Akihabara#

Where to Stay#

JR East Hotel Mets Akihabara — directly connected to the station. Hard to beat for convenience.

Food#

Wako Tonkatsu Akiba 8F (Yodobashi 8th Floor Food Court)#

It’s on the 8th floor of Yodobashi Camera. Very juicy tonkatsu. It’s become our standard meal after we fly in to Tokyo. They have English menus, but the staff probably won’t speak much.

You push the button next to your table to summon the waiter when you want to order. When you’re done, take the ticket up to the cash register to pay. This is a pretty common pattern for restaurants in Japan. Ordering at a ticket machine is another very common style - see Kikanbo, below.

English Menu: ◯

English Spoken: ❌

Kikanbo (Ramen)#

Spicy ramen spot. Known for their kara-miso (spicy miso) ramen — you choose your spice and numbing levels separately. If you like Cilantro, then order the “No. 3 Coriander Ramen”. If not, go with the #1 or #2 - you can’t go wrong with the house specialty. You order at the vending machine out front, and it will give you a little ticket. You’ll hand that to a staff member as you enter (or maybe while you’re waiting in line), and they’ll ask you how spicy you want yours - I think it was on a scale of 1-5. You’ll select two variables: heat, and szcechuan pepper (numbing spice). I like moderately spicy food, so a 2-3 on both works well for me.

English Menu: ◯

English Spoken: ❌

All-You-Can-Eat Beef Shabu-shabu & Beef Sukiyaki Tajimaya Yodobashi Akiba Branch#

(no really, that seems to be the actual name of the restaurant)

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qjFLfMr85w1ddENn7

All you can eat (with a time limit) shabu-shabu or sukiyaki. The difference between the two is which broth you choose - the rest of the experience is the same. You can get the cheaper lunch pricing even late in the afternoon - basically as long as it’s before dinner.

English Menu: ◯

English Spoken: ❌

Things to Do#

Nerd Shopping#

Akihabara is still the mecca for nerd shopping. You can’t throw a stick without hitting a shop selling anime, manga, or video game merch. Or an arcade. Or a maid cafe.

You’ll definitely want to hit Radio Kaikan, Lashinbang, Mandarake, Amiami, and Volks. Volks has had a selection of Laid Back Camp merch the last few years.

YushaKobo#

Interested in a custom mechanical keyboard? This is the place. They mostly sell kits and parts, but have a number of pre-assembled models out for you to compare. They also have a computer set up with a custom keyboard that has one of each switch type on it. It’s programmed such that when you press a key, it brings up the store page for that switch so that you know what you just pressed. It’s a great way to figure out which key feels and sounds the best to you. (then you write down the stock number and quantity to hand to the clerk).

I bought a nice split ergonomic mechanical keyboard kit last time, plus all the parts needed for the build. It came out to about $170 after the Yen->USD conversion.

I believe they also offer assembly services for folks without the time, tools or skills to build out the kits. I have no idea what the lead time is, since I was looking forward to the DIY part. If you know me, just ask and I’ll build yours for you too.

This feels like a remnant of the old Akihabara - a small, super-niche electronics hobby store.

English Spoken: ❌