3 reasons to visit game and anime hobby shop Trader Akihabara

Tokyo offers an unbeatable shopping experience with stores catering to every interest and trend – no matter how obscure – ensuring you can find almost anything your heart desires. Some neighbourhoods have even made their name with their niche shopping experiences, like Akihabara becoming a must-visit for its plethora of electronics, gaming and otaku-centric stores. 

Exploring Akihabara feels like embarking on a treasure hunt, what with browsing countless secondhand shops in search of unbeatable bargains and rare, uniquely Japanese items. For some shoppers, a visit to ‘electric town’ can also be a nostalgic experience, as you can take a trip down memory lane by browsing for retro games from the likes of Nintendo or Sony.

Having been in business since 1999, Trader is one of the longest established stores in Akihabara, and their flagship location offers a whopping seven floors packed with authentic and rare merchandise. For instance, you’ll find floors dedicated to retro and new gaming merchandise, collectible figurines from your favourite anime including Dragon Ball and One Piece, model kits including popular Gunpla models, DVDs and CDs, and adult goods. 

As Trader is a second-hand shop, the stock changes constantly, meaning you’ll be able to find something different every time you browse the store. Extending the selection even further is Trader’s second location, which is located a few minutes away from the flagship store. 

You know you’ll be getting a great deal at Trader, as the store prides itself on being the most reasonably priced game and anime goods shop in Akihabara. While the shop does not offer tax-free benefits, there are occasional sales where you can get further discounts off merchandise. Some purchases come with extra goodies, too: buying certain brand-new games in the store lets you get your hands on Trader’s limited-edition official tapestry posters and other goods made in collaboration with the same illustrators who worked on the game (additional costs apply).

Additionally, the store employs a number of multilingual staff, meaning you’ll be able to get assistance even if you don’t speak Japanese. 

You don’t have to be in Japan to shop Trader Akihabara’s great selection of gaming and anime goods. The shop also has an English-friendly online store where you can browse a well-curated selection of Trader’s merchandise, including collectable figurines, model kits, video games and gaming consoles. The goods showcased online are different from the selection in the physical stores, so it’s worth checking out the online selection if you’re on the hunt for something specific.

Avid shoppers will want to keep a constant eye on the website as new arrivals are regularly added to the line-up. With the online store, you’ll be able to score merchandise that could be hard to find elsewhere – and have it delivered right to your doorstep.  

According to the store, customers often give high praise for Trader Akihabara’s use of sturdy packaging materials to protect their products during overseas shipping, as well as their lightning-fast delivery. For shipments to North America, orders are usually shipped to your door within two to five working days.

In addition, shipping is currently just USD$10 per order for a limited-time campaign. Normally, the larger the order, the more expensive the shipping, but now you can enjoy the flat rate of USD$10 on all orders. The end of the campaign is currently undecided, so be sure to place your order quickly.

Check out Trader Akihabara's website to browse the selection of gaming and anime merchandise.