Guide · Akihabara

Part of: Akihabara Figures: Where to Buy New vs Used

Kotobukiya Akihabara: The Figure Maker's Own Shop, Its Pop-Ups, and When to Choose It Over Secondhand

Kotobukiya Akihabara-kan is the shop run by Kotobukiya, the maker of figures and plastic model kits, at 1-8-8 Sotokanda (Okajima Building), three minutes from JR Akihabara. It sells new Kotobukiya products and character goods and hosts rotating pop-up shops; four are listed for October and November 2026. I run private anime tours here most weeks, and this is the shop I suggest for new, current Kotobukiya items.

On this site's figure guide, the short version is: buy new at official shops like Kotobukiya, and most other things secondhand. This page is the long version of the first half.

Where is Kotobukiya in Akihabara?

At 1-8-8 Sotokanda, in the Okajima Building, three minutes on foot from JR Akihabara Station according to Kotobukiya's own shop page. It is one of four Kotobukiya shops in Japan: the others are its Tachikawa main store in western Tokyo and two in Osaka.

If you are planning a figure day around it, my Akihabara anime tour builds the route from the series you name, new and secondhand.

What can you buy at Kotobukiya Akihabara?

New Kotobukiya figures and model kits, character goods (the shop runs campaigns on hololive and REJECT goods in autumn 2026), and items Kotobukiya labels as exclusive to its own shops. Pop-up corners add series-specific goods for a few weeks at a time.

This is the honest section. Kotobukiya sells at maker prices; it is the right place for current releases and exclusives, and the wrong place to look for something discontinued. For older Kotobukiya kits and figures, the secondhand floors at Mandarake, Surugaya and Radio Kaikan are better, and where to buy anime figures in Akihabara explains how to read their condition tags.

Which pop-ups are on at Kotobukiya Akihabara?

Kotobukiya's event list for Akihabara-kan shows a Parfait Coquette celebration until 18 October 2026, a Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue Saga second-anniversary pop-up until 25 October, a Date A Live V pop-up from 21 to 30 October, and a ROLIFE Japan pop-up from 23 October to 8 November.

Pop-ups change every few weeks. If one matches your series, open its event page to confirm the venue and dates before making a dedicated stop; Kotobukiya's event page lists what is next.

Is Kotobukiya ever closed?

Occasionally. Kotobukiya's shop news lists temporary closures for stocktaking and other reasons across its shops, with notices dated in June and September 2026. Check the shop news before a special trip.

The rest of the district keeps going if it is shut; things to do in Akihabara has the alternatives.

Can tourists shop tax-free at Kotobukiya?

Ask at the counter, with your passport, if you will spend ¥5,000 or more before tax in one shop on one day. From 1 November 2026 you pay the tax at the till and get it back after a customs check at the airport.

Tax-free shopping in Japan after November 2026 has the process.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Kotobukiya Akihabara? At 1-8-8 Sotokanda, Okajima Building, about three minutes' walk from JR Akihabara Station.

Is Kotobukiya Akihabara the official Kotobukiya store? Yes. It is one of Kotobukiya's own shops, listed on the company's site with its Tachikawa main store and two Osaka shops.

Does Kotobukiya Akihabara sell exclusives? Kotobukiya says its own shops carry shop-only items and bonuses.

Are there pop-up shops at Kotobukiya Akihabara? Yes. Four are listed for October and November 2026, including Date A Live V and Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

Is Kotobukiya cheaper than secondhand shops? No. It sells new items at maker prices. Secondhand shops are cheaper for older items.

New at Kotobukiya, older finds around the corner

If you would like new and secondhand floors chosen around the series you collect, Adventure in Akihabara with Anime is my private half-day walk, three to four hours, never shared with other guests. The price is on the tour page.

About the author. I am Yuuki, a Japanese teacher and Akihabara anime tour guide based in Tokyo. I run private anime tours here most weeks, rated 4.96★ on Airbnb across 171 reviews. I have watched over 1,500 anime series, which is either a qualification or a warning depending on your point of view.

See the Akihabara anime tour →

Sources: Kotobukiya, Kotobukiya Shop (own stores) (Akihabara-kan at 1-8-8 Sotokanda, Okajima Building, 3 minutes from JR Akihabara; other shops; online shop with shop-exclusive items and bonuses; shop news on temporary closures; event list with dates and venues). All checked 4 October 2026. Opening hours are deliberately not given.