Is this the NERDIEST place on Earth? 👾 Things to do in AKIHABARA, Tokyo! (東京)

Is this the NERDIEST place on Earth? 👾 Things to do in AKIHABARA, Tokyo! (東京)

[Music] Today we’re exploring what might just be 
the nerdiest place on Earth, right in the center of Tokyo. This is Akihabara—an absolute fever 
dream of color, chaos, and nostalgia. Here, everything—from the games to the gadgets to 
the girls in maid costumes—is dialed up to 11. It feels like I’m doing something wrong. 
It’s progressively more R rated. This is the center of Japan’s otaku culture, and we’re here 
to see just how nerdy it can get. There’s like seriously good players over here. Look how busy 
this place is. But beneath the surface of cute mascots and endless rows of crane games lies 
something deeper—a story of devotion, identity, and the human need to escape. We’re here to dive 
into every corner of this crazy neighborhood, every must-see site, and a couple of 
hidden gems. And like all good stories, this one starts with breakfast—otaku style. [Music] A nerdy day calls for a nerdy breakfast. So 
we just got these ones. We are in Kurikoan, and they had taiyaki. This is a little Pokémon 
thing, and we’re going to enjoy it so much. It’s in the shape of a Magikarp! Look at this—so 
pretty, so cute. This is one of the Pokémon that nobody wants. But you know what’s the first thing 
that comes to my head whenever I see a Magikarp? Potential. Because this little fish can evolve 
into a Gyarados, one of the strongest and feared creatures in the ocean. Every one of us—we can be 
a Magikarp with the potential to be a Gyarados. Are you saying that this also has the potential 
to be a really freaking good breakfast? I think so. Oh my God, it’s delicious! Yep, one thing I’m 
learning in Japan—if you see anything custard, go for it. Anything whipped cream, go for it. 
They do a phenomenal job with custard here. This is kind of like a waffle stuffed with custard, and 
it’s warm and it’s crispy but gooey inside. Mmm, so good. It really wasn’t much of a line either, 
so kind of a hidden little spot. I like it. Now that we’re fueled up, it’s time to 
start exploring this neighborhood and learn what it really means to be otaku. 
And it’s much more than being a nerd. It’s over-the-top dedication to any kind of 
subject—be it manga, electronics, trains, fashion, you name it. For some, it’s 
a term of endearment. But for others, it carries a stereotype of someone too 
absorbed in their own world. There’s no better place to see it in action than here 
in Akihabara’s towering electronic stores. This is Yodobashi Akiba, and it’s the biggest 
electronic store in all of Japan. It’s like 10 stories, and there’s even an Apple store 
inside. So this is going to be fun. We’re going to find a lot of things inside, and 
let’s see—maybe we buy something. Yeah, it’s like a Best Buy on steroids. According to my 
interpretation, pretty much anything electronic, we can find here. This place—we don’t even know 
where to start. It feels like they’re trying to short-circuit your brain the moment you walk 
in. There’s Christmas music blasting on repeat, layered with nonstop ads over the loudspeaker. 
It’s like they’re trying to disorient you—casino style. No windows, no clocks—just you and 10 
aisles of iPhone cases as far as the eye can see. It starts with the basics—external batteries 
or headphones. But then it gets weird. Like, why do I need a fan that’s controlled by an app? 
Who is buying a life-size Jason Momoa for their living room? What is this? It’s a PC no?—it’s the 
weirdest thing I’ve seen so far in the store. I am sincerely concerned that we are only on level two, 
and we’re already running into so much. Oh my God, Martín, do you see this right now? For some 
reason, in the middle of the electronics store, there’s some liquor. Lots and lots 
of liquor. Lots and lots of sake. You start realizing that maybe you need one 
of these ones. Or the big one. Sorry. Sorry. But then there’s the truly unhinged—red light 
face masks that look like you’re gearing up for a welding job. Pokémon waffle presses that 
somehow now feel essential. And the latest in hairdryer technology. And then, whatever this 
thing is. You have to come in here knowing what you’re looking for because there are aisles 
and aisles and aisles of stuff. Oh my God, look at these keyboards! Sorry. This 
is not good for someone with ADHD, ’cause I’m so easily distracted. Oh, there 
you are. Oh my God, I was looking for you. Okay, this is something else. This floor—this 
is the sixth. It’s all about games. But not only video games—also different board games 
and figures. So it’s overwhelming. This one is my happy place—the camera section. 
