5 Recommended Newly Opened Tourist Spots and Restaurants in Akihabara
Akihabara is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Tokyo, with many people from all over the world visiting this area. In this article, you will be introduced to some of the newest tourist attractions, popular spots, and restaurants of this amazing location!
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1. Yodobashi Liquor (Inside Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba Store)
In March 2019, Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba Store, one of the largest electronics retail stores in the country, opened its newest sales floor called Yodobashi Liquor. This specialized floor has a great selection of around 2,000 different types of alcoholic beverages, including wine, Japanese sake, and shochu, a type of rough distilled spirit highly appreciated in Japan. Here you can also find glasses and all sorts of alcohol related products, not to mention snacks and other foods that go perfectly with a drink. Come here if you are looking to purchase Japanese alcohol as a souvenir!
2. Animate Akihabara Annex Building
Previously known as a venue mainly geared towards female anime fans, Animate AKIBA Girls Station went through a complete renewal and reopened its doors as Animate Akihabara Annex Building in March 2019. This 7-story shop handles mostly anime related goods in its first four floors. Floors 5F and 6F are "communication spaces" dedicated to announcements of different sorts and the 7F is a spacious area reserved for special events and pop-up stores. You will be impressed with the number of anime products the store has on offer.
Take a short walk and visit Animate Akihabara Main Building too if you are also interested in CDs, DVDs, comics, manga, doujinshi (fan-made manga), and other publications.
3. Maidreamin Akihabara Electric Town-Exit Store
Maidreamin is an extremely popular maid cafe chain 7 stores in Akihabara. The Akihabara Electric Town-Exit Store went through a renewal process and reopened its doors in May 2018. At this cafe cutely decorated in red and white, you can enjoy live stage performances by the lovely staff composed of waitresses dressed in maid outfits. The menu is diverse and includes dishes such as curry and pasta, and many different drinks, including alcoholic beverages. You should definitely try their omurice! This cute dish called “Futago no Kumatan Omurice” (1,580 JPY (excl. tax)) consists of rice stir-fried in ketchup and then shaped like two teddy bears sleeping covered by a blanket made out of omelet. When you order this dish, one of the maids performs for you and makes a cute drawing on top of the omelet using ketchup. It’s so cute you might not want to eat it!
Maids here have basically three types of uniforms, but apparently, they also wear special outfits depending on the time of year. Make sure to check it out!
Estimated budget: Around 1,000 JPY to 3,500 JPY
4. Ryunome Second Chapter
Ryunome Second Chapter was conceived by the famous ramen restaurant Nakiryu, but it went through a renewal process and reopened as an independent restaurant in January 2019. The menu is basically divided into 2 categories: Tori-chuka, a bowl of ramen prepared with a chicken stock base and thinly cut noodles, and Kamo-chuka, which uses duck for the soup base and is served with thick noodles. For both bowls, you can choose between shoyu (soy sauce) and shio (salt) flavors. One of the most recommended dishes is the "Wonton Kamo-chuka Soba" (1,000 JPY), which is a bowl of ramen topped with duck char siu (roasted duck) and home-made wonton dumplings. This superb dish is prepared by the restaurant’s owner, a cook with many years of experience in a well-established Chinese restaurant.
5. 2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN
Located under the elevated rail tracks that connect JR Akihabara Station to JR Okachimachi Station, 2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN is a trendy commercial facility that is especially recommended for those interested in fashion, accessories, and everyday objects. This space dedicated to artisans and craftsmen is home to a wide range of unique and sophisticated shops, including Nippon Hyakkaten, a store that handles products procured from artisans throughout Japan; Tokyo Noble, a store specialized in umbrellas; and the hat shop ikhtiart. As many shops offer products uniquely Japanese, it\'s nice to walk around and it\'s even fun to go window shopping.
Akihabara offers much more than most people ever imagine! Refer to this article and make the most out of your visit to this amazing destination!
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.