To be completely transparent, I don’t really like Akihabara and don’t like recommend it for families.
HOWEVER, I do know that some families have one or more members who love electronics, anime figurines and searching for vintage or used computer parts.
If you were to ask me why I really don’t like it? I feel that the kinds of shops and restaurants ( maid cafes etc.) draw in a weird kind of clientele – so, to me, it just feels seedy (although I have never ever felt in danger – it’s still Japan.)
I definitely don’t believe Akihabara to be a must-see. Some guidebooks will tell you otherwise and some people want to be amongst all of the lights and the big screens – I feel that you can get plenty of this in Shibuya and Shinjuku (and even some parts of Ikebukuro) to not need to visit.
If you ever wanted to find a random computer piece from a computer you had in the 90s? This is your place!
This is also a good place to see new electronics or the newest models of tvs or phones or home goods etc (it’s expensive because it’s the latest -but still cool to look at, right?). Start by checking out the big electronic stores and also Yodobashi Camera shopping mall.
Another thing that’s good to shop for here? Collectable anime figurines etc (also expensive but if you are a serious collector – you will be in heaven.)
Did you know that (although it is a 20 min+ walk) Ueno is walking distance from Akihabara?
But… if you do visit Akihabara, I would like to share my family-friendly recommendations so that families with small children aren’t stuck for options.
BREAKFAST OPTIONS IN AKIHABARA WITH KIDS:
Dennys, Akihabara (from 6:30am)
Scrambled eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches and pancakes.
Denny’s have a zero meat (plant based) burger steak option. Denny’s Japan (note, not the same as Denny’s in the US.).
Open from 10am -10pm. Please note that there are “smoking sections” of the restaurant on weekdays.
They have a low common allergens menu. There is a change table in the toilets here. No bookings. Walk-in only. They accept most major credit cards.
Here is the full Denny’s Japan menu.
Royal Host, Akihabara (from 8am-10pm)
Diner style breakfasts. The Akihabara branch of Royal Host has beautiful big windows and is quite spacious. The staff also speak a bit of English.
The entrance is on the ground floor but you will need to take a set of stairs up to the restaurant (on the second floor.) There is no elevator access.
Breakfast menu here is available until 10:30AM. Royal Host stores accept most major credit cards. I have written more about dining at Royal Host in Japan here. This diner style restaurant is also a great family-friendly option for lunch and dinner.
Please note that this restaurant does not accept reservations- walk in only.
LUNCH OPTIONS IN AKIHABARA WITH KIDS:
Pomme no Ki, Akihabara
Omurice restaurant. Omrice is a rice dish served with a large omelette. It’s really good and you can choose the type of sauce/flavour of your omrice dish.
I would budget around 2000 yen per person when dining here. This restaurant is casual and it is fine to take children. Pomme no ki accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. This restaurant is two minutes walk from JR Akihabara Station.
POMME NO KI, AKIHABARA
東京都千代田区神田花岡町1-1 ヨドバシAkiba 8F
8TH FLOOR OF YODOBASHI AKIBA DEPARTMENT STORE, 1-1 KANDA HANAOKA-CHO, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO
OPEN 11AM-11PM (LAST ORDER 10PM)
Tonkatsu Wako, Akihabara
On the same floor in the same store is Tonkatsu Restaurant Tonkatsu Wako. They do accept most major credit cards and they do have high chairs here. The restaurant seats 48 people. They do not take reservations.
See the full Tonkatsu Wako menu in English here. And the adorable kids menu plates here. Each kids meal comes with a small toy.
Did you know that Japan has all you can eat restaurant Sizzler?
There is one on the second floor of Tokyo Dome Hotel. *This restaurant is 10 minutes in a taxi from Akihabara
It is an easy option for families who want to eat lots of salads and American style meals. It is also an easy option for gluten free visitors -they have a detailed allergen menu for their steak sauces and also for salad options etc.
