Akihabara, Tokyo Stay ✨ Only ¥9,500 / $64! 🏨 Great Access + 48 Gyoza Flavors & Otaku Culture 🎌🥟

Akihabara, Tokyo Stay ✨ Only ¥9,500 / $64! 🏨 Great Access + 48 Gyoza Flavors & Otaku Culture 🎌🥟

This time, I stayed at APA Hotel Akihabara-Ekikita, just a 3-minute walk from Akihabara Station. I’ll also introduce some great food spots and Akihabara-style attractions, so stick around until the end! On this channel, I mainly introduce hotels in Tokyo, along with sightseeing spots and local food. Please consider subscribing to support the channel! The nearest station, Akihabara, is served by JR Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku, Sobu Line (local), Tsukuba Express, and Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. Over 200,000 people use it daily. From the Showa-dori exit of JR Akihabara Station, it’s less than a 5-minute walk—about 700 meters—to the hotel. Super convenient location! You can see the train tracks leading to JR Akihabara Station over there. The hotel is located right next to the elevated Metropolitan Expressway. The bright orange exterior really stands out. This is APA Hotel Akihabara-Ekikita, where I’ll be staying tonight! Here’s the price for a standard single, non-smoking room without breakfast. APA Hotels are a major hotel chain all across Japan. This particular one opened in December 2020. It’s located in a quiet neighborhood, slightly away from the hustle and bustle around Akihabara Station. Alright, let’s check in! There are also self check-in kiosks available. Next to the front desk, there’s a small convenience corner called “Smart Marche” where you can grab drinks and snacks. I didn’t see any alcohol, but it’s still super handy! Taking the elevator up and heading to my room. There’s a pants press available in the hallway for guests to borrow. The hallway is open-air. I’ve noticed a lot of APA Hotels have this kind of layout. Here’s my room for tonight—Room 402! The room is compact but clean and cozy. It’s about 11 square meters, or 118 square feet. The desk is nice and wide, great for getting work done. There’s a light near the bed, and the room is plenty bright. There’s a large LCD TV on the wall, and there’s enough space between the bed and the wall. The bed is 142 cm wide—plenty of room to stretch out and relax! Did you notice the origami crane by the pillow? Each one is folded by hand by the staff—such a thoughtful touch! Next to the bed is a control panel where you can adjust the lights and air conditioning. There’s even a USB 2.0 port for convenient phone charging—nice! There are two types of pillows—one with firm support for your neck, and one soft and fluffy. It’s great to be able to choose what suits you best. On the desk, there’s a free bottle of water and a spray for sanitizing and deodorizing. Inside the drawer, you’ll find two paper cups, two glasses, and some tea sticks. The hair dryer is in here too. You can boil water with the kettle and enjoy some tea, or grab a cup noodle from the Smart Marche near the front desk if you’re a little hungry. Oh! They’ve provided a yukata (light robe) here as well. This is a bed throw, handy for guests who might wear shoes into the room. It helps keep the bed nice and clean. Now for the fridge. It’s turned off to save energy. I’ll turn it on and get that bottle of water chilled. Looks like you can store luggage under the bed. It’s nice to keep your suitcase out of the way, especially if it’s large. Just have to remember not to leave my stuff behind when I check out—haha! Always a good idea to check the emergency exit map—just in case. Now onto the bathroom. It’s a simple unit-type setup but looks user-friendly. The toilet comes with a bidet function—always a plus in Japan! Amenities include a toothbrush, shower cap, razor, and hairbrush… Also included are a hair tie, cotton pads, and a body towel. These are made with eco-friendly materials. There aren’t any skincare products provided, but you can buy some from the Smart Marche next to the front desk if needed. There’s shampoo, conditioner, and body soap provided as well. All the rooms come with a “Bollina” showerhead, known for its beauty benefits. These ultra-fine bubbles are said to help give you smoother skin and shinier hair! The bathtub has an interesting shape. It’s spacious too, so looks like I’ll have a nice relaxing soak. This unique shape is APA Hotel’s original “egg-shaped tub.” It helps save about 20% of water—another example of their eco-conscious design. Alright, I’m getting hungry—time to explore the streets of Akihabara! Since it’s close to a busy downtown area, there’s still a lot of foot traffic even after dark. I crossed the street toward Akihabara’s entertainment district. The traffic here is pretty intense. I walked under the elevated expressway to continue on. I found this place called “Wagou Gyoza Akihabara No.3.” It’s one of their three locations in Akihabara. As the name suggests, they specialize in gyoza! The chef trained at a five-star hotel in China, so you can expect authentic Chinese cuisine. Let’s start with some drinks! They have a great selection for alcohol lovers—beer, shochu, chu-hi, Shaoxing wine, and sake. And if you order alcohol between 5 PM and 10:30 PM, you get a free appetizer! That’s hard to resist. So I enjoyed the free appetizer while waiting for my food to arrive. These peanuts were so tasty! Maybe they’re fried? I couldn’t stop eating them… but honestly, even for Japanese people, picking them up with chopsticks is tough! 😆 First up—bang bang chicken. The colors are so vibrant, it really whets your appetite! I’ve never seen such a stylish presentation of bang bang chicken before! Look at this little bunny made from a quail egg—so cute! I felt bad eating it… but I did. And it was delicious! 😄 Next, I tried the “Black Steamed Gyoza.” The chewy wrapper is made from Japanese wheat, and they don’t use any MSG or sugar—really focusing on quality ingredients. It was piping hot and looked amazing! I let it cool a bit on a small plate before taking a bite. The chewy skin wraps a juicy, flavor-packed filling. So satisfying! Now it’s time for their signature dish—the Wagou Pan-Fried Gyoza. They come with crispy wings! The dough is hand-kneaded to order, which gives it that perfect chewy texture. Hear that crunch? That crispy wing is perfection! Even the crispy wings taste amazing! You can see how tightly packed the filling is! And surprisingly, all the gyoza except the garlic ones are made without any garlic. They offer lots of varieties, so it’s fun to try different kinds. This little frog statue is a Chinese charm for business success. It’s holding a coin in its mouth. Thanks for the meal, Mr. Frog! I’ll be back again! Bright neon lights lit up the street as I walked home. That was such a satisfying dinner! Now that I’m back at the hotel, time to change into the yukata. The yukata is unisex and comes in one size only. It’s an original APA Hotel design, with the hotel logo embroidered on the chest. So comfy and relaxing! 