Just several strides into the busy streets of Akihabara, you will begin to acclimatize to the rabbit warren of shops and stores around the station. Some of the very interesting things you will discover among the rows of tall buildings, aside from the maid cafés and electronic stores that the area is known for, are the hobby shops that deal mostly in manga and anime goods. One of these hobby stores is Kotobukiya, the flagship store of the famous figure-maker of the same name. It sells goods based on famous anime in the forms of key chains, games, collectible figurines, comics, magazines, DVDs and movies.
The building has several floors, but most of the items on the first floor will be enough to satisfy your fandom. In fact, I spent so much time browsing and looking at the many kinds and different genres of toys and collectibles that I lost track of time. I was totally amazed by the huge variety of collectibles, ranging from around ¥200 up to as much as ¥25000! There were fascinating key chains with cute faces and stuffed toys bearing huge smiles. The first floor alone is a maze of so many figurines and action toys, miniature transportation and other manga related items. On the fourth floor you will find their showroom, where a wide array of Kotobukiya’s own manufactured plastic models and action figurines are displayed.
Credit cards accepted
You can either purchase anything in the shop with cash or credit cards, and they accept a wide range of cards, like MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Diners Club, UC and JBC.
Kotobukiya operates the whole year through. From Sunday to Thursday, they are open from 10:00am until 8:00pm, while on Fridays and Saturdays, they stay open until 9:00pm.
Easy to find
Kotobukiya is located in the Okashima Building in Sotokanda, only about a 3-minute walk from the Electric Town exit of JR Akihabara Station. Just go past Atre Akihabara and cross the main road, go north one block, then turn left. Go straight until you see the building marked “Kotobukiya” on top.
Though the building sits among several other shops, Kotobukiya will capture your attention because of the shop name’s size, with text running across the top of the building that says “CRAFTSMANSHIP Kotobukiya” on a pleasant triple-hued green background with white and gray checked designs. The building even looks stunning at night with the green and white neon lights on, a combination which looks very attractive on the camera. It will surely entice you towards the entrance of the shop.
It looks like there are two big Pokemon Centers, one in Ikebukuro, one in Lalaport Shopping Center.
It's easy to get from Akihabara to Ikebukuro, by the JR Yamanote line.