Budget for adults for lunch – 3000 yen and approx 6000 yen at dinnertime.
Sizzler accepts most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. There are spaces for strollers and there is also a kids menu.
See the children’s menu at Sizzler here.
SIZZLER TOKYO DOME
文京区後楽1-3-61 東京ドームホテル2F
2F TOKYO DOME HOTEL, 1-3-61 KORAKU, BUNKYO-KU
OPEN 11AM-10PM (LAST ORDER AT 9:30PM)*OPEN FROM 10AM ON WEEKENDS
If you would like to visit a beautiful izakaya as a family, I recommend Kichiri, Akihabara.
This restaurant welcomes babies and children. It is a shoes off restaurants so make sure you wear your nice socks!
The food is Italian x Japanese fusion. Kichiri is just to the right of the Chuo (Central) Exit of Akihabara Station (on the 3rd floor.) Budget wise: approximately 4000 yen per adult when you dine here. There is a 561 yen service charge per person (and you will receive an ootoshi when you sit down as a thank you.) As with all izakayas – each dish is a small tapas size portion and you order lots and share.
You can see the full Kichiri menu here (in Japanese and English.)
KICHIRI, AKIHABARA
千代田区神田佐久間町1-13チョムチョム秋葉原
3RD FLOOR, CHOMU CHOMU AKIHABARA BUILDING, 1-13 KANDA SAKUMACHO, CHIYODA-KU
OPEN MON-THURS & SUN 5PM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10PM)
OPEN FRI, SAT & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 5PM-1AM (LAST ORDERS AT MIDNIGHT)
Other Family friendly restaurants in Akihabara:
The Shopping Centre in Akihabara called Akiba Tolim has quite a few kid-friendly eateries. It is just to the right when you exit JR Akihabara Station via the Chuo (Central) Exit. If you arrive by Tsukaba Express, use Exit A1 to get here.
On the 5th floor, you will find Toraji, a Yakiniku restaurant. This restaurant welcomes families (although it is best to make a reservation.) The entire restaurant is non-smoking and they do accept most major credit cards. For lunch here I would budget for 6000 yen per adult and more like 13,000 yen at dinner time. Wagyu is also on the menu here. See the full Toraji Akihabara menu via this link here. As it is Yakiniku, you will have your own barbeque grill in the middle of the table and a variety of marinades. It’s a great meal for kids to join in on. This restaurant is wheelchair accessible. You can ask for tatami or horigotatsu style seating. The interior of this restaurant is very beautiful.
TORAJI, AKIHABARA
5TH FLOOR, AKIBA TOLIM SHOPPING CENTRE, AKIHABARA
OPEN FOR LUNCH 11AM-3PM (LAST ORDERS AT 2:30PM)
OPEN FOR DINNER 5PM-11PM (LAST ORDERS AT 10:30PM)
Also inside of Akiba Tolim, you can find Yakitori (grilled and chargrilled chicken skewers) restaurant Torimitsukuni on the 5th floor. This restaurant welcomes young families. This restaurant is entirely non-smoking and they also accept most major credit cards. I think this restaurant is really pretty inside. Some tables even have views of Akihabara and are great for people-watching. In terms of budget, I would set aside 2000 yen per adult at lunchtime and more like 5000 yen at dinner time. Unfortunately it is only in Japanese but you can see the menu online with pictures here – and you can put it through Google translate if you like.
TORIMITSUKUNI, AKIHABARA
5TH FLOOR, AKIBA TOLIM SHOPPING CENTRE, AKIHABARA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-2PM & 5PM-11:30PM
OPEN WEEKENDS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 11AM-2:30PM & 5PM-11:30PM
Or how about family-friendly sushi?
