Akihabara otaku tour with a private guide

Akihabara is the place to start an otaku trip to Tokyo: buildings full of figure and anime-goods shops, new and retro video games, manga, trading cards and big electronics stores, all around JR Akihabara Station on the Yamanote loop line. Plan half a day for the highlights and a full day if you are hunting specific cards or figures. Iheb, a private guide who lives in Japan and specializes in anime, Japanese pop culture and Pokémon card collecting, takes you straight to the shops that match your list and explains everything in English. Price per group on WhatsApp: +81 80 8015 5322.

What Akihabara is good for

• Chuo-dori: the main avenue, lined with multi-story shop buildings.
• Figures and anime goods: new and pre-owned, often sorted floor by floor by series.
• Retro video games: Japanese consoles and cartridges from the 1980s and 1990s.
• Trading cards: dozens of card shops, many of them upstairs with no shop window on the street.
• Electronics: the big stores near the station, for a camera, a lens or accessories.

Pokémon cards: Hareruya 2 Akihabara Tower Store

The big name for Pokémon cards in Akihabara is Hareruya 2 Akihabara Tower Store: a whole building dedicated to the Pokémon Trading Card Game (sealed product, single cards, accessories, a buy counter and daily events, plus rules lessons for beginners). It moved into the building on 1 February 2026 and stands at Ishimaru Building No. 3, 1-2-13 Sotokanda, about 3 minutes on foot from JR Akihabara Station. Hours announced at the opening were 10 am to 10 pm daily; check the official site before you go.

Around it, many more card shops fill the upper floors of the neighborhood’s buildings. Every single card has its own price tag, and condition grades vary from shop to shop and are written in Japanese. On this site we only name shops whose address we have checked on an official source; on the day, Iheb points you to the ones that fit what you collect.

Retro games and figures

• Super Potato: the showcase of retro gaming in Akihabara, on the 3rd to 5th floors of its building about 4 minutes from the station, with a small retro arcade on 5F. The most complete selection, not the cheapest.
• Book-Off and Sofmap: used games and consoles, often at lower prices.
• Radio Kaikan: a whole building of figure, trading-card and model-kit shops, right by the Electric Town exit of the station.
• Mandarake Complex: several floors of manga, anime goods, figures and vintage toys.

Before you buy a console: Japan runs on 100 V and uses its own regions. A Japanese Famicom cartridge does not fit an American NES, and Japanese Super Famicom games are not plug-and-play on a US Super Nintendo without an adapter. The simple route is to buy the Japanese console with the games, and check the power needs at home.

A half-day in Akihabara

1. Arrive at JR Akihabara Station, Electric Town exit.
2. Walk Chuo-dori and the figure buildings.
3. One or two retro-game shops.
4. Cards: Hareruya 2 and the upstairs shops.

Then continue to Nakano Broadway (about 30 minutes by train) or Ikebukuro for the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo and Animate.

Shop rules that save you time

• The best shops are often not on the ground floor: take the stairs or the small elevator. In Japan, 1F is the ground floor and 2F is one floor up.
• Many shops do not allow photos inside; look for the sign or ask.
• Do not touch cards in the display case: ask the staff to show them to you, and look at the front, back and edges of an expensive card under the light before paying.
• Tax-free: bring your passport and keep every receipt. Under the system in force since 1 November 2026, you pay the price with tax and get the tax back after the customs check when you leave Japan, from 5,000 yen before tax per store per day.
• Halal-friendly lunch or a place to pray: ask Iheb to build it into the day (Muslim-friendly Tokyo).

Why go with Iheb

Akihabara is easy to walk around and hard to read. Iheb knows Pokémon cards and Japanese pop culture professionally: he asks what you collect before you go in, translates labels and your questions to the staff, and keeps you from losing hours on the wrong floors. It is a private tour, just your family or friends, in English (he also guides in French and Arabic).

Whether you fly in from the US, Canada, the UK or India, the whole plan, trains included, is explained in clear English.

FAQ

How long do I need in Akihabara?

Half a day for the essentials; a full day if you are looking for specific cards, figures or games.

Where is Hareruya 2 in Akihabara?

Hareruya 2 Akihabara Tower Store is at 1-2-13 Sotokanda (Ishimaru Building No. 3), about 3 minutes on foot from JR Akihabara Station. It has used the whole building since 1 February 2026.

Will Japanese retro games work in the US?

Not always: Famicom and Super Famicom games are not directly compatible with American consoles. Buying the Japanese console with the games is the safest choice.

Can I book an Akihabara tour with an English-speaking guide?

Yes. Iheb guides private anime and Pokémon tours in Akihabara and Tokyo’s other otaku districts in English. Message him on WhatsApp: +81 80 8015 5322.

Sources: Hareruya 2: Akihabara Tower Store (official) · Super Potato Akihabara (official) · Mandarake (official). Opening hours change: check the official site before you go.

Also on this site: the complete otaku guide to Tokyo · this page in French.

Pokémon is a trademark of Nintendo, Creatures and GAME FREAK; other names belong to their owners. This is an independent private tour, not affiliated with them.

Message Iheb on WhatsApp