Poketown

// ABOUT THIS SHOP

This shop is right outside Akihabara Station's Denki-gai exit, in Unit 17 on the 1st floor of "New Akihabara Center," a shopping arcade built into the elevated train tracks. Pokemon cards are the main draw, but it's less a dedicated card shop and more of a general hobby shop -- Pokemon merchandise, sealed Dragon Ball boxes, even LABUBU figures, the collectible toy line popular well beyond Japan, all sit on the shelves. New Akihabara Center itself is a Showa-era arcade under the tracks, mixing in used-PC dealers and imported-food shops, and this store occupies one corner of that mix. It advertises itself as tax-free, and clearly puts effort into serving overseas visitors specifically. It works well both for people who want to browse a stack of Pokemon singles and boxes in one place, and for travelers looking to pick up collectible toys as part of their trip. It's about a 1-2 minute walk from Akihabara Station, and being under the tracks means you can get there without worrying about rain. Beyond JR and the Tsukuba Express Akihabara Station, it's also about a 5-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Ginza Line's Suehirocho Station and the Toei Shinjuku Line's Iwamotocho Station, so it's reachable from several different lines. Rather than a stop for someone doing a circuit of dedicated Pokemon card shops, it suits people who want to check out Pokemon merchandise and trending collectible toys in one place, and overseas visitors looking to shop tax-free.