Tsukiji Sushiko welcomes kids and sushi and sashimi is delivered from Toyosu fish markets daily. They have a kids menu here too (only sushi though so if your kids don’t eat sushi it’s best to go elsewhere.) This sushi restaurant accepts most major credit cards and is non-smoking. Lunch is approximately 2000 yen per person and I’d budget for 4000 yen per adult at dinner time. Here is the Tsukiji Sushiko individual sushi menu in English and Japanese. Here is the sushi set / sushi small platter menu for Tsukiji Sushiko. This is the Tsukiji Sushiko seafood rice bowl and sushi roll menu. This link leads to the side menu for Tsukiji Sushiko – includes salads and cooked fish.
TSUKIJI SUSHIKO, AKIHABARA
5TH FLOOR, AKIBA TOLIM SHOPPING CENTRE, AKIHABARA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-2PM & 5PM-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9:30PM)
OPEN WEEKENDS 11AM-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9:30PM
For even more restaurant options, head to the 8th floor of Yodobashi-Akiba Shopping Mall Building.
Most restaurants on this floor open at 11am and can get very busy on weekends so, with kids, I recommend going right at 11am or after 2:30pm.
Family-Friendly Restaurants on the 8th floor include:
– Tajimaya (Sukiyaki & Shabu Shabu) *All you can eat Shabu Shabu hot pot for 90 mins & All you can eat dessert
– Craft Beer Tap Akihabara (Beer & Burgers) *Open everyday of the year
–Wanzhuji (Ramen & Gyoza)
–Cobara Hetta Indian Curry Dining (Indian Curry served with Naan or French Fries!) *This restaurant has a kids plate ( a small mild curry, naan, a few veggies and some fries) and also has space to store strollers while you dine. They also have some gluten-free curry plates. This a small and casual food court style restaurant.
and
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Yodobashi Akiba
And if you’re looking for a bit of a lush dinner or lunch with a reasonable price tag at a restaurant that also allows children in Akihabara, I recommend Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Yodobashi Akihabara (inside Yodobashi Akiba Shopping Complex ) for Kobe Beef and Wagyu. It’s a Beef Cutlet restaurant. It is high quality beef, crumbed and fried so that the outside is crunchy and served with a range of sauces (dipping sauces) and rice. The restaurant is entirely non-smoking. They have an English menu. They also accept most major credit cards.
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Yodobashi Akihabara is 2 mins walk from Akihabara Station. This restaurant welcomes children and babies.
Each meal is approx 2000 yen. You can see the full Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu menu here. (Click bottom right to change the language to English) This restaurant is walk-in only.
GYUKATSU KYOTO KATSGYU YODOBASHI AKIBA
千代田区神田花丘町-18F
8TH FLOOR, YODOBASHI AKIBA, 1-1 KANDA-HANAOKACHO, CHIYODA-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-10PM (LAST ORDERS AT 9PM)
There is also a Vie De France Bakery on the ground floor of this building. Take out only.
Vegan and Vegetarian options in Akihabara
Cocoichibanya Curry is probably your best bet. Vegan and Vegetarian curry options available here and don’t forget you can add extra veggies like spinach or eggplant. Cocoichibanya in Akihabara is 1 min walk from Akihabara Station.
Gluten Free T’s Ueno-Hirokoji
If you are looking for a gluten free restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options, I recommend walking 12 mins from Akihabara Station to Gluten Free T’s Ueno-Hirokoji. As you can guess from the name, this Tokyo restaurant is entirely gluten free. There are many vegan and vegetarian options here too. Menu options include orange chicken, ramen, fried chicken, mapo tofu, pizza, meat buns, vegan pancakes. There is a full English menu. For lunch or dinner I would budget around 2500 yen per adult. Gluten Free T’s accept most major credit cards and the entire restaurant is non-smoking. This restaurant can also deliver a gluten free breakfast on Ubereats.
