If you are under 20, please refrain from entering.
Akihabara and Kanda are neighbouring districts in north-east Chiyoda, inside the Yamanote loop. Akihabara is the electric town and pop-culture centre; Kanda and Ochanomizu are office and old-shop country; Jimbocho and Hongo are student quarters. Each has a different night.
Updated May 27, 2026
Akihabara is Japan's best-known electronics district and a centre of anime, manga and idol culture. Its night venues follow suit: concept cafes, maid cafes above all, lead the way, with girls bars and snack bars mixed in east and west of the station. Kanda and Ochanomizu next door are office-worker territory, where snack bars, small hostess clubs (kyabakura) and lounges survive in old-style lanes by the stations.
Jimbocho and Suidobashi to the west are the land of second-hand bookshops, universities and Tokyo Dome; Hongo around the University of Tokyo belongs to students and researchers, with izakaya and counter bars at night. Pick an area from the list below.
Akihabara Station is served by the JR Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku and Sobu local lines, the Tokyo Metro Hibiya line and the Tsukuba Express. Kanda has the Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku and Chuo rapid lines plus the Ginza line; Ochanomizu has the Chuo and Sobu lines plus the Marunouchi line. Akihabara, Kanda, Ochanomizu and Yushima are all within walking distance of one another.
Tokyo's nuisance-prevention ordinance bans persistent touting in public places. In areas designated by the Public Safety Commission it also bans waiting conspicuously to solicit for adult-entertainment and hostess-style businesses; in Chiyoda these are Uchikanda 3-chome, Kajicho 1 and 2-chome and Kanda-Kajicho 3-chome. Do not follow anyone who approaches you; read the price board and choose your venue yourself.
Listed in Akihabara/Kanda right now: Concept Cafe (1 venue) and Girls Bar (1 venue). You pay a set fee by the hour, with nomination (shimei) and drink charges on top, so confirm the total with each venue before you sit down.
Akihabara/Kanda is generally fine for a night out. The main risk is bottakuri, a padded bill at the end. Stick to venues that post their prices, skip street touts steering you into ‘free’ bars, and confirm the set fee plus any nomination or bottle charges before you order.
Payment methods vary by venue. Check the listing and confirm with the venue before booking.
Ranked by listing weight and recent activity
