Summary of Akihabara openings and closings in the second half of 2023! A look back at the Akihabara neighborhood, which saw a series of withdrawals and relocations of well-known stores

Every year, many stores open and close in Akihabara, and 2023, the year after Corona, was another year of heavy comings and goings. In addition, due to a major urban redevelopment project, not a few stores were demolished. In 2024, the cityscape will probably undergo another drastic change. In the midst of such a turning point, here is a summary of information on openings and closings in Akihabara in 2023!

Item: Akihabara Openings; Akihabara Closing

Openings, reopenings, and new openings

Saturday, December 23 "Dog Cafe Rio Akihabara

Located on the 3rd floor of a building next to the computer store "SUKUMO eX" along Akihabara's main street. Dog Cafe Rio is a place where you can spend a fun time with your energetic dog at any time and at ease. The concept of Rio is to provide a comfortable place to spend a pleasant time with energetic dogs, and the staff is staffed by a cast of dogs ranging in age from 5 months to 2 years old. Free drinks are available in the restaurant, and you can spend time with your pooch.

⇒Dog café Rio is a place for those who want to spend as much time as possible with their pooch! For those of you who want to spend time with your pooch, "Dog Cafe Rio Akihabara" will open on December 23 (Sat)!

December 15 Concept Curry Shop "22 Curry

22 Curry" is a new concept curry store where customers can enjoy curry made in collaboration with characters from various contents. Curry will be developed each time in accordance with the content of the collaborators.

⇒The "22 Curry" opened today in Akihabara! You can enjoy authentic curry collaborated with anime and games!

December 10 "Tsukuyomi Maid Cafe

Taiwan's popular maid café "Tsukuyomi Maid Café (月讀女僕珈琲)" opened a new branch in Akihabara on December 10, 2023. Tsukuyomi Maid Cafe is the oldest maid cafe in Taiwan, founded in Kaohsiung in 2005. Currently, there are three stores including the main store in Kaohsiung, two stores in Taipei, and one each in Taichung and Tainan, for a total of seven stores. It is currently in the pre-opening phase and plans to fully open in January 2024.

⇒ "Tsukuyomi Maid Cafe" opened on December 10! Taiwan's No.1 maid café opens for the first time in Japan!

December 1, JR Akihabara Station Sobu Line platform "MUJI 500

MUJI, which deals in clothing, household goods, and food, opened "MUJI 500," a store featuring daily necessities and consumables priced at 500 yen or less, on the up platform 5 of Akihabara Station. The "MUJI 500" Akihabara Station platform opened on December 1, 2023 (Friday). The location is on platform 5, where the JR Sobu Line runs.

⇒"MUJI" opened in Akihabara Station!

December 1: Figure specialty store "Inou Shoten

On December 1, Akihabara's figure specialty store "Inou Shoten" revived its Chuo-dori store, which was closed in 2021. The store is located on the first floor of the building that houses the "Inou Shoten KAIDO FIGURE LABORATORY" on the third floor. It is the former site of the Akiba Special Zone. The store sells not only figures, but also various anime goods and sundries.

⇒Inou Shoten" Chuo Dori Store opens today at the former site of Akiba Special Zone.

December 1, "PIE mania", an apple pie specialty store.

The location is in the east-west free passageway connecting JR Akihabara Station's Electric Town Exit and the Central Exit area. It is the former site of "Sakimoto Akihabara", a high-end bread specialty store. The "Apple Cup" is a charming marriage of Japanese apples, a soft and chewy pie crust, and a generous amount of cream.

⇒Pie Cup" is a marriage of Japanese apple pie dough and rich cream. Apple pie specialty store "PIE mania", a new brand of long-established bakery "Kobeya

November 18 "Quite expensive. Famous "IOSYS purchase center" at

Iosis Purchase Center," which was closed from Monday, November 13 to Friday, November 17, reopened on Saturday, November 18, 2023. The store is now decorated in a chic black-based interior, and a "purchase reception ticketing machine" has been installed at the entrance. There are seats waiting for buyers and a monitor that informs customers of the current status of their purchases.
The store floor has been expanded to the second floor, and a purchase counter has been added there as well. This allows for a more spacious and speedy buying process.

