Introduction
Sound of vending machines, the smell of cotton candy, and cosplay girls with knee-high socks. The ‘Electric City’ Akihabara will welcome you as a travel blogger with open arms. It’s the pulsating heart of Tokyo’s ‘Otaku’ culture. ‘Otaku’ means in Japanese a person that is obsessed with anime, manga, and games. In this travel blog post, I will be your guide to Tokyo’s Otaku culture in Akihabara.
‘Electric City’ vibe
Neon lights, towering billboards, and the infectious energy of fellow fans. The vibe is high-tech with many geeks looking for their daily shot of dopamine. Don’t be surprised to see the citizens of the ‘Electric City’ dressed like from another fantasy world. The geeks move like ants, and disappear in many hidden shops that are almost invisible to the tourist’s eye. Read the blog post further, and follow me inside Akihabara’s labyrinthine streets, where we’ll dive deeper into the Otaku culture.
Otaku subculture
If you imagine an ‘Otaku’ you will probably see a male teen geek with big glasses, and long hair playing video games in a dark room. However, you will be surprised… The ‘Otaku’ culture is a huge subculture in Japan that consists of girls, boys, and even adults in the 50ths that adore the gaming, anime, manga, and pop culture of Akihabara. Fans from all over the world visit the ‘Electric City’ to read colorful mangas, hold grey joysticks, and collect new flashy figures of a favorite anime character.
What to do in Akihabara?
The ‘Electric City’ offers not only experiences for ‘Otaku’ but for everyone that wants to escape reality. You can play video games in the arcades, eat ramen, sip sake, and sing karaoke until the bright morning. It’s a place where Japanese salarymen of Tokyo go out to forget their overwhelming daily jobs. That’s why you can even spot more adults than kids in the fantasy land of Akihabara.
Maid Cafe
Have you heard already about the famous Maid Cafe? Beyond anime stores, Akihabara is also famous for themed cafes and restaurants. Especially those where girls are dressed like hotel chamber servants. Step into a ‘Maid Cafe’ and be treated like a master or visit a themed eatery where you can dine with your favorite anime characters brought to life. Akihabara is famous for the ‘kawai’ dresscode. ‘Kawai’, means ‘cute’ in Japanese.
‘Arcades’
You can probably imagine now that Akihabara is a Mecca for gamers. That’s why you will find in the electric city many ‘arcades’ or also called gaming centers. For adrenaline-seeking adults, there are also many casinos where you can try out your luck with gambling. For younger kids, there are claw machines to get a fluffy toy. Also common for ‘kawai’ couples. However, be careful because when you go inside the dark alleys of the shops you can find some 18+ machines as well. I will tell you later what you can find inside. So let your imagination work…
Cosplay
Dress like a local. Don’t be surprised when you see cosplay girls wearing white knee-high socks, and a ‘kawai’ anime backpack. The boys wear t-shirts with their favorite fantasy heroes, and hold their phones in their hands. The ‘Otaku’ citizens of Akihabara love to dress like their favorite game or anime character. As a tourist in town, you can also buy some souvenirs and experience a day in the life of your favorite character. You can wear for example a Pokemon Pikachu hat or buy a sword replica to become a game hero yourself.
Anime shops & electronics
Get lost in the huge labyrinth of Akihabara’s anime shops. You will find mangas, anime movies, released games, figurines, and the craziest toys. You can also find trendy high-tech and as a travel blogger, you can get a tax discount because you are ‘legally’ a tourist. Check out the largest electronic camera store called Yodobashi for the newest camera gear. I bought there my GoPro batteries. Don’t forget your passport so you can claim it! For anime souvenir shopping visit Animate. But be careful entering the upper floors because you will find another hidden 18+ side of Akihabara. Imagine what you can find there…
The dark side of Akihabara
One of the craziest things that I found in Akihabara was the haunted vending machines. They are hidden in a dark side alley of ‘Electric Town’ where there are almost no people. I went there with my GoPro and needed to squeeze through to get to the machines. Behind the glass, you could find secret drinks, cigarettes, scary toys, and mystery boxes. I used a Japanese 1000 yen coin to insert it into the dark machine. The unknown package fell down. I felt the blood rush through my veins. You never know what’s inside… I opened the mystery box while holding my breath. A pink package appeared with ‘kawai’ animal cookies inside. Not worth my coin!
