Tokyo Otaku Guide: 10 Must Do Things For Otakus

Tokyo Otaku Guide: 10 Must Do Things For Otakus


It’s no secret that many of us who are interested in Japan have found our interest through things such as anime, manga or games. Due to this, when going to Tokyo, many people want to experience these things in real life as much as possible; whether it’s buying tons of anime merchandise or visiting real life anime locations. Tokyo is one of the best places on earth to visit for everyone who loves anime, manga and all things otaku! This is due to it’s various otaku shops, activities and locations! If you’re visiting Tokyo soon and want to jump into the world of all things otaku there, then keep reading this article to find out the 8 things all otakus must do in Tokyo!


1. Go Shopping in Nakano Broadway

A woman shopping in Nakano Broadway

Nakano Broadway is a shopping center located in Nakano, Tokyo that is full of otaku shops! This is shopping center is particularly great for those who are collectors of otaku items. This is due to the fact that there are tons of shops selling rare, vintage merchandise pieces from various animes, games and films! They are usually on sale for a pretty good price to! For those of you who aren’t as interested in collecting items, there are also many shops selling new anime merchandise and manga! I highly recommend checking out a store called ‘Mandarake’, the shop itself is decorated super cool and they sell tons of anime merchandise, figurines and manga!

Address

5 Chome-52 Nakano, Nakano City, Tokyo 164-0001

Access

Take the Chuo Line to Nakano Station.

Hours

12pm – 8pm daily.

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2. Visit the Staircase From ‘Your Name’

The stairs in real life and in the anime.

If you’re an anime fan, then you’ve probably seen the very popular anime film ‘Your Name’. This film was a massive hit due to it’s amazing story line and characters. Many people don’t know but in this film there were TONS of real life locations that got featured. One of the most famous places is this staircase that is featured at the end of the film. This is where Taki and Mitsuha finally meet each other! The staircase exists in real life and is actually the staircase leading to a shrine called ‘Suga Shrine’. The staircase is very easy to get to if you’re in Tokyo and is somewhere that all otakus in Tokyo must visit!

Address

5-番地 Sugacho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0018

Access

Take the Chuo Line to Yotsuya Station and walk around 15 mins to the staircase.

Hours

24 hrs

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3. Win A Prize at One of Akihabara’s Game Centers

An Akihabara UFO catcher.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Japan’s amazing game centers, but have you seen the ones in Akihabara?! Akihabara is a town known for all things Otaku…from Maid Cafes to anime shops…Akihabara really has it all! In my opinion, one of the best things that Akihabara is home to are it’s amazing game centers! These arcades are full of ‘UFO catchers’ which allow you to try and grab a prize for a small amount of money. The best thing about these machines is that most of them have anime merchandise up for grabs that is actually fairly good quality! From plushies to figurines there are tons of prizes up for grabs, once you enter one of these game centers you definitely will not want to leave!

Address

1 Chome-15-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Access

Take the Chuo-Sobu Line to Akihabara Station

Hours

10:00AM – 11:30PM

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4. Have a Professional Photoshoot in Cosplay

Cosplayers at the studio

Yes, there is now a shop in Japan that, for a price of 15000yen, will dress you up in cosplay of your favorite character, do all your hair and makeup and then conduct a professional photoshoot of you! This is a great activity to do with your friends who also love anime and cosplaying! The studio has tons of different backgrounds for your photo shoot so you can get some really great shots. Although it is a bit on the pricey side, it’s definitely worth it for this unforgettable experience. This is something that all otakus visiting Tokyo Must do!

Address

2 Chome-4-6 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Access

Take the Chuo-Sobu Line to Akihabara Station.

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5. Grab A Bite To Eat at One of Tokyo’s Many Anime Cafes

Demon Slayer pop up cafe

The photo above was taken from a recent ‘Demon Slayer’ collaboration cafe in Tokyo!! Tokyo is full of all sorts of anime cafes that are constantly changing, meaning new ones are always popping up! The cafes are usually decorated with items from the anime, serve food based around the anime and also sell TONS of merchandise from the anime! If you’re going to Tokyo soon and love anime, you HAVE to check what anime cafes will be on! To check some cafes that have happened already check out our article HERE!

Address (example)

150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 4 Chome−28−28 ルチェッシモビル 2F

Access

Take the Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station

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6. Go Shopping at Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City

Pokemon Center in Ikebukuro

Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City is home to Tokyo’s famous ‘Pokemon Center MEGA’ which sells tons of Pokemon merchandise and cool items! This isn’t the only reason to go shopping in Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City, it is also home to a Studio Ghibli store, Kiddy Land and many other shops that are great for Otakus! If you want to go to one place to get tons of anime goods, you have to visit Sunshine City in Ikebukuro!

Address

170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 3 Chome−1−2 サンシャインシティ 専門店街アルパ 2F

Access

Take the Yamanote Line to Ikebukuro Station.

Hours

10AM-8PM daily.

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7. Buy Amazing Anime Merchandise at ‘Animate’

Animate staircase.

Akihabara is a chain store in Tokyo that sells TONS of anime merchandise and figurines! These stores are located all over Tokyo but the main store is located in Akihabara. The best thing about ‘Animate’ is that it sells merchandise from all sorts of animes, this means that if you’re looking for merchandise from an anime that is not well known there will probably be merchandise from it here! On top of all the amazing merchandise, Animate has TONS of figurines from tons of animes, so if you’re someone who collects figurines this is somewhere you HAVE to go!

Address

4 Chome-3-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Access

Take the Chuo-Sobu line to Akihabara Station.

Hours

11AM-9PM daily.

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8. Eat Dinner at the New Permanent Sailor Moon Restaurant

New Sailor Moon Restaurant in Tokyo

In late 2019 the first PERMANENT Sailor Moon Restaurant was opened in Tokyo! The restaurant sells tons of Sailor Moon themed dishes, as well as a LIVE SHOW which features all characters from Sailor Moon! the restaurant is an amazing experience, especially for people who love Sailor Moon! We wrote a whole blog post about the restaurant, make sure to check it out here!

Address

106-0045 Tokyo, Minato City, Azabujuban, 1 Chome−10, ジュールA

Access

Take the Namboku Line to Azabu-Juban Station.


Thankyou for checking out our article! If you found this article interesting or helpful, please don’t be shy to share it with your friends/to your social media! ♡

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