Private Experience Akihabara Electric Town: Karaoke, Anime and Otaku Culture in Tokyo
Overview
- 3.5-hour private tour of Akihabara Electric Town in Tokyo
- Order a complimentary drink and sing popular tunes in a private karaoke booth
- Order tea or coffee and be welcomed 'home' at a maid cafe
- Visit Don Quijote and search the vast complex for your own personal treasures
- Learn about otaku culture from a private guide in this popular shopping district
- One way public transport included
Start your exploration by meeting your guide at your hotel, continuing by public transport to Akihabara for an afternoon start time. This iconic area, which was nicknamed Akihabara Electric Town due to its origins as an electronics district after World War II, has evolved in recent years into a cultural hub for lovers of anime, manga, cosplay and video games, who refer to themselves as otaku, or “nerds.”
Begin your walking tour of Akihabara by performing your favorite songs with family and friends at a decorated karaoke room (holds up to 5 people). One complimentary beverage is included with your karaoke visit, but feel free to order a few more and some snacks if you’re feeling hungry or thirsty.
Continue your exploration by taking part in a fun purikura photo shoot. This fun photo machines offer hilarious options to customize your image with stamps, sparkles, and frame before printing out a copy you can keep as a souvenir.
When you finish with your photo shoot, follow your guide to one of Akihabara’s famous maid cafes. Here you’ll find waitresses dressed in playful French maid outfits, treating guests as if they’re in a private home rather than a public restaurant. Get a welcome from your maid with a “Welcome home, master (or mistress)” greeting, and then enjoy a complimentary choice of coffee or tea (other food or drinks at your own expense). Enjoy an hour at this entertaining example otaku culture, and for an additional fee, joining your waitress to play a game or sing a song.
Finish your Akihabara excursion at Don Quijote, affectionately known by residents as “Donkey.” This sprawling retail superstore sells everything from luxury goods to everyday groceries. Literally every inch of shelf space is packed with products, offering a fun chance to dig for a bargain. Your tour concludes here leaving you with time to do some much shopping.
Reviews
Viator Traveler's Reviews
This tour was our favorite of the 6 days we were in Tokyo! Benchi Ben was awesome! My son who is 14 absolutely loved this tour! Benchi met us at the hotel then we went to Akihabara which started with karaoke! Now honestly I thought this was going to be boring with just us 3 but it was such fun!! And Benchi sounds like an American Idol singer! Next we went to the Maid Cafe which was also very interesting! Benchi showed us wear to eat and what else to do. Once the tour was ending he even told us where to shop in Shibuya where my son of course got some awesome clothes! Benchi was the best tour guide he and my son now follow each other on twitter!
Our guide, Ben, met us at our hotel lobby. He taught us how to navigate the Tokyo train system, so we were able to use it on our own during the rest of the trip. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about the Akihabara culture. We're not Anime fans, but our teenage son is. We had a fun afternoon going to a photo booth which is not a typical photo booth, going to a Karaoke room, going to a maid cafe and shopping. Our guide was A.
Real fun quick tour of Akihabara. Some of this is a tad odd, as you would expect. its good to have a guide and she is very knowledgeable sharing the history etc. She also helped us out when our photo machine ended our session before my 2nd daughter got in. the subway to the appointment was confusing. I'd recommend a cab if possible.
Tour could have been better with a better guide. Mingawa was not quite organized, spoke only passable English, and this tour, she admitted, really wasn't her thing, She prefers to do the historical tours. Pick up was fine but she somehow forgot that she was supposed to cover transport. She finally remembered when we just looked at her. She rushed us through everything but the Maid Cafe where she could sit down for way longer than we needed as well as Purika. She kept walking through the photos and rushing my daughter during her editing. Finally with a half hour left to go, she wanted to drop us at Donqui. We weren't interested as we had already hit Daisu, Harajuku, La Foret, as well as Mitsukoshi in Ginza where our hotel was. So instead of seeing us to our hotel as promised or even providing fare, she said, I have to take this phone call and scurried off to leave. Alas, we were familiar with the metro and returned without incident. So the tour idea is great but an excellent guide will make all the difference. Our guide promised photos--never received them. So glad we were taking our own and videoing. Akihabara is exciting and fun. Karaoke was a huge hit. Maid Cafe--kitschy but a must see. My daughter loved Purika. The value versus price point was not very good due to the guide. If you get a great guide I gather others had Mina who actually sets these things up, you won't care a wit about the cost.
Excellent tour with a very upbeat and sharp tour guide, Mina. Mina spoke very good English and was delighted that my 10-year old son could identify her cosplay outfit (Attack on Titan!). Mina met us at our hotel in Shinagawa promptly and took us on the train to Akihabara for a very fun and enjoyable few hours. We sang Karaoke, we visited a maid café and also took us to a strange but interesting place called a purikura (hi-tech photo booth). The maid café was so typically Japanese (odd, yet delightful), and so benign for even a kid to enjoy. The gals inside were sweet and of course, cute. Mina helped us find one that wasn't crowded to get into, yet, all of them looked to be doing a bang-up business. At the purikura, my son wore a costume and I used his Full Metal Alchemist robe. It was very fun! Without Mina there, we could have not done this, as it was in Japanese, and you wouldn't easily understand the process. We also went into a large store, Don Quixote or "the donkey" as they call it. As with many stores in Akihabara, you get overwhelmed with stuff, but it adds to the overall feel of a place unlike anything, anywhere. We decided to stay in Akihabara and shop for the afternoon. Mina made sure we knew how to return to the train before departing. I would highly recommend this tour to those who want a fascinating experience that most westerners won't find without a Japanese guide. Mina was awesome, so we also highly recommend her. My young son thought she was sweet and smart, and obviously cool, since she knew about Attack on Titan!
A must for all kids interested in Anime. Great fun for adults to see how much kids enjoy Karaoke, Japanese cartoons, cos play ( dressing up to we adults) and photo booths with high tech editing technology. Guide was very friendly and genuinely interested in making sure we had a great time.
Very good experience for French People who arrived from New Caledonia. Sorry for our bad English... The guide was very good, enough sensible to understand what we are waiting for. It was a discovery for us and for our child which is 17 years old who love the japanish culture.. Thanks for your involvement...