Do you have plans to visit Akihabara Electric Town?
Japan is known for its disciplined people, clean surroundings, and eccentric culture. A huge part of this unique culture is anime, and many people around the world who obsessed themselves enough with anime shows now wants to get a feel of the country where it originated.
And for many fans of anime, one of the destinations that every anime super fan shouldn't miss is the Akihabara Electric Town.
Akihabara, also known as Akiba, a town in Central Tokyo famous for its flashy tall buildings in the evening, is also home for lots of geeky stuff.
Akihabara, also known as Akiba, a town in Central Tokyo famous for its flashy tall buildings in the evening, is also home for lots of geeky stuff.
Akihabara represents the center of the Japanese subculture as popularized by tourists and video bloggers who already went there for its wide variety of maid cafes, anime shops, and gaming stores. It also houses stores that sell quality electronic goods. A perfect place to fill all your nerdy desires!
People Visiting Akihabara Electric Town
Akihabara Electric Town welcomes everyone — tech geeks, otakus, weeaboos, anime fan, nerds, or whatever the tagging is. Even tourists who happened to get lost in the place would enjoy the vibe and many things it can offer!
Ultimately, Akihabara is the mecca for the anime and manga fandom. Many anime and manga lovers who have learned about the place through Facebook videos, anime blogs, and YouTube uploads consider this as a place to go before they die. And the whole Otaku Fantasy team shares the same belief!
3 Reasons Why Akihabara Is A Paradise For Otaku
The fandom and those who call themselves otaku, who knew well about the place, also see Akihabara as a true paradise. And there is an overabundance of reasons why they do.
The Ultimate Hub For Anime, Manga And Gaming Enthusiasts
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Akihabara is known for its wide variety of anime and manga shops that you may visit. Some of them include:
- Animate
- Akiba Culture Zone
- Kotobukiya
- Akihabara Gamers Main Shop
Some gaming arcades in Akihabara district
- Super Potato
- Tokyo Leisure Land
- TAITO's Hey
- SEGA
You may also visit numerous arcades in Akiba, and play your favorite arcade games like Street Fighter or Tekken. It is also home to hundreds or even thousands of claw crane machines with kawaii plushies and stacks of Gachapon machines where anime figure collectors test their luck.
Amazing Cafés And Restaurants
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The colorful town is a haven to different kinds of maid cafés, especially at night. But apart from these, Akihabara offers other interesting places, that an Otaku would wish to live in this district for the rest of their lives.
Some of these are:
- Gundam Cafe - Akihabara branch
- Little TVG
- Dear Stage
- Anime Song DJ Bar Alchemist
- Akiba Base
- Square Enix Café
- Star Light Novel
Akihabara District Is Home Of Affordable Electronics
Tech geeks who prefer quality Japanese electronics would love Akihabara for its wide array of cheap gadgets and DIY or prebuilt electronics. Window shoppers and android enthusiasts may feast their eyes on the latest developments in robotics and gaming in Japan.
Akihabara district also has something for the retro fandom. An old soul can find their childhood in the retro gaming consoles sold in different shops in Akiba, and as well as in the other town, Ikebukuro.
Akihabara shops that are massively popular among the locals and visitors include:
- Yodobashi
- Edion
- LAOX Akihabara main store
- Akihabara Radio Kaikan
- Akihabara Gamers
- Don Quijote or Donki
- Janpara
Things To Do In Akihabara
The journey to Akihabara usually ends up in buying electronic and otaku goods or playing games in arcade centers. For adventurers and thrill-seekers, there's a lot of things to do in Akihabara district apart from going geek over some anime stuff and gadgets.
Relax And Pay Respects To Ebisu, Daikokuten, and Masakado At Kanda Myojin Shrine
Despite the energetic vibe of the district, there is a beautiful and serene place in Akihabara where adventurers can take a break from the hustles and bustles of the metro. People go to Kanda Myojin Shrine to visit the home of three gods:
- Ebisu, the god of successful businessmen and fishermen
- Masakado, a feudal lord who became a deity in the 10th century
- Daikokuten, the Japanese god of fruitful harvests
This is also a place where IT professionals hold their blessing ceremonies. Many believe that it will give these experts a good start in the business and shield them from bad luck.
Cosplay And Pose For The Camera At Crown
Crown is a photo studio offering rental costumes to guests so they can experience cosplaying their favorite anime characters.
