Tokyo stands as the ultimate destination for anime enthusiasts, offering an incredible blend of cutting-edge technology, traditional culture, and immersive experiences that bring beloved characters and stories to life. The city pulses with anime energy—from massive screens displaying the latest series in Shibuya to quiet cafés tucked away in Akihabara where you can sip coffee alongside life-sized character statues.
Whether you’re a casual viewer or a devoted otaku, Tokyo delivers experiences that go far beyond simply watching shows on a screen. Here is a list of 13 things to do in Tokyo for anime fans.
Visit Akihabara’s anime shops
Akihabara, often called ‘Akiba’ by locals, functions as the undisputed capital of anime and manga culture in Tokyo. Walking through its neon-lit streets feels like stepping into an anime itself, with towering buildings plastered in colorful character advertisements and electronic jingles echoing from every storefront.
Shops like Animate and Mandarake span multiple floors, offering everything from the latest manga volumes to rare collectibles from series that aired decades ago.
Explore the Ghibli Museum
The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka offers a magical journey into the creative world of Studio Ghibli, the legendary animation house behind classics like ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘My Neighbor Totoro.’ Hayao Miyazaki himself designed the museum to feel like stepping inside one of his films, with winding staircases, hidden corners, and whimsical displays that encourage exploration.
You’ll need to book tickets well in advance—they often sell out months ahead—but the experience of seeing original animation cells and exclusive short films makes the planning worthwhile.
Check out themed cafés
Tokyo takes themed cafes to an entirely different level, with establishments dedicated to specific anime series, characters, or general aesthetics that rotate regularly. You might find yourself dining in a cafe modeled after ‘Attack on Titan’ one month, then returning to discover it’s transformed into a ‘Demon Slayer’ experience the next.
These cafes serve specially designed food and drinks that reference plot points or character traits, turning a simple meal into an interactive celebration of your favorite shows.
Attend a voice actor event
Voice actors enjoy celebrity status in Japan, and Tokyo regularly hosts events where these talented performers meet fans, perform live readings, and discuss their craft. Major venues like Shinjuku’s theaters and convention centers schedule these gatherings throughout the year, with some focusing on specific series while others showcase talent agencies’ entire rosters.
The energy at these events rivals any concert, with fans waving light sticks and cheering for their favorite seiyuu (voice actors) as they bring characters to life on stage.
Browse Nakano Broadway
While Akihabara gets most of the attention, Nakano Broadway offers a more compact and arguably more treasure-filled experience for serious collectors. This multi-story shopping complex houses dozens of small shops specializing in rare figures, vintage manga, and obscure merchandise that you won’t find in mainstream stores.
The building itself has a quirky, slightly worn charm that makes hunting through its shops feel like a genuine adventure rather than a polished tourist experience.
Experience an anime pilgrimage
Anime pilgrimages, known as ‘seichi junrei’ in Japanese, involve visiting real-world locations that appear in anime series—and Tokyo contains countless such spots. Fans of ‘Your Name’ flock to the staircase in Yotsuya, while ‘Steins;Gate’ enthusiasts explore the streets of Akihabara where the fictional Future Gadget Lab would exist.
Walking these locations creates an odd but thrilling sensation of worlds colliding, as you recognize exact camera angles and architectural details from scenes you’ve watched repeatedly.
Visit teamLab Borderless
Though not exclusively anime-focused, teamLab Borderless, now located in Azabudai Hills, creates the kind of immersive digital art experience that feels ripped straight from a science fiction anime. The museum uses projection mapping and interactive technology to create constantly shifting environments where digital flowers bloom under your feet and butterflies scatter as you walk past.
The aesthetic and technological ambition mirror what anime has been exploring for decades, making it a must-visit for fans who appreciate the medium’s visual innovation.
Shop at Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo
Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo in Ikebukuro stands as one of the largest Pokémon stores in the world, offering an overwhelming selection of merchandise that goes far beyond what’s available internationally. The store regularly stocks exclusive items tied to current events, regional variants, and limited-edition collaborations that make it worth visiting even if you’ve been to Pokémon Centers elsewhere.
Watching Japanese families and tourists alike lose themselves in the aisles of plushies and trading cards proves that Pokémon’s appeal truly transcends age and nationality.
Explore Ikebukuro’s Otome Road
Ikebukuro’s Otome Road caters specifically to female anime fans, with shops and cafés focusing on series popular with women, particularly those featuring attractive male characters. The area includes multiple Animate locations, K-Books stores specializing in doujinshi (fan-made comics), and cosplay shops offering everything needed to dress as your favorite character.
The atmosphere differs noticeably from Akihabara’s more male-oriented vibe, creating a welcoming space where women dominate the customer base and staff.
Take a photo at Shibuya Crossing
Shibuya Crossing appears in countless anime series as a symbol of Tokyo’s energy and modernity, making it an essential photo opportunity for fans. The scramble intersection, where hundreds of people cross from all directions when the light changes, provides that iconic Tokyo moment you’ve seen in everything from ‘Persona 5’ to ‘The World Ends With You.’
Visit at night when the surrounding screens glow brightest, and you might spot advertisements for currently airing anime on the massive displays overhead.
Check out Don Quijote
Don Quijote (affectionately called ‘Donki’ by locals) functions as a discount store chain that somehow evolved into a neon-drenched wonderland of random merchandise, including substantial anime sections. The stores stay open late—many operate 24 hours—and their chaotic layout means you’ll stumble across anime goods mixed in with beauty products, snacks, and electronics.
The Akihabara location specifically caters to otaku culture, with entire floors dedicated to anime merchandise at prices often lower than specialized shops.
Experience a maid café
Maid cafés represent a uniquely Japanese phenomenon where servers dressed as maids treat customers like masters returning home, complete with cute performances and decorated food. While these establishments originated in Akihabara and heavily feature anime aesthetics, they’re not for everyone—the experience can feel awkward if you’re not prepared for the high-energy, role-play-heavy service style.
However, they’ve become so iconic to anime culture that visiting at least once provides valuable context for how often they appear in series and why they fascinate international fans.
Browse Book Off
Book Off operates as a chain of used bookstores that offers incredible deals on manga, light novels, and anime-related books in pristine condition. Japanese consumers tend to treat their books carefully, so ‘used’ often means barely touched, and prices typically run a fraction of what you’d pay for new copies.
The stores organize their manga alphabetically by author, making it easy to find complete or partial sets of series that might be expensive or out of print in other countries.
Finding your anime paradise
Tokyo turns the experience of being an anime fan from something you do as an individual in front of the screen into an all-encompassing lifestyle that is all around you at once. The city does not simply recognize the existence of the anime culture—it is actually one that embraces and commercializes this culture to make foreign fans of the medium feel as though they are part of this culture, rather than outsiders watching from the outside looking in.
A trip to Tokyo puts you in touch with why you fell in love with the world of anime to begin with.
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