Hotels near Akihabara

Akihabara - locally Akiba - was Tokyo's post-WWII electronics district and is now the world centre of anime, manga, video game, and otaku subculture. Approximately 600 specialist shops stack along Chuo-dori and the side streets: vintage console stores, model-kit specialists, 6-storey anime book shops, and the iconic Yodobashi Camera mega-store. Maid cafes (servers in maid uniforms address customers as Goshujin-sama, Master) line the side streets.

Highlights include the Mandarake Complex (5 floors of vintage manga and anime collectibles), Super Potato (rare retro video games, 3 floors), Animate (Japan's largest anime merchandise chain), and the AKB48 Theatre. Yodobashi Camera at Akihabara Station is one of Japan's largest electronics shops at 9 floors. Sunday afternoons see Chuo-dori pedestrianised. Allow 3-4 hours for a thorough walk.

Pro Tip: Side streets off Chuo-dori (especially around Suehirocho Station) have the best independent anime shops with rare imports. The 2-Chome area east of the station holds Tokyo's best ramen alley - lunch crowds queue from 11:30.