😊 A folded origami crane, made with care by the staff, added a warm touch to the room. Good night… Good morning! I slept really well. Looks like it’s a bit cloudy today. Here’s the Express Checkout Box—just insert your room key and you’re done! Super convenient. They had some cute seasonal decorations for travelers. It must be for Halloween this time of year! There’s a breakfast plan that includes a meal at their partner café, Café Veloce, but today I feel like heading toward the station and finding a nice spot myself. By the way, the three-digit number below the APA Hotel name actually tells you the order in which the hotel was built. APA Hotel No.1 was APA Hotel Kanazawa Katamachi in Ishikawa Prefecture. Its number is 101, and it opened in 1984. Since then, APA Hotels have popped up all over Japan, becoming one of the country’s largest hotel chains. Just a side note—there are actually several APA Hotels in Akihabara. If this video made you want to stay here, make sure it’s the right one! This hotel is APA Hotel Akihabara-Ekikita, number 332. Don’t mix it up! 😄 This is Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba. It’s right by Akihabara Station, with everything from home electronics to specialty gadgets. I’ll have to come back when I have more time. Oh! A Shinkansen!! These are the tracks for the bullet trains that connect Tokyo with the Hokuriku and Tohoku regions, running alongside JR local train lines. That building is massive! Now I’ve arrived at Akihabara Electric Town. It’s one of Japan’s top electronics districts, packed with stores selling appliances and electronic components. It’s also a mecca for subcultures like anime, games, and idol fandoms, and it draws tons of visitors from both Japan and abroad. And here it is—everyone’s favorite, Don Quijote! The Akihabara location is especially known for its cosplay section, with popular anime costumes and maid outfits. This is Animate Akihabara—a specialty shop for anime, manga, and character goods. They also hold fan events regularly! Whoa—so many cute *kokeshi* dolls here! I guess *kokeshi* are still pretty rare for tourists from abroad? They remind me of my grandma’s house. So nostalgic! Is this the shop selling all those *kokeshi*? Looks like a fun place with all kinds of quirky stuff. And look what I found—Akihabara Gachapon Hall! I can never resist a gachapon machine when I see one. And wow—there are SO many kinds here! Wait… it goes even deeper inside!? More machines? Oh wow, DRAGON BALL! Such a throwback. Okay, I have to do this one. Let’s see what I got! I’ll open it later. I like saving little moments like this to enjoy slowly. 😊 While walking, I spotted Go! Go! Curry! Morning curry sounds tempting… Should I go for it? Hmm… maybe I’ll look around just a bit more first. Look at that beautiful building! Turns out it’s the terminal building for Tsukuba Express—AKIBA TOLIM. And on the 2nd floor above Exit A1, I found a cozy-looking café! It’s called “Kissa Tricolore” inside Akiba Tolim. Their morning menu runs from 7am to 11am (last order 10:30). You can pick one main dish from five sets, and it comes with a salad buffet and a drink bar. Looks like it also serves as the breakfast venue for the hotel in the same building. They also have a morning-only special where you get half a toast and a mini scrambled egg for free with your drink. That sounds perfect for today. There’s also a Japanese-style option with udon! Looks delicious! True to being a *kissaten*, they have a huge drink menu too. Wait… “Oven-Baked Classic Pudding”?! That sounds amazing. They also have parfaits and ice cream—so tempting. Their sandwiches and cakes look really good too. And they offer drink sets, so it’d be a great spot for a relaxing tea time. Alright, time to open that gachapon from earlier! Opening it with one hand is trickier than I thought… 😅 Got it open!! It’s a mini charm modeled after a DRAGON BALL comic cover—so detailed! Volume 5!! That brings back memories. I used to read these comics all the time! Even though it’s made of paper, the quality is amazing. This is from the first gachapon series celebrating DRAGON BALL’s 40th anniversary—volumes 1 to 14 are available! The chain comes separately inside the capsule. Just attached it—and it’s adorable! Even the spine is perfectly replicated. Breakfast is here! Half-toast, mini scrambled eggs, and iced coffee—simple and perfect. And they poured the iced coffee right in front of me! The rich aroma is making this morning feel extra luxurious. It really smells amazing. Apparently, coffee’s aroma can help you relax *and* improve focus! The toast is surprisingly thick. Even a half portion feels satisfying. Time to spread the butter. Maybe I should wait a little longer for it to melt? Okay, I think it’s ready now. Perfect. Just how I like it. They use a self-checkout system here. That was such a lovely breakfast—thank you! This terminal building has 6 floors above ground and a basement level. It’s connected to JR Akihabara Station too, and even has clinics and other services inside. Now let’s walk through the “East-West Free Passage” that connects the Central Gate and the Electric Town Gate at JR Akihabara Station. Oh! I stumbled upon another fun-looking place again! 😂 Tearing myself away from the claw machines… I’ve now walked through the East-West Free Passage toward the Electric Town side. This area really has that unique Akihabara vibe—so much fun just walking around. Maid cafés evolved alongside Akihabara’s “otaku culture” as part of its identity as a pop culture mecca. I stopped by “Liberty Akihabara Store No.5”—they’ve been around for over 36 years, buying and selling figures, model kits, and more. There are rows upon rows of vending machines and collectibles everywhere—packed! I found a Pokémon card vending machine! I’m not super familiar with it, but I’ve always been curious. It’s like a lottery—you might pull a rare one! One play costs 500 yen. Oops! It doesn’t accept the new 500 yen coin. (Yep, it says so right there—my bad! 😂) Let’s see if I get a rare card! Let’s open it up right away. So cute!! Is it swimming? Super cute!! Wait—a person showed up!? At this point, you’ve probably guessed—I really don’t know much about Pokémon cards. 😅 I can’t tell if any of these are rare, so if you’re a Pokémon expert, please let me know in the comments! 😄 These two with the shiny borders do look kind of special though! Thanks so much for watching all the way to the end! I’ll keep introducing fun hotels and sightseeing spots, so don’t forget to subscribe!

