Where is Animate Akihabara located?

Animate Akihabara is in Akihabara, Tokyo, a well-known area for anime, manga, and gaming enthusiasts. The store is easy to find, as it is near Akihabara Station, one of the busiest train hubs for tourists and anime fans alike.

What can I buy at Animate Akihabara?

Visitors can purchase a wide range of anime-related products, including manga, light novels, Blu-rays, figures, keychains, posters, art books, and cosplay accessories. Many items are exclusive to Animate and not available elsewhere.

Is Animate Akihabara a tax-free store for tourists?

Yes, Animate Akihabara offers tax-free shopping for international tourists who meet the required purchase amount. Visitors need to present their passport at the counter to get a tax refund on eligible purchases.

How can I get to Animate Akihabara from Tokyo Station?

From Tokyo Station, take the JR Yamanote Line or the Keihin-Tohoku Line to Akihabara Station. The store is a short walk from the station’s Electric Town Exit, surrounded by many other anime and gaming shops.

When is the best time to visit Animate Akihabara?

Weekdays, especially in the morning or early afternoon, are the best times to visit to avoid crowds. Weekends and holiday seasons can be very busy, especially when new anime seasons begin and special events are held.

Storefront of Animate, a popular Japanese anime and manga shop. The exterior features large blue and yellow signage, anime posters, and promotional banners. The entrance displays “TAX FREE” and other advertisements.

A Japanese store aisle displays anime and character merchandise, including figurines, plush toys, keychains, and DVDs. Shelves are neatly organized with colorful packaging and promotional signs in Japanese.

Store shelves display colorful stationery items, including notebooks, folders, pens, stickers, and gift bags. Brightly designed products are neatly organized in rows, with labels and signage in Japanese visible above the items.

Tokyo

Animate Akihabara

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Last updated May 23, 2026

Animate Akihabara is one of Japan's largest and most popular anime stores. It is located in Akihabara, Tokyo, which is known as the center of anime, manga, and gaming culture. Animate is famous for selling a wide range of anime-related goods, including figures, posters, keychains, Blu-rays, and manga. Many of these items are exclusive and cannot be found anywhere else.

The store is several floors high, with each level dedicated to different types of merchandise. Some floors focus on manga and light novels, while others sell DVDs, character goods, and cosplay items. Animate also hosts special events, such as autograph sessions with voice actors and limited-time exhibitions featuring popular anime series.

Akihabara itself is a hub for anime lovers, and Animate is a must-visit spot for fans. It attracts visitors from all over the world who want to buy rare collectibles. Since its opening, Animate has played a key role in promoting anime culture, making it an important part of Japan’s entertainment industry.

Hours

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Monday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Phone

+81 3-5209-3330

Website

www.animate.co.jp

Overview

Address

4-chōme-3-1 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan

Hours

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Monday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Trip templates featuring Animate Akihabara

15-day Anime Pilgrimage

Momiji Kashiwa

Trip templates featuring Animate Akihabara

15-day Anime Pilgrimage

Momiji Kashiwa

Traveler reviews

The Animate in Akihabara is a very solid store with multiple floors dedicated to anime merchandise. It mainly focuses on the latest and most popular series, but you can still find some older and niche titles if you take the time to browse. The selection is huge, with figures, keychains, books, character goods, and all kinds of anime-related products spread across several floors. The store is well organized and easy to navigate. One thing to note is that prices are generally not cheap, as most of the items sold here are brand-new releases rather than second-hand merchandise. If you're looking for the latest official goods, however, this is definitely one of the best places to shop in Akihabara. A must-visit for anime fans, especially if you're interested in current and trending series.

Sean Yam

Jun 23, 2026

Super cool. Not all we wanted to get was there but hell l. That store is amazing! Full recommend to just look through the 6th floors. The right side only allows to enter the 5th floor, no elevator there. But the lift side also got an elevator and two staircases for up down. In these at the 5th floor they got a bathroom.

Gerd Krapf

Jul 4, 2026

This store has a bit of everything, but not too much of anything concrete. I found wider offer of merch from The Summer Hikaru Died in Donki near by, than here. But then, I understand why - too many customers with too many different tastes. Count with the fact that the shop is very crowded and you'll be squeezing yourself in with a lot of customers at some floors. But because of that, I didn't buy anything here, in the end.

Jana Krištanová

Jun 5, 2026

The Animate in Akihabara is a very solid store with multiple floors of anime goods. It usually focuses on the most popular titles but also carries some older and niche stuff. However, this review is mostly about the side branch Animate store that’s a little bit to the left of the big main store. You’ll know it’s the right place when you see a bunch of music soundtracks available on the first floor. That’s nice to look at, but I’m mostly here to talk about the Visual Arts/Key store on the 5th floor. This is a relatively new store that apparently opened in 2025. If you’re looking for more merch from Key series — all the way from Kanon to Summer Pockets — you have to come here at least once. If you go to the fourth floor, there’s a whole floor dedicated to Key’s gacha game Heaven Burns Red. It may be a bit hard to find the spot, but I heavily recommend coming here if you are a fan of Key visual novels or anime.

Angelo Rivera (Ange)

Mar 29, 2026

Not explore enough due to heavy customers but I can tell that there's so many merch. I bought some that I didn't found in Animate Nipponbashi and Animate Ikebukuro (only small fraction in photo). Good choice if you're looking for famous franchise merch. Other than that, go find at another store.