On our recent trip to Japan, my two sons (ages 8 & 11) and I took the Akihabara Electric & Anime Town Walk: Dive into the Hotel Land of Otaku. The tour was organized by Magical Trip, a company that uses local guides and runs small group, unique, quirky, and niche tours in Japan (and Thailand).
I chose Magical Trip because I wanted to explore Tokyo with a local guide, and mostly because my boys were really excited about diving deep into Anime with a Tokyo local.
So, let’s take a look at our experience with the Akihabara Anime Walk, from booking to saying sayonara to our friendly local guide.
Booking our Tour (Including Cost)
I would’ve booked the tour online, but we were generously offered a complimentary tour. Arigato gozaimasu to Magical Trip for the experience.
The regular rates (after conversion to USD) are a little over 50USD for adults (16+) and a little under 50USD for kids (4-15). Little ones under 4 are free.
You can also make your tour private for an additional fee (varies depending on the number of guests).
Tip: Make sure you fill in the notes on the booking form. Do you have a special interest in a particular anime character? Are you searching for a certain Pokemon card?
Tour Start & Meeting Our Guide
The meeting point was communicated to us via email and we easily found our guide at the Akihabara Station.
Our guide was a friendly local woman named Toshiko, and she and her colleague (just there at the meeting point, not for the entire tour) asked my boys about their anime interests. Using the boys’ answers, the Magical Trip duo worked out an itinerary that hit on their favorite characters and other stops they’d be interested in.
We ended up with a private tour, as there were no other guests with us. There was another Magical Trip tour leaving at the same time.
Good To Know: If you need to eat or get a snack before your tour, there’s plenty of options around the stadium. My boys love Sushiro, a casual, conveyor belt sushi restaurant, which is just across the street (here). There are also multiple konbini (convenience stores) in and around the station.
What We Saw & Did on Our Anime Tour
Start Time: 14:00
End Time: 16:20 (The tour was supposed to run until 17:00, but our jet-lagged family got really tired and started to struggle.)
Our stops included:
- Robots & figures exhibit at Bandai Namco
- Underground electronics area with spy cams, old Nintendo Game Boys, etc.
- Shops with anime figures and repaints
- Retro arcade
- Arcades with games and claw machines
- Maid café with beverages
- Pokémon shops with cards valued at crazy prices like 10 million JPY! Sorry Pikachu, we don’t love you that much.
- Manga (in Japanese) and manga characters
- Gachapon machines
Why We Enjoyed Our Anime Tour with Magical Trip
We loved being with a local who was also personally interested in what we were seeing. I never would’ve guessed Toshiko had so much knowledge about anime and the area, but she really knew which sites to visit, and even where to go in each place. It was fun to hear her talk about her son’s interest in the anime and figures as well.
This tour also felt unique and tailored to our group’s interests. I know the tailoring becomes more difficult with a larger group, but checking in at the beginning of the tour and trying to find something special for members of the group seems to be the modus operandi for this particular tour.
I was thankful to have a private tour to start off our Japan trip. If we’d taken the tour later in our trip, I wouldn’t hesitate to book a group tour.
We entered places we wouldn’t have ventured into on our own. I wouldn’t have wandered into a maid café because I had a different impression of what they are (not kid-friendly). However, it ended up being an innocent, fun stop for our family. We also stopped into places that we would’ve just walked by on our own, not knowing the treasures that awaited us inside.
My boys loved seeing the rare Pokémon cards and also discovering new characters.
Regrets I Had About Our Anime Tour
I thought this was an excellent ‘first thing to do in Tokyo’ after getting off the plane, but I now realize 2 hours (instead of 3) would’ve been perfect for us. I wish I’d reserved a 2-hour tour. Toshiko kept them engaged and excited about what they were seeing, and the 2-hour mark seemed spot on.
I wish I’d asked Toshiko more questions about life in Japan and the history of the Akihabara area, but the boys kept her busy with anime and manga questions, so I didn’t have much of a chance! I’m glad she was focused on them, because it remains a favorite part of our trip to Japan.
Final Thoughts & Tips
I personally wouldn’t choose this particular tour on a kid-free trip to Japan, but it was a hit with my anime-loving kids. I really think you need to have a big interest in anime, figures, manga, Gundam, etc.
If we come back, we won’t do the exact same tour. We are interested in the Tokyo Dome Tour because we had a blast going to a Tokyo baseball game. If I come back with just my oldest son, we want to do the Akihabara Retro to VR tour (age 13+ to do the VR).
This tour is fine to do if it’s raining – just bring an umbrella or rain jacket. Yes, you’re walking outside a bit, but most of your time is spent indoors.
Bring water, and money if you think you want to make any purchases. We ended up playing a few extra arcade games.
Wear comfortable shoes. You’re not walking huge distances, but minus a quick stop at the maid café, you’ll be on your feet for the entire tour.
Looking for more on travel to Japan? Check out
9 Reasons to Visit Japan with Kids
Packing List for 10 Days in Japan with a 9-Year-Old
10 Days in Japan with a 10-Year-Old – Our Itinerary
Souvenirs from Japan – What We Brought Back
Japan Souvenirs – Regrets & Favorites (1 Year Later)
Things to Do in Tokyo with a 10-Year-Old
Visiting Japan with Grandparents
Where to Stay in Tokyo with Kids – Areas & Hotels
How to Get Glasses in Tokyo – In One Day
Going to a Tokyo Baseball Game with Kids
A Day at Universal Studios Japan – Our Experience
Tokyo Disneysea with Kids – Quick Tips
Staying in a Ryokan in Kyoto
Airalo vs Ubigi for Japan ESIM
Akihabara Anime Tour (Tokyo)