Shop Japanese Artisanal Crafts At Aki-Oka Artisan
This is where Japanese collectors can find traditional Japanese artistic creations such as woodworks, pottery, leather crafts, and more. Aki-Oka Artisan seems like an out-of-place shop in the midst of a district taken over by Japanese pop culture. However, people who don't forget that Japan also has a huge artistic background and history will definitely make use of this kind of shop for souvenirs.
Drive Around Akihabara With A Go-Kart
Wearing an animal onesies or plain gears, Akihabara travelers can enjoy a trip around the city while driving their rented Go-Kart. The idea alone will send shivers down everyone's playful spine, and the actual experience comes with an enormous amount of fun!
How To Get To Akihabara
Enough with teasers, and let's get down into details.
Upon arrival in a Japanese airport, purchase a wifi pack which would come in handy for checking the Akihabara Electric Town map and navigating around. Asking around about Akihabara electric town direction may help, but this language translation device will make the task a whole lot easier.
Upon arrival in a Japanese airport, purchase a wifi pack which would come in handy for checking the Akihabara Electric Town map and navigating around. Asking around about Akihabara electric town direction may help, but this language translation device will make the task a whole lot easier.
One can get to Akihabara electric town in many ways. The route and public transportation to take will depend on the traveler's current location.
From Narita Airport
From Narita Airport, go directly to Tokyo Station by taking a bus or rail transit. JR Narita Express (N'EX) is one of the most popular train routes, which goes directly to Tokyo station and other downtown stations. Another famous route is the Keisei Skyliner, which is the fastest but a bit expensive train option that goes to Nippori and Ueno station.
For bus trips, Japan travelers can take the expensive Airport Limousine buses, which will take passengers directly to Tokyo Station and other locations throughout the city. The discounted shuttle buses are a more affordable option, which brings people to Tokyo Station.
For those who prefer convenience, travelers can hire a taxi, which costs a lot. The approximate fare from Narita to Akihabara is a minimum of ¥20,000. Then from Tokyo Station, it is now easy to get to Akihabara by taking the JR Yamanote Line to Akihabara Station. It will only take four minutes to get there.
From Haneda Airport
Those who come from Haneda Airport can take the train to get to central Tokyo. By train option, you may choose the Tokyo Monorail. The Tokyo Monorail is the route that goes directly to Hamamatchuso Station, where one can easily find the famous JR Yamanote Line. Another train is the Keikyu Railway, which goes primarily in Shinagawa Station, which also leads to the JR Yamanote, where commuters can find a train that leads directly to Akihabara Station.
Airport Limousine buses are available to those who prefer to ride the bus and see more of the beauty of Japan. It will lead straight to Tokyo Station and other surrounding areas. From the Tokyo Station, passengers may get to the JR Yamanote Line, which trains lead to Akihabara.
Those who visited other cities of Japan and Akihabara Electric Town comes next on their checklist, below are some useful travel guides to get there:
From Kyoto
There are four ways on how to get to Akihabara from Kyoto, Japan. Some transportation selections include a bus, car rental, flight, or train, which is the most efficient and wallet-friendly option.
The most convenient train route is the Japan Railways Shinkansen. This track is the most affordable and fastest way to get to Akihabara. The trip to Akihabara station will take a bit over two hours and thirty minutes.
From Osaka
The train remains as the best travel option from Osaka to Tokyo. Take the Shin-Osaka train, which is the quickest and cheapest way to get to Akiba district. It will only take less than three hours, which is a lot shorter compared to taking a bus or a car rental.
Hokkaido
As Hokkaido sits on a separate island in the northern part of Japan, traveling to Akihabara is much more complicated. The most comfortable way to get to Akihabara from Hokkaido is by flying from Hokadate to Haneda Airport, which will take passengers for around one and a half-hour of flight. Through Haneda Airport, travelers can ride a train to get to Akihabara Station.
Akihabara Otaku Paradise
The Akihabara Electric Town is indeed a Utopia for anime and manga fans. Tourists who have little or zero knowledge about anime, manga or gaming will also enjoy what this lively district has to offer. Having all the shining, shimmering, and splendid stuff, Akihabara appears as a huge pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for otakus, and the adventure to get there is certainly worth the sweat, time, and dime.
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