⇒The store is also expanding its counter on the second floor, where it is now able to offer a more spacious and speedy purchase service. The famous "IOSYS purchase center" reopened!

November 11, game cafe "Akihabara Gathering Place" closed due to a fire.

The game café is located on Junk Street, a 7-minute walk from JR Akihabara Station, and is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

⇒The game café "Akihabara Gathering Place" which had been closed due to a fire reopened on Saturday, November 11!

November 3, card store "Trekkashop YK Akihabara Store"

The Akihabara store, which opened on November 3, is in the form of a follow-up to the Nakano store. The store sells mainly popular cards and Oripa.

⇒Trekkashop YK Akihabara store opens on November 3!

Komeda Coffee Shop on the 2nd floor of Atre Akihabara on November 1.

The location will be on the 2nd floor of Atre Akihabara. Komeda Coffee Shop is a coffee chain that originated in Nagoya, Japan. With the concept of "the best place to relax," it has been expanding its business nationwide. According to the official website of ATRE, the store will be equipped with power outlets and free WiFi. They also offer their signature morning coffee and popular dessert sets.

September 26, "Yokohama Kurikoan Akihabara Store" near Bansebashi Police Station.

Taiyaki chain restaurant "Yokohama Kurikoan Akihabara" is scheduled to open on the site of "Taiwan Ensuji," which closed after only one month. The location is on the first floor of the Handa Building near the Bansebashi Police Station (next to the GiGO Akihabara 2 building). Kurikoan is a taiyaki chain store that offers not only the standard anko (red bean paste) and green tea cream, but also other unique taiyaki such as chili dog and beef curry.

⇒The store will open tomorrow, September 26, 2012! The store is located on the former site of "Taiwan Ensuji," which closed after only one month.

Marusho Ramen Yodobashi Akiba Store" on the 8th floor of Yodobashi Akiba on September 26th.

Marusho Ramen Yodobashi Akiba branch, a Chinese noodle and dipping restaurant, opened on Monday, September 25, 2023. It is located on the 8th floor of Yodobashi Akiba, on the former site of the ramen restaurant "Menya Iroha," which closed on Sunday, August 27.

⇒Marusho Ramen Yodobashi Akiba" opened today, September 25, at the former site of "Menya Iroha".

September 15

Yakiton Genki" and "Shitamachi Monja Oshikatsu" at Akihabara Station Electric Town Exit

Two restaurants pre-open at the same time in the Suehatsu building, which used to house Technohouse Toei (currently operating at Tokyo Radio Department Store) until 2020.

⇒Yakiton Genki Denkigai-guchi" and "Akihabara Shitamachi Monja Oshikatsu" will pre-open on September 15 on the former site of Technohouse Toei before its relocation!

Mid-September "Yakiton Genki" and "Shitamachi Monja Oshikatsu" at Akihabara Station Electric Town Exit

Two restaurants are scheduled to open at the same time in the Suehatsu building where Techno House Toei (currently operating at Tokyo Radio Department Store) was located until 2020.

⇒New restaurants are scheduled to open in Akihabara!　Two restaurants, "Yakiton Genki" and "Shitamachi Monja Oshikatsu" will open simultaneously in September at the former Technohouse Toei site

August 11 "HOBBYLAND Akihabara" along Akihabara Junk Street

HOBBYLAND Akihabara is located along Akihabara Junk Street, directly in front of Hobby Off. It is also next to the PC store "Selsta R" on the corner of the crossroads. A look inside the store reveals various Gundam plastic models stacked so high that they reach the ceiling, as well as action figures on display. It appears to be a new used hobby store. The shop accepts cash only.

⇒[New store] "HOBBYLAND Akihabara" opened on August 11! It appears to be a hobby store that handles a large amount of Gundam plastic model kits.

August 10 "Densetsu no Sutadon-ya Yodobashi AKIBA Store" on the 8th floor of Yodobashi Akiba

The "Sutadon" is a hearty bowl of rice topped with juicy, tender pork belly that has been cooked in low-temperature oil to melt away excess fat and lock in the flavor.

⇒Densetsu no Sutadon-ya Yodobashi AKIBA branch will open on August 10 (Thu)!