GLUTEN FREE T’S UENO-HIROKOJI
アパホテル上野広小路5-3-3 SOTOKANDA, CHIYODA
INSIDE THE APA HOTEL UENO HIROKOJI, 5-3-3 SOTOKANDA, CHIYODA
OPEN EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR
OPEN FOR BREAKFAST 7AM-9:30AM
OPEN FOR LUNCH MIDDAY-3PM (CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS FOR LUNCH)
OPEN FOR DINNER 5PM-10PM (CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS FOR DINNER)
THINGS TO SEE IN AKIHABARA WITH KIDS
Even just exciting the station and walking in any direction you will see lots of arcades with gatchapon and crane machines.
Katsu Sandwich (Katsu-sando) vending machine!
This unique vending machine is just 6 mins walk from the Electric Town exit of Akihabara Station. It’s just next to the shopping mall called “Maach Acute Kanda Manseibashi.”
As well as Katsu-sando you can also find Hamburg Steak sandwiches. Prices range from 750 yen to 1150 yen.
My thoughts on Maid Cafes?
If you’ve been reading up on Akihabara, you’ve probably read about Maid Cafes.
Can you take kids to a maid cafe? Yes – they aren’t anything sexual ( at least not to the innocent eye.)
Maid Cafes is young girls and women as waitresses serving customers in little maid outfits. The food is cutesy (bad quality and doesn’t taste great but I doubt that the repeat customer clientele care….). The wait staff refer to the customers as “master” and often participate in “dancing” (or, more than dancing its more like hand gestures to music.)
You can probably tell that I don’t recommend it, personally. Bad food and it’s just a bit icky to me. I’ve been when I was University Student age – but I just don’t know how I could go about explaining it to my kids (and, more to the point, explain the weirdo old man sitting at the table next to us and loving it and knowing all the dance actions ….)
But if you want to go – do it. Maid Dreamin’ is the most well known brand of Maid Cafes in that area. Just maybe go out for a real meal afterwards, ok?
Did you know that there is an undercover artisan market not far from Akihabara Station (8 mins on foot) under the railway line? This viaduct area is full of small and local businesses and craft stores. It is also 14 mins on foot from Ueno Station or 5 mins from Okachimachi Station. You can also walk here from Akihabara Station in 8 mins.
This area is called 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan.
I recommend walking here from any of the stations mentioned above – perfect with a baby in a stroller. Grab some food along the way and let little alleyways determine where you wander.
There is a public bathroom (with a change table) at 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan.
2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN
OPEN 11:00AM-7PM
CLOSED WEDNESDAYS
Tokyo Butchers is a beer & steak restaurant that welcomes kids 6 years and older (if you have younger kids you can buy a steak bento from here for around 1000 yen to take back to your hotel.) It is a lovely vibey restaurant underneath the train tracks. They serve several different types of craft beer and Australian wine. They serve beef, pork, lamb, chicken and grilled veg here. They have three types of pasta here too and they have french fries and some salads. It is 11 mins walk from Akihabara Station and 10 mins walk from Ueno Station OR 2 mins walk from Okachimachi Station (take the South Exit). Tokyo Butchers accepts most major credit cards. There is a 440 yen per person service charge (as a thank you for that additional payment you will receive an appetizer when you sit down. This, in Japan, is called otoshi. You don’t have to eat it but just leave it on the table if you don’t want it.) At lunch, I would budget for 2000 yen per adult and more like 5000 yen per adult at dinner time. Best to ask the hotel to make a reservation for you.
TOKYO BUTCHERS
台東区上野5-10-9
5-10-9 UENO, TAITO-KU
OPEN MON -THURS 11:30AM-2:30PM & 5PM-11PM
OPEN FRI 11:30AM-2:30PM & 5PM-11:30PM
OPEN SAT 2PM-11:30PM
OPEN SUNDAYS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 11:30AM-11PM
*There is also “Egg Baby Cafe” next door (same owners) but I don’t really recommend going here with kids as the lines are just too long – takes the chill and the relaxation out of a meal with kids.
Depending on what your family needs, you may also like to check out Eusa Halal Mart. A small Halal Grocery Store. It is 11 mins walk from Akihabara Station open 10am-11pm. You can also buy hot, ready made samosa here.