Because I think we all have a little bit of a nerd inside of us for something. 
And for me, I am definitely a camera nerd. What kind of nerd are you? We want to know. 
Leave it in the comments and enjoy shopping. [Music] Since we arrived in Japan, 
I’ve seen these things all around. Doesn’t matter where. It’s called 
gachapon. And especially in this place, there should be like a hundred 
of them. So we need to try one. [Music] Oh wow! Hey look at you. You’re a 
little bit of a nerd. A pokemon nerd. But if you see here, this is the one everyone would 
like. This is a great souvenir for 500 yen. Our next spot is Animate. This is 
for all of you anime lovers—like, heaven. The mecca. The place you need to be. This store is one of the largest manga and anime 
shops in the world. Each floor has rows and rows of manga. What stands out, though, isn’t just 
the size of the store—it’s the variety. Manga here caters to everyone—from sweet stories 
about first love to dark, surreal adventures. And then there’s the risque. Take “boys 
love,” for example, which is a manga about romantic male relationships. 
On the surface, it might seem niche, but it’s one of the most popular genres 
among women readers. And then, of course, there’s hentai—the genre that openly dives into 
explicit, even shocking themes. To outsiders, it might seem bizarre and even scandalous. But 
here, even in what appears to be a quiet and reserved country, there’s a cultural acceptance 
of taboo content that might surprise you. Wow. Okay, as you go up the stairs, 
it gets progressively more R rated. [Music] So I like this place. I mean, 
they’re very into mangas, little books. I think if you like mangas, 
this is the place to be. And also, there are new releases. There are two floors of 
new releases, so they have everything over here. What was your favorite anime growing up? I would say between Ranma and Saint 
Seyai. Or Dragon Ball as well. Yeah. So we’ve satisfied the anime nerds, we’ve 
satisfied the electronic nerds. Now, I think we have another type of nerd 
we need to cater to in this video. That’s right, and it’s going to 
be a fun one because right now, we’re going to the arcades. We’re 
going to one place that is called GiGO. Yep, arcades here in Japan are 
taken very seriously. Okay, I’m expecting to see a lot of competition, 
a lot of really, really cool games. I want to see something unique, you know? Like something that we’re 
not used to in both of our countries. Yeah, exactly. I also want to 
challenge you to a game, mi amo. Sure. So we gotta pick a good one. No problem. I thought it was a real person! Yoshi! Oh my gosh. So here at GiGO, we have three 
whole floors of crane games. How—how am I going to choose which one to do? I’m going to try to win us a Kirby. 
I’ve never been any good at these. Uh, I—I’m going to try for that one. Nooo! I don’t see many people walking 
away with a prize, let me just say that. I’m starting to get hungry, so 
I’m trying to get an octopus. No! Oh my God. [Music] Looks a little complicated. There’s like seriously 
good players over here that I just watched. I have so much respect for the people, especially on this floor five. 
The music floor—it’s incredible. I mean, I thought I was going to 
be, of course, fascinated by this, but wow, I never imagined something like that. What’s crazy to me is a lot of these people 
are not kids. They are adults, like us. Yeah, we really need to step 
up our game. I think we’ve let ourselves slip a little in the video game world. Should we try one of the 
Dance Dance Revolution games? If you want. Your turn. [Music] [Applause] Well, that dancing surely made us 
work up an appetite, so we need to have lunch. And I can’t believe we 
are about to go where we are going. You guys are going to be surprised. 
