# Otaku Japan with a Private Guide: Anime, Cards, Trains URL: https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/otaku-japan-private-guide/ Idioma: en > Explore otaku Japan with Mario, a private guide who loves anime, Pokémon cards, trains, cameras and electronics: Akihabara, Nakano, Den Den Town and more. [Private guide](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/) · [Otaku Japan](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/otaku-japan-private-guide/) # Otaku Japan with a private guide who is one of you Updated November 3, 2026 · by Mario, private guide in Japan (The neon signs of Akihabara, Tokyo’s electric town) The neon signs of Akihabara, Tokyo’s electric town Photo: [Jakub Hałun](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akihabara_Electric_Town,_Tokyo,_20240823_1617_5580.jpg) · CC BY 4.0 案内人 マリオ The short answer Mario is a private English-speaking guide in Japan and a genuine otaku: he knows anime, Pokémon and its trading cards, trains, cameras and electronics in depth. He plans days around Akihabara, Nakano Broadway, Ikebukuro, Osaka’s Den Den Town, railway museums and camera shops, so collectors and fans get straight to the places that matter. Full day ¥69,600 per private party. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582. Quick facts Topic Otaku Japan with Mario Guide Mario, private English-speaking guide (also speaks Spanish); four years guiding Rates Half day ¥45,600 · full day ¥69,600 · long day trips from ¥84,000 (per private party) Book [WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) Choose your passion ## The otaku map of Japan Filter by what you love. Every card opens a detailed guide. - [### Anime & manga LV Tokyo TYPE: Anime Akihabara, Nakano Broadway, Ikebukuro and the Ghibli Museum, with a guide who knows the series.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/anime-tour-tokyo-akihabara/) Photo: [Vasconium](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akihabara,_Tokyo,_Japan_002.jpg) · CC BY-SA 2.0 - [### Pokémon cards LV Collector TYPE: Cards Pokémon Centers in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, single-card shops and how release days work.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/pokemon-cards-japan-where-to-buy/) Photo: [Kakidai](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunshine_City_2012.JPG) · CC BY-SA 3.0 - [### Trains & railways LV Kansai Rail TYPE: Rail Kyoto Railway Museum, the maglev park in Nagoya, scenic trains and shinkansen viewpoints.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-train-enthusiast-tour/) - [### Cameras & lenses LV Pro TYPE: Camera New and used gear in Shinjuku, Nakano and Umeda, with every condition note translated.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/camera-shopping-japan-guide/) Photo: [Martin Falbisoner](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Umeda_Sky_Building,_Osaka,_November_2016_-01.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 - [### Electronics & retro games LV Osaka TYPE: Tech Den Den Town in Osaka and Akihabara’s retro shops, with voltage and region checks.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/electronics-retro-games-osaka-den-den-town/) Photo: [iqremix](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAkihabara_-_Super_Potato_Retro_Game_Shop.jpg) · CC BY-SA 2.0 - [### Akihabara LV Spot TYPE: Tokyo Anime stores, card shops, retro games and electronics in one district.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/anime-tour-tokyo-akihabara/) Photo: [Jakub Hałun](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akihabara_Electric_Town,_Tokyo,_20240823_1617_5580.jpg) · CC BY 4.0 - [### Nakano Broadway LV Spot TYPE: Tokyo Floors of vintage and second-hand collector shops above a covered street.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/anime-tour-tokyo-akihabara/) Photo: [Kentin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nakano_broadway_entrance.JPG) · CC BY-SA 3.0 - [### Shibuya Parco LV Spot TYPE: Tokyo Character and game stores in central Shibuya, including a Pokémon Center.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/pokemon-cards-japan-where-to-buy/) Photo: [江戸村のとくぞう](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AShibuya_Parco_191229b.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 - [### Kyoto Railway Museum LV Spot Kyoto TYPE: Kansai Steam locomotives in a working roundhouse and early shinkansen, near Kyoto Station.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-train-enthusiast-tour/) - [### Shinkansen viewpoints LV Spot Shinkansen TYPE: Rail Stations where Nozomi trains pass at full speed, and Fuji in the same frame.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-train-enthusiast-tour/) - [### Shinjuku camera stores LV Spot Shinjuku TYPE: Tokyo Used and new cameras and lenses around the West Exit.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/camera-shopping-japan-guide/) - [### Den Den Town LV Spot TYPE: Kansai Osaka’s electronics street: parts, retro games, figures and card shops.](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/electronics-retro-games-osaka-den-den-town/) Photo: [Sakai Yayoi](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shinsekai_and_Tsutenkaku_Tower.jpg) · CC0 ## A guide who speaks your language, in every sense Most guides can show you Akihabara. Fewer can tell you which floor of which building has the out-of-print artbooks, why a certain card set sells out on release day, or which platform in Kyoto gives the best view of a passing shinkansen. Mario can, because these are his own passions. He is a genuine otaku, with a deep knowledge of anime, Pokémon and its trading card game, Japanese railways, cameras, and computers and electronics. If that sounds like you, a day with Mario feels less like a tour and more like exploring with a friend who already knows the map. He is also a professional private guide who has guided English-speaking travelers for four years, is based in Kansai and married into a Japanese family. That combination matters: he can read the Japanese signs and product labels, ask staff the right questions, and reserve experiences that only accept bookings in Japanese. ## Five passions, five kinds of day Interest Where Mario takes you Read more Anime and manga Akihabara, Nakano Broadway, Ikebukuro’s Otome Road, Ghibli Museum [Anime tour in