Spend the day with your savvy A&K guide who will help you discover Tokyo’s iconic pop culture. Start at a Japanese school in the city’s cool Nakano district where you can swat up on the history of manga. Then head to Nakano Broadway, a four-level shopping mall dedicated to anime (animation).
You’ll then take the train to Harajuku and its lively pedestrianised Takeshita street. Here you’ll see colourfully-clad youths show off the latest in fashion and the quintessential kawaii (cute) culture.
Continue to Akihabara, Tokyo’s main district for anime, video games and wall-to-wall electronic goods. You’ll enter neon arcades full of virtual guitarists, teens on crane machines and people after work playing Pokémon. The area is also famed for its maid café where waitresses in maid’s outfits serve smiley-faced cupcakes and animal-shaped ice creams.
Additional notes about the tour
This is a full-day experience that will keep you on your toes throughout. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.