihin Tohoku, Yamanote and Chuo-Sobu Lines. The Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line also runs through it.

 

Akihabara is dubbed electric town for a reason. Although the focus has shifted to otaku culture, Akihabara used to be the district to get all your electronic goods. Among the many electronic stores here, the one that stands out the most is Yodobashi Camera. This 9 storied department store is dedicated to one of the largest varieties of electronic goods. If you are into the latest gadgets, you can spend hours here. Aside from the massive amounts of electronic products, they sell toys, luxurious brand items, cosmetic products and video games/goods.

Photo credit: JW Magazine

Address: 1-1 Kanda Hanaokacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0028

Hours: 9:30am - 10pm

Website: http://www.yodobashi-akiba.com/

How to get there: A 1 minute walk from Akihabara Station on the JR Line.

 

Radio Kaikan is an iconic building in Akihabara, towering over the area with 10 stories of shopping. It first opened up in 1962 as a massive electronic store - one of a kind for its time. Akihabara used to be known as the district to sell electronic goods, but as the area shifted its focus to otaku culture (otaku culture includes anything to do with idols, manga, anime, maids and games) so did the contents of Radio Kaikan. Radio Kaikan now serves as a super store that sells Akiba-cultural items such as action figures, dolls, TV and media idol goods, miniature model trains, and costumes. They also have some stores dealing with CDs, computers and comic books.

Photo credit: Muzuchan

Address: 1-chōme-15-16 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tōkyō-to 101-0021

Hours: 10:00am - 8pm

Website: http://www.akihabara-radiokaikan.co.jp/

How to get there: A 1 minute walk from Akihabara Station, Electric Town South Exit on the JR Line.

 

Kanda Myojin has over 1300 years of history when it opened up in Otemachi in 730. It moved to it’s current location during the Edo period (1603-1868). Due to it being very close to Akihabara - the geek/computer savvy neighborhood - it’s popular among the otakus and tech geeks as well. You can pray for prosperity, good luck, success in business and marriage at this shrine. Kanda Myojin enshrines 3 deities: Daikokuten, who presides over bountiful harvests and matrimony, Ebisu, the god of fisheries and business and Taira no Masakado, a rebel against the Hei'an government (794–1185) whom later earned revered status. You can find their beatiful statues inside their large complex. The shrine also features a shop and cafe where you can get souvenirs unique only to this shrine and try traditional drinks and sweets in the cafe.

If you’re lucky to visit during an odd numbered year in May (ex. 2019 May), then you can experience their very famous festival. The festival or Kanda Matsuri is considered to be one of Japan’s Three Great Festivals.

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: Jana Guide

Address: 2-16-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Hours: 9am - 5pm

Website: https://www.kandamyoujin.or.jp/what/

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from Ochanomizu Station on the JR Chuo Line. If you are in the Akihabara area, it’s about a 15 minute walk.