Guide · Akihabara

Part of: Anime Places to Visit in Tokyo: 9 Real Spots

Tokyo Character Street: The Full Shop List, the Anime Stores Worth Your Time, and How to Find It in Tokyo Station

Tokyo Character Street is a corridor of more than thirty official character shops inside Tokyo Station, right outside the Yaesu Underground Central Gate, outside the ticket barriers. For anime fans the core is Jump Shop, the ONE PIECE Mugiwara Store, DRAGON BALL STORE TOKYO, hololive's official shop, Chiikawa Land and the Pokémon Store, plus TV-station shops for their own anime. I run private anime tours in Akihabara, two stops away, and this is the stop I suggest for the morning you leave Tokyo.

It is convenient rather than deep: every shop is official, nothing is secondhand, and you can see the whole street in under an hour. That makes it perfect for a gap before a train and a poor substitute for an afternoon in Akihabara.

Where is Tokyo Character Street?

Inside JR Tokyo Station, in the Tokyo Station Ichibangai shopping area, outside the ticket gates. The official access page says it is right outside the Yaesu Underground Central Gate and close to the other Yaesu-side gates for both the shinkansen and local lines. Most shops are on B1; a few are on 1F.

From Akihabara it is two stops on the JR Yamanote line, so it pairs easily with an Akihabara day; my Akihabara anime tour guests often go there the morning they leave. Tokyo Station Ichibangai also lists coin lockers on its site, which helps if you are travelling with luggage.

Which shops are on Tokyo Character Street?

On 4 October 2026, the official floor guide listed more than thirty shops. The ones anime and game fans usually come for are below, with the full list after. Shops change, and there is an event space, Ichiban Plaza, that hosts limited-time character shops.

For anime and manga fans

Everything else on the street: mofusand Mofumofu Store, Ultraman World M78, NHK Character Shop, Kamen Rider Store Tokyo, Koupen-chan Hanamaru Station, Sanrio (1F), The POOH SHOP (listed as opening 14 October 2026), Shochiku Kabuki-ya Honpo, GBL Tokyo Station, Snoopy Town Mini, Sumikko Gurashi Shop, TBS Store, TV Asahi Shop, Tomica and Plarail Shop, Nishimura Yuji shop, Nippon TV's Nitele-ya, Harry Potter Mahou Dokoro, Fuji TV Shop, Miffy Style, Rilakkuma Store and the LEGO Store.

Is Tokyo Character Street worth visiting for anime fans?

Yes, as a stop, not as a destination. If Jump series, One Piece, Dragon Ball, hololive or Chiikawa are your fandoms, there is an official shop for each in one corridor. If you want secondhand finds, older series or anything rare, Akihabara or Nakano Broadway is where those live.

This is the honest section, and it matches what we say on anime places to visit in Tokyo: Tokyo Character Street is genuinely convenient rather than genuinely deep. Plan thirty to forty-five minutes. Popular shops can have queues or numbered tickets for new releases; the street's FAQ directs questions about tickets and reservations to each shop.

When is the best time to go?

Weekday mornings, or any time you have a train to catch. Tokyo Station is busiest at commuting times and on weekends and holidays. If a new item is releasing at one shop, expect a line there and normal crowds everywhere else.

If your trip home starts from Tokyo Station, the street works well as a last stop before the airport. How to get from Akihabara and the airports is in getting to Akihabara.

Can you shop tax-free there?

At individual shops that are registered for tax-free sales. The Jump Shop's own store list, for example, marks its Tokyo Station branch as tax-free. Bring your passport and 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 new airport process.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Tokyo Character Street? Inside JR Tokyo Station's Ichibangai shopping area, outside the ticket gates, right outside the Yaesu Underground Central Gate. Most shops are on B1.

Is there a Jump Shop on Tokyo Character Street? Yes, on B1, and the ONE PIECE Mugiwara Store is there too.

Is there a hololive shop at Tokyo Station? Yes. The official floor guide lists the hololive production official shop in Tokyo Station on B1.

How long do you need at Tokyo Character Street? Thirty to forty-five minutes for a look round; longer if one shop has a queue.

How far is Tokyo Character Street from Akihabara? Two stops on the JR Yamanote line from Akihabara to Tokyo Station, then a short walk to the Yaesu side.

Official shops at the station, everything else in Akihabara

If you want the secondhand floors, the rare finds and the series that do not have their own shop, Adventure in Akihabara with Anime is my private half-day walk, three to four hours, planned around the anime you name and 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: Tokyo Station Ichibangai (Tokyo Station Development), Tokyo Character Street floor guide (all shops and floors; Ichiban Plaza event space), Access (inside JR Tokyo Station outside the gates; right outside the Yaesu Underground Central Gate; 1-9-1 Marunouchi) and FAQ (ticket and reservation questions go to each shop); JUMP SHOP, Store list (Tokyo Station branch marked tax-free). All checked 4 October 2026. Opening hours are deliberately not given.