Akihabara & beyond
Akihabara shops, maid cafés, TCG tournaments, figure shows and anime films & conventions — verified, beautifully shown, and explained for foreign fans: tax-free, English-OK, photo rules, how to get in.
The big cons worth planning your trip around — verified dates & how foreigners get in.
Comic Market 108 (C108) — Aug 15–16, 2026, Tokyo Big SightAug 15–16, 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight: the world's largest doujinshi fair, and the finale of Comiket's 50th-anniversary year. Paid wristband admission — how foreigners buy one, inside.
Wonder Festival 2026 [Summer]The world's largest garage-kit and figure festival, held for one day at Makuhari Messe on July 26, 2026. Theme: "Exploration."Tokyo Game Show 2026 — Sept 17–21, Makuhari MesseSept 17–21, 2026 at Makuhari Messe: one of the world's biggest gaming expos, marking its 30th anniversary with a record-long 5-day run.Niconico Chokaigi 2027 is officially confirmed for April 2027, but exact dates, venue and tickets haven't been announced yet. Here's what Chokaigi is, how its 2026 edition topped the year before (though still short of the pre-pandemic 2019 turnout), and how to catch the official announcement.
The world's largest garage-kit and figure festival returns to Makuhari Messe for a two-day event — the first in 36 years — officially confirmed for February 13–14, 2027.
The 13th Autumn Reitaisai, Japan's biggest Touhou Project doujinshi fair, runs Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight East Hall — English go-info for it is almost nonexistent, which is exactly the gap this guide fills.
Comic Market 109 (Winter Comiket) runs December 29–31, 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight — a rare 3-day edition after several 2-day Comikets in a row, with East Halls 4–6 still closed for renovation.
Jump Festa 2027 is expected over one weekend in mid-to-late December 2026 at Makuhari Messe, with free admission — though the official dates are not yet announced (as of July 2026). Here's what to expect (exclusive goods, voice-actor stages, big Jump announcements) and how overseas fans can plan the trip.
Japan's largest anime industry expo. The 2027 edition relocates from Tokyo to INTEX Osaka, with public days announced for March 27–28, 2027.
Toranoana's Ikebukuro Store B is one of the shops that defines Otome Road — a women-only 7th-floor doujinshi and BL/otome goods floor a minute from Ikebukuro Station.
A single-floor retro video game specialty shop on Osaka's Otaroad, billed by the operator as having the largest retro-game selection in western Japan. Open every day, no closures.
A four-floor Mandarake branch in Nagoya's Osu shopping district, open every day of the year, buying and selling secondhand manga, toys, doujinshi, idol goods and cosplay.
Jungle Nagoya is a two-floor secondhand hobby shop on Osu's Akamon-dori arcade specializing in tokusatsu heroes, robot anime and figure collectibles, with current-series merchandise downstairs and vintage finds like Kamen Rider and Mazinger Z upstairs.
animate Nagoya is the chain's main Nagoya store: three floors of manga, light novels, character goods, figures, trading cards and anime/game CDs and DVDs a short walk from Nagoya Station. It is not near the Osu shopping district — that's a separate area a few subway stops away.
A multi-floor branch of secondhand chain Lashinbang on Ikebukuro's Otome Road, dedicated to female-fan doujinshi and character goods, on floors 4F–6F of the Kindai Bldg. 21.
Osaka's otaku district is a single walkable strip, so one day genuinely covers it. Open early at Joshin and Surugaya (10:00), hit Mandarake and Volks from 12:00, and finish on Otaroad — all between Ebisucho and Namba.
Start late. Otome Road's secondhand shops open at 12:00, so an 11:00 start at animate and a midday sweep of K-BOOKS, Mandarake LaLaLa and Lashinbang fits a full day into one walkable loop from Ikebukuro's East Exit.
The rule that surprises everyone: you cannot travel to an event in costume. Japanese events run on change-on-site, designated changing rooms only, no toilets, and photography strictly by individual consent.
There is no free walk-in entry any more — Comiket runs on paid wristband admission, and most types must be bought in advance. Queueing overnight is banned, changing in toilets is banned, and arriving in costume is banned.
Gachapon Kaikan in Akihabara is the highest-density stop with around 500 machines. Bring ¥100 coins — most machines take coins only, most don't give change, and you cannot choose which figure you get.
Super Potato, Surugaya, Trader and Mandarake cover the whole retro market between them. Before you spend anything, settle the compatibility question: a Japanese Famicom cartridge will not fit an American NES, and a Super Famicom cartridge will not fit a US SNES.