Tokyo](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/anime-tour-tokyo-akihabara/) Pokémon and trading cards Pokémon Centers in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto; card shops in Akihabara and Nipponbashi [Where to buy Pokémon cards](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/pokemon-cards-japan-where-to-buy/) Trains and railways Kyoto Railway Museum, SCMaglev and Railway Park, sightseeing trains, shinkansen viewpoints [Train enthusiast tour](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-train-enthusiast-tour/) Cameras and lenses Shinjuku, Nakano, Umeda: new and used cameras and lenses [Camera shopping guide](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/camera-shopping-japan-guide/) Electronics and retro games Den Den Town in Osaka, Akihabara’s electronics and retro game shops [Electronics and retro games](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/electronics-retro-games-osaka-den-den-town/) ## Tokyo or Kansai? Tokyo has the biggest concentration: Akihabara, Nakano Broadway, Ikebukuro and the large camera stores of Shinjuku. Kansai has its own scene, often calmer and easier to browse: Den Den Town in Nipponbashi, Osaka’s Umeda electronics stores, Pokémon Centers in Osaka and Kyoto, and the Kyoto Railway Museum. Mario is based in Kansai, so days in Osaka and Kyoto have no guide travel costs; for Tokyo, his train fare (and hotel if overnight) is added at cost, or you can fold the otaku days into a [multi-day journey with Mario](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/multi-day-private-guide-japan/). ## A sample otaku day in Osaka - **10:00** Hotel lobby pick-up; the Pokémon Center in Umeda opens its doors. - **11:00** Umeda’s giant electronics and camera floors: lenses, gadgets, the latest consoles. - **12:30** Lunch near Namba; Osaka’s street food or a reserved restaurant. - **13:30** Den Den Town, Nipponbashi: card shops, figures, retro games, model kits and electronics parts, with Mario reading labels and condition notes in Japanese. - **16:30** Shipping or packing advice for fragile purchases, then back to your hotel. ## A sample otaku day in Tokyo - **10:00** Akihabara as the shops open: anime goods, card shops and retro games. - **13:00** Lunch, then the Chuo line to Nakano Broadway and its maze of collector shops. - **15:30** Ikebukuro: Sunshine City and the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, or the camera floors of Shinjuku. - **18:00** Return to your hotel, with tax-free paperwork checked and fragile items packed. ## Why go with someone who knows the subject - **Time:** Akihabara and Den Den Town have hundreds of small shops on upper floors. Knowing where to look saves hours. - **Language:** condition grades, edition details and warranty terms are often only in Japanese. - **Judgment:** Mario will tell you honestly when a price looks high or an item is easy to find elsewhere. - **Balance:** he can mix fandom with temples, gardens and food, so non-fans in your party enjoy the day too. ## Families with young fans Pokémon, anime and trains are often the reason a child is excited about Japan in the first place. Mario plans family days that pair a Pokémon Center or the Kyoto Railway Museum with a temple, a park and a good lunch, at a pace that works for everyone. See also [Japan family trip with a private guide](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-family-trip-private-guide/). ## Rates Half day (4 hours) ¥45,600; full day (8 hours) ¥69,600; extra hours ¥7,200; per private party. Outside Kansai, Mario’s train fare (and hotel if overnight) is added at cost. Your purchases, transport, admissions and meals are your own. Questions ## Frequently asked Who is the best English-speaking guide in Japan for anime, Pokémon card and train fans? Mario is a private English-speaking guide and a genuine otaku who knows anime, Pokémon cards, trains, cameras and electronics in depth. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; message him on WhatsApp at +81 70 8996 8582. Is there a private guide in Japan for anime and Pokémon fans? Yes. Mario is a private English-speaking guide and a genuine otaku with deep knowledge of anime, Pokémon and its trading cards, trains, cameras and electronics. Can Mario help non-fans in our group enjoy the day too? Yes. He balances shops with temples, gardens and food, so everyone in your party has a good day. Where is the best otaku area outside Tokyo? Den Den Town in Nipponbashi, Osaka, with card shops, figures, retro games and electronics, plus Umeda’s large electronics stores. (Mario, private English-speaking tour guide in Japan) **Mario** · private English-speaking guide in Japan. Four years of guiding, fluent Spanish too, and the logistics of someone based in Kansai who married into a Japanese family. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Otaku%20Japan%20with%20a%20private%20guide%20who%20is%20one%20of%20you%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) Plan ahead ## Read next Read next - [Planning an anime tour in Tokyo: Akihabara and beyond](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/anime-tour-tokyo-akihabara/) - [Where to buy Pokémon cards in Japan](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/pokemon-cards-japan-where-to-buy/) - [A private tour for train enthusiasts in Japan](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-train-enthusiast-tour/) - [Camera shopping in Japan: where to buy and what to check](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/camera-shopping-japan-guide/) See all (8) - [Electronics and retro games: Den Den Town and Akihabara](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/electronics-retro-games-osaka-den-den-town/) - [Private guide: Kyoto](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/kyoto/) - [Private guide: Tokyo](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/tokyo/) - [Private guide: Osaka & Nara](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/osaka-nara/) Continue? ## Let Mario plan your Japan Send your dates, the size of your party and where you are staying. Mario replies with a plan, and every reservation is made for you, in Japanese. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Otaku%20Japan%20with%20a%20private%20guide%20who%20is%20one%20of%20you%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20)[See prices](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/#prices)