Melonbooks Akihabara 1st Store
Melonbooks Akihabara 1st Store is the flagship Akihabara branch of major doujinshi (self-published manga, novels & games) chain Melonbooks, in the basement of the Hirose Building about 2 minutes from the station. General-audience and adult (R18) sections are shelved separately, as at other Melonbooks stores.
Opening hours
- Daily
- 10:00–21:00
Known for
What it is
Melonbooks Akihabara 1st Store is the flagship Akihabara branch of Melonbooks, one of Japan's major doujinshi (self-published manga, novels and games) retail chains, tucked in the basement of the Hirose Building about three minutes on foot from Akihabara Station's Electric Town Exit (north side) — see our Akihabara guide for how to work the district. Alongside doujin work it stocks character goods, art books and some indie/commercial titles, with new releases from convention-popular circles restocked frequently. Credit cards are accepted in-store.
Good to know
As at other Melonbooks stores, general-audience and adult (R18) doujinshi are shelved in physically separate sections, with age-verification signage around the R18 area — worth knowing if you're browsing with minors. Melonbooks does not ship internationally from its own online store; overseas buyers typically go through a Japan-based forwarding/proxy service (e.g. Tenso, Buyee, ZenMarket) to receive orders. Note there's also a separate, nearby "store pickup" counter (秋葉原店舗受取館) for reserved online orders, and Melonbooks occasionally opens a temporary "2nd store" in the same area during major conventions like Comiket — neither is a walk-in browsing shop in the way the 1st Store is, so don't count on them for casual shopping.
FAQ
- Where is Melonbooks Akihabara 1st Store?
- In the basement (B1F) of the Hirose Building at 1-10-5 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0021 — about a three-minute walk from Akihabara Station's Electric Town Exit (north side). Phone: 03-5295-7060.
- What are the opening hours? Is it ever closed?
- Every day 10:00–21:00, with no regular holidays — that's what the official store page lists (checked on 2026-10-02). Big convention weekends or stocktaking can still bring a one-off change, so glance at the official store page or @melon_akiba on X before a late visit.
- Is Melonbooks Akihabara tax-free?
- Yes. The official store page lists tax-free service (免税店対応可, Tax Free) for this store (checked on 2026-10-02). Bring your passport. Melonbooks also publishes its own Tax Free Information page for overseas visitors.
- What do they sell?
- Mainly doujinshi — self-published manga, novels and games — plus character goods, art books and some commercial titles. The flagship's strength is frequent restocks of new releases from circles that are popular at conventions.
- How is the adult (R18) section arranged?
- As at other Melonbooks branches, general-audience and adult (R18) doujinshi are shelved in physically separate sections, with age-verification signage around the R18 area — worth knowing if you're browsing with minors.
- Can they ship overseas?
- Melonbooks does not ship internationally from its own online store. Overseas buyers normally use a Japan-based forwarding or proxy service such as Tenso, Buyee or ZenMarket. In store, cash, Visa, Mastercard and QR payments are accepted.
- How is this different from the nearby pickup counter or "2nd store"?
- The nearby 秋葉原店舗受取館 is a counter for collecting reserved online orders only, and Melonbooks sometimes opens a temporary "2nd store" in the area during big conventions like Comiket. Neither is a walk-in browsing shop — for actual shopping, go to the 1st Store.
