First time in Akihabara?
Here's how to walk it.

HOSHIMORI RINKA · 3810 PRODUCTIONHi, I'm Rinka! I watch Akiba every day for this site. Here are two routes I'd walk with a friend on their first visit, plus how to shop tax-free, win at crane games and enjoy a maid café without surprises.
GUIDES

Pick what you came for

📱Used iPhone, tax-freeWhere to buy, what the tags mean, and the new refund rules from Nov 1, 2026. Live prices.🗿FiguresNew, used, prize figures: which building for what. Box grades and bootlegs.🥚GachaponThe 500-machine floors, typical prices, and why you need ¥100 coins.🕹️Crane gamesHow to play, how "payout" machines work, and when to ask staff for help.👾Retro gamesSuper Potato and friends. Will a Famicom work at home? Region and voltage.🎀Maid cafésWhat happens inside, what it costs, the rules, and how to avoid street touts.🧳Lockers & luggageCheap and suitcase-size lockers near the station.🍛Where to eatAkiba curry, ramen and the classics.
COURSE

Model courses

Sunday tip: Chuo-dori becomes a car-free pedestrian zone (hokoten) on Sundays, 13:00–17:00 from October to March and 13:00–18:00 from April to September. It can be cancelled for bad weather. Many shops open at 11:00–12:00, so there is no need to arrive early.

Half day · about 4 hours

  1. JR Akihabara, Electric Town exit📍Map

    Grab a map at Akihabara Station Front Information (Sofmap Ekimae-kan 1F, 12:00–17:00).

    🚶 about 1 min
  2. Radio Kaikan45 min📍Map

    Eight floors of figure, card and hobby shops right by the station. Open 10:00–20:00.

    🚶 about 4 min
  3. Super Potato30 min📍Map

    Retro games on 3F–4F, a ¥100 retro arcade on 5F. 11:00–20:00, every day.

    🚶 about 2 min
  4. GiGO Building 3 or Taito "Hey"30 min📍Map

    Crane games and arcade floors, open until 23:30.

    🚶 about 4 min
  5. Mandarake Complex60 min📍Map

    Eight floors of used manga, figures and vintage toys. 12:00–20:00.

    🚶 about 5 min
  6. Yodobashi Akiba40 min📍Map

    A giant electronics store on the other side of the station. 9:30–22:00.

🗺️ Open this route in Google Maps (walking)

Start around 12:00 — Mandarake and the station info desk open at noon. Walking times are estimates.

Full day · about 8 hours

  1. Kanda Myojin shrine40 min📍Map

    Akihabara's 1,300-year-old guardian shrine, famous for IT-safety charms. 7 min from the Electric Town exit.

    🚶 about 7 min
  2. Radio Kaikan60 min📍Map

    Opens 10:00.

    🚶 about 3 min
  3. Super Potato40 min📍Map
  4. Lunch on Chuo-dori60 min

    Akiba curry or beef cutlet.

  5. Mandarake Complex75 min📍Map
  6. Gachapon20 min📍Map

    Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan, or Bandai's Gashapon no Department (about 500 machines, 10:00–23:00).

  7. Hokoten stroll30 min

    Sundays only. Walk the 570 m car-free stretch of Chuo-dori.

  8. Arcades45 min📍Map

    Try a crane game.

  9. Maid café60 min

    A one-hour visit is about ¥2,500–5,000.

  10. Yodobashi Akiba60–90 min📍Map

    Open until 22:00 — end the day with tax-free shopping.

🗺️ Open this route in Google Maps (walking)

MANNERS

Five things locals appreciate

  1. Ask before photographing people. Cosplayers, maids and shop staff included. Many hobby shops also ban photos inside — look for the signs.
  2. Ignore street touts. Chiyoda City bans street touting (客引き), and Akihabara is a priority enforcement district. Choose a café yourself and check the price board.
  3. Carry ¥100 coins. Most gachapon and crane machines take coins.
  4. Hokoten rules. No selling, performances or bike riding in the pedestrian zone.
  5. Bring your passport. You need the original for tax-free shopping.
HELP

Tourist information

AKIBA_INFO. UDX 2F📍Map

11:00–17:30 · closed Mondays · English and Spanish staff · paid baggage storage

Akihabara Station Front Information📍Map

Sofmap AKIBA Ekimae-kan 1F · 12:00–17:00 · SIM cards and Tokyo Subway Ticket · maps in 7 languages

Hours and details were checked on 2026-09-30 on each official or official-tourism page (JNTO, Tokyo Tourist Info, Akihabara Electric Town Association, Metropolitan Police). They can change — check before you go.