Stayed at APA Hotel Akihabara-Ekikita, just steps from Akihabara Station — perfect for #TokyoTravel and exploring #Akihabara from a convenient #TokyoHotel base. 🏨✨
For dinner, I visited a handmade gyoza restaurant offering 48 unique flavors, created by a chef trained at a 4-star hotel in China! 🥟
In the morning, I enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at Kissa Tricolore, a retro-style café in Akiba Trim ☕
Plus, I explored anime shops, Pokémon card stores, and gachapon corners all around Akihabara 🎮

📍 Hotel Info
https://www.apahotel.com/hotel/syutoken/tokyo/akihabara-ekikita/

📍 Google Map
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4FHuFQmEK5AanNTJA

🍽️ Places featured in this video
・Wagou Gyoza Akihabara 3rd Branch (Dinner) → https://maps.app.goo.gl/vxNEE9MRQ4DsRQxFA
・Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan → https://maps.app.goo.gl/tRndCrfExPif9jR58
・Kissa Tricolore (Akiba Trim / Breakfast) → https://maps.app.goo.gl/YsxRC4v6hP41AvUw7

🗾 Explore more Tokyo hotels & map
・Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFEzt9Zn0wcXF7B34ZBAAhgxCGgyw7pXc&si=UDNuka9pyj_AtDuY

・Google MyMap: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?mid=12TGqnq8Pxgkc1JITmDQL9KCbZ3_eWhE&usp=sharing