‘Hentai!’
There are more dark sides to Akihabara. If you get lost inside the labyrinth of many stores you can find yourself in a very naughty anime world. Japanese call it ‘hentai!’. It’s a genre of manga and anime that consists of sexualized characters with explicit images and plots in the stories. You will see old men walk down inside the basements, and up to the atticks of stores where the lights are dimmed. Who knows what you can find there… On the streets, some cosplay girls with umbrellas invite you to try a ‘special’ massage. There is also criticism about the maid cafes that they empower fetishism, and unequal gender roles of young girls dressed in maid uniforms. What is your opinion about it?
Dangers of gaming
‘Hikikomori’, also called social withdrawal in Japanese is a form of social anxiety that many gamers experience. They close the curtains, stay all day at home, and play the whole night video games. The fantasy world escapism is not only ‘kawai’ but can cause serious mental & physical health problems as well. Think about anxieties, overweight, addiction, insomnia, and depression. If you feel that the online world takes control over you check out the Internet & Technology Addicts Anonymous.
Where to eat in Akihabara?
In general, if you are responsible you can enjoy Akihabara and survive the ‘Electric City’ without ‘hikikomori’ or mental disorders. But one thing is sure you will remember the Akihabara experience forever. That’s why you should also try mouthwatering ramen, freshly sliced sushi, and delicious sweets before you take your flight to another destination.
Maidreamin cafe
It’s the biggest maid cafe Franchise in Japan and the place to go if you want to get your food served by ‘kawai’ cosplay girls that are dressed like a maid. There are even seven locations to choose from in Akihabara. It’s still recommended to book earlier so you can be sure of your table. Check out the Maidreamin website.
Takoyaki
When you go to the Akihabara train station you will find a crowded hallway full of street food stands. There you can also get in line to get the steamy hot Takoyaki at Tsukiji Gindaco. It looks like a small ball snack made of wheat flour-based batter. The street food is cooked in a specially molded pan. You need to be careful because it’s hot from the inside. But the taste is from another world. Inside you will find octopus meat, ginger, and fresh green onions.
Sushi time
There are many sushi restaurants inside the Akihabara’s ‘Electric City’. But if you really want to experience your sushi time like an ‘Otaku’ then you need to take a sushi bento box for takeaway and sit somewhere on the floor. Especially younger ‘Otaku’ and students buy the cheaper sushi from the Seven Eleven and the train station food courts. There is a secret spot to eat in Akihabara but I give you a challenge to find it yourself. It’s close to the train station entrance and you need to walk up the massive stairs while you are surrounded by colorful nylon billboards.
Taiyaki
The takoyaki is mouthwatering but taiyaki is for a sweet tooth a must when you are in Japan. First, it looks like a fish made of dough. But inside you can find a variety of tastes from beans, mashed potatoes, and pudding. Now I really start to crave some taiyaki! Especially the sweet one with pudding is my favorite. Check out the Taiyaki Kanda Daruma.
Ramen
That’s also one of the most popular dishes you can get in Japan. So you will find many restaurants in Akihabara. Some places are so popular that you need to wait even for almost one hour. There are locals that take a book to read while waiting. So maybe it’s a great opportunity to read a manga. Check out popular places like Motenashi Kuroki, and Aoshima Shokudo. Another option that ‘I’ prefer is to get lost and walk inside some small ramen restaurants.
How to get to Akihabara?
The fastest way is to take a taxi but it’s quite expensive in Japan. You will pay for the first two kilometers around 5,10 US dollars. The price per extra kilometer is around 2,20 US dollars. Also for one hour wait time, you will pay 21,50 US dollars. From Narita airport, you can take a bus (1,5 hours) or the train to Nippori (46 minutes). I would recommend taking the train for a more adventurous experience. The price will be around 10 US dollars, it depends on which train company you choose.
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