You can only find this here in Japan. Definitely, in Akihabara, you cannot go more than a few steps without seeing women 
in maid outfits on the street. So, of course, today’s lunch is at a maid café. These over-the-top cafés cater to 
a unique crowd of anime enthusiasts and people seeking connection in a city 
where loneliness has become an epidemic. Uh, luckily, we’re not the only couple here. I 
thought we would be the only couple over here. It’s a primarily male crowd here. Some solo males. But yet, they have pricing… discounts for 
students. Even preschool children can come here. It feels like I’m doing 
something wrong being here. Um, but I guess it’s acceptable? Tokyo’s fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyle 
leaves little room for socializing, and maid cafés have carved out quite a niche. The maids, dressed in their frilly 
costumes straight out of an anime, greet you with over-the-top enthusiasm, calling 
you “Master,” and create an atmosphere where you’re made to feel special—even if it’s 
just for the duration of your omurice. We decided to visit one of the most well-known 
chains, Maidreamin, to see what it’s all about. And they allow us to film 
ourselves, but not the maids. Once you’re seated, the performance begins. These maids are triple threats. They 
dance, they sing, and they flirt with you. And if you’re up to it, you can even pay 
for a photo with a maid or a performance. Martín gets to take a picture 
with one of the maids ’cause he ordered one of the combos. I just wanted a beer. And the food here—it’s horrible. They can’t cook to save their lives, but 
they’ll cast a spell over your food to make it sweeter and call you “Master,” 
so somehow that makes it all worth it. Thank you, thank you. Every time they bring you your food, they make 
you do something like with your hands—like “heart,” and then the other way. And 
they make you say—this is so cute. You know, all in Japanese, of 
course, but you understood. We talked to some guys yesterday, and they 
told us they went to a maid café. They were like, “They were calling me ‘Master,’ and 
it was getting a little… They had to call their wives after. They were like, ‘Oh, it’s 
getting a little… crossing the line here.'” But no, Maidreamin has been fun. It’s 
just fun. It’s just girls having fun. Girls lip-syncing, looking cute, 
but I’m having a blast here. [Music] Question for you guys in the comments: If I were to pay you $100, would 
you be able to perfectly hum the theme song to Super Mario 
Bros. or Legend of Zelda? Yeah. I think you would lose 
$100. I think everybody can. And also the other one. Okay, well, I guess I owe you $100. Perfect. Anyway, this place that we’re about to go to is for those of you guys who know 
the theme songs to those games. Because this is for the 
old-school, ’90s kid video gamers. That’s me! Yeah, let’s go to this next spot. And this one doesn’t have a big entrance. It was a 
little hard to find, but well, let’s check it out. At first glance, Super Potato’s sketchy entrance makes you second-guess if 
you’re in the right spot. But don’t let that stop you. Just follow the cheesy 8-bit video game music, and you’ll end up here at 
this part-museum, part-store. Anyone who’s ever blown into a cartridge to get 
their game to work will appreciate this place. We learned from our mistake in the 
other place that has several floors, and we took the elevator directly to 
the fifth floor, so then we go down. So the fifth floor is the first one we see 
and it’s impressive. It’s so beautiful. All the retro games. And also, they have, I think, um, the stations you can also purchase of 
course, Japanese candies, beverages. It feels amazing. Also, how it’s decorated. And all the, you know, retro games. I think a lot of people don’t 
realize that this is here. [Music] Okay, so it looks like over here we 
have a lot of games, or soundtracks. Oh wow. Really, really old games here. Dang, this is for, like, real 
fans. Serious hardcore fans. I used to play this game—Metal 
Gear Solid. Very good game. My gosh, this takes me back. My dad gave me one of these when I was a kid. It 
was a Donkey Kong one, and I freaking loved it. I don’t know what ever happened to it. I think it’s this one Juliana? 
Yes, this one! It’s 69,000 yen. I could have sold that! I need to 
go scour my parents’ house for it. I think for sure this is my 
favorite spot of the day. It is just a trip down memory lane. I think we got to live like every 
type of nerd possible today. Yeah, we watched some weird things, 
but also some interesting ones. I think it’s only going to get weirder. I think this is just the tip 
of the iceberg here in Japan. We have eight more videos 
coming out from our time here. I think we’re going to leave one to 
the side for you guys to watch next. So long, travel well, and make 
the world your neighborhood. See you guys next time. Bye!

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Today we are discovering the best things to do in Akihabara, Tokyo! Known as the heart of Japan’s otaku culture, Akihabara is a sensory overload where gaming, anime, and pop culture collide. In this video, we dive into everything this neighborhood has to offer, from must-see spots to hidden gems. Along they way we’ll play at iconic arcades, dine at a maid café, find Pokémon-themed snacks, and explore anime stores. You won’t believe how nerdy it gets!

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Think the travel world’s only split into hardcore backpackers and tick-the-box tourists? We call nonsense. You’re out to see a destination’s must see spots, but also to sneak off the tourist path to find the spots that only locals go. You’re chasing experiences with value, and we’ve got you. When you travel with us, it’s no fluff, just the good stuff—because your vacation deserves more than just scratching the surface.
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🎥 CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:10 Pokémon taiyaki
2:28 What is otaku?
2:56 Yodobashi Akiba
5:33 Gachapon (Gacha Gacha)
6:25 Animate
7:57 Gigo
11:11 Maid cafe
13:48 Super Potato
16:36 Outro