Tokyo

Anime, gaming and pop culture tour

Duration: 7 hrs
Group size: 1 to 6 guests
Transport: Private vehicle
Pickup: Your hotel
Price: From $300 / group

Akihabara and Nakano are difficult to use without Japanese. Prices, condition grades and floor layouts are all in kanji, and the good shops are three storeys up. Your guide reads all of it and knows which floors are worth your afternoon.

Tell us what you collect before the day, and we build the route around it: Gunpla, retro cartridges, trading cards, vinyl figures, doujinshi or vintage manga.

Hour by hour

The day, stop by stop

10:00
Hotel pickup
We confirm what you are hunting for and adjust the shop list.
10:45
Akihabara electric town
Multi-floor hobby stores, a retro game arcade and the second-hand camera and parts shops behind the main street.
12:30
Lunch in Akihabara
Curry, ramen or a themed café, depending on how far you want to lean in.
13:45
Nakano Broadway
The collector's building. Mandarake floors of graded figures, cels and out-of-print manga.
15:30
Harajuku and Takeshita Street
Street fashion, crepes and the small independent shops on the side lanes.
16:30
Shibuya gaming stop
A last arcade or a large flagship store, with the vehicle holding whatever you have already bought.
17:00
Drop-off
Back to your hotel with the shopping carried for you.

Where you'll go

The places on this day

Included

Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide
Hotel or accommodation pickup and drop-off in the pickup area
Fuel, tolls, parking and driver expenses
Bottled water on board
Itinerary planning before the day, including dietary and prayer needs

Not included

Meals and drinks, unless listed in the itinerary
Entrance fees to shrines, museums and observation decks
Personal shopping
Gratuities, which are never expected
Travel insurance
Arcade credits and purchases

Good to know

Season

All year, and almost entirely indoors.

Walking level

Moderate, with a lot of stairs and lifts inside the buildings.

Weather

Rain makes very little difference to this day.

Questions about this tour

Can you help us judge second-hand condition and price?: Yes. Your guide reads the grading labels and will tell you when the same item is cheaper two floors up.
Is tax-free shopping possible?: In most of the larger stores, yes, with your passport. Your guide handles the counter paperwork.
Can we skip Harajuku for more time in Nakano?: Of course. Serious collectors usually do.