August 1, "Yakiniku Manzei Ranch Akihabara Main Store 5th Floor Yakiniku Restaurant" on the 6th floor of Tomorrow Building

Relocated and opened as "Yakiniku no Banze Akihabara Store" on August 1. The new location will be on the 6th floor of the Tomorrow Building next to the Bansebashi Police Station.

⇒[New Branch] "Banze Ranch Akihabara Main Store 5th Floor Yakiniku Branch" will relocate and open as "Yakiniku no Banze Akihabara Branch" on August 1!

Closed

December 31 "Nishikawa Electronic Components" where all kinds of screws are available

Nishikawa Electronic Components, which has been known among some Akiba residents as "the place to go when you need all kinds of screws" and "Nishikawa is the place to go when you need screws," will close its doors in December 2023. The reason for the closure is "various circumstances.

⇒Nishikawa Electronic Components", where all kinds of screws are available, will close its business in December 2023!

December 3, Yellow Submarine operated "Akihabara Scale Shop".

Yellow Submarine's "Akihabara Scale Shop," which used to sell scale models of cars, motorcycles, car washes, airplanes, etc., will close its doors on December 3, 2023. The reason for the closure is the expiration of the contract with the building.

⇒Yellow Submarine Akihabara Scale Shop will close on December 3, 2023!

November 20: Interesting electronics store "Sanko" second store

On November 20, "Sanko Rare Mono Shop" No.2 closed due to relocation. It is a sister store of the main store of "Sanko Rare Mono Shop," an interesting home electronics store full of individuality. The new location is on the 4th floor of CeeU Yokohama, a shopping mall located a 4-minute walk from Yokohama Station.

⇒The second interesting home electronics store "Sanko" was found to be relocated to Yokohama!

Early Nov. Familiar with 13-hour all-you-can-drink 2,000 yen! Concept Cafe "Charlotte" in Akihabara

In Akihabara, where many concept cafes - a.k.a. con-cafes - have opened, the English pub concept café Charlotte, which had a strong presence, closed its doors in early November.

⇒Charlotte is well known for its 13-hour all-you-can-drink price of 2,000 yen! Charlotte, a concept cafe in Akihabara, had closed sometime around

September 30 "Chicken Soba Tai Soba Kyosuke

The ramen restaurant "Chicken Soba Tai Soba Kyo Suke," located behind Bellesalle Akihabara at the entrance to Junk Street, will close on September 30 due to the redevelopment of the surrounding area. According to the "Notice of Closure" posted on the signboard in front of the store, "Due to unavoidable circumstances, we have decided to close the store on September 30 (Sat.).

⇒[Closed] "Chicken Soba Tai Soba Kyosuke" will close tomorrow, Saturday, September 30, following redevelopment of the surrounding area.

August 27 "Akiba Special Zone".

Akiba Tokku", a PC parts and miscellaneous goods store that sold "torn packages" and "outlet products" at low prices, will close on August 27 (Sun.). The shop is located a short distance from Junk Street in Akihabara.

⇒[Closed] "Akiba Tokku", a store dealing with digital goods special price on Junk Street, closed on August 27!

Steak House" on the 2nd floor of "Nekoniku no Manyou" building on August 31.

Steak House" on the 2nd floor of the main "Neku no Manyou" building will cease operations on August 31, 2023 (Thu.) On August 1, "Manyou Ranch Akihabara Main Store 5th Floor Yakiniku Restaurant" on the 5th floor of the same building will move to the 6th floor of the Tomorrow Building. The second-floor "Steak House" will no longer be in operation. After September 1, the menu will be integrated into "Western-style Manzei" on the 3rd and 4th floors of the same building, and the taste of the steakhouse will be taken over.

⇒Steak House" on the 2nd floor of the "Neku no Manyou" building will cease operations on August 31! Menu to be integrated into "Yoshoku Banzei" in the same building from now on.

August 27, Yodobashi Akiba 8F "Menke Iroha Akihabara Branch

Menya Iroha, a ramen restaurant on the 8th floor of Yodobashi Akiba, closed on Sunday, August 27, 2023. The restaurant had also been exhibiting at Yodobashi Akiba 8F and was well received, but closed on August 27. According to the official website, this is due to the expiration of the contract with the facility.

⇒[Closed] Yodobashi Akiba 8F "Menke Iroha Akihabara" closed on August 27! Due to expiration of contract.