Is Akihabara a good place to stay in Tokyo?

Akihabara is a good base if you want a central, well-connected and affordable part of Tokyo, especially if you love anime, games or electronics. Akihabara Station has the Yamanote line to Tokyo Station and Ueno, the Sobu line towards Shinjuku and the Hibiya line to Ginza. It suits anime and gaming fans, budget travellers and first-time visitors who want easy access to the east side of the city.

The area is bright, busy and a little eccentric. Chuo-dori is lined with towering electronics and anime stores, side streets hide retro game shops and maid cafés, and the arcades stay busy late into the evening. Away from the neon, Kanda Myojin shrine sits on a hill to the west, and the brick railway arches of mAAch ecute Kanda Manseibashi hold cafés and craft shops.

The downside is that Akihabara is crowded and noisy around Chuo-dori, and if anime and electronics aren't your thing, its main attractions won't hold you for long. Nightlife is limited compared with Shinjuku or Shibuya, and many restaurants are quick chains rather than places to linger.

What makes Akihabara worth considering is how central and easy it is. Tokyo Station, Ueno and Asakusa are close, hotels are good value for the location, and stepping out into Electric Town is an experience you won't find anywhere else in the world.