Collaboration Cafe Hopping Starting from ‘GUNDAM Café’ Which is About to Close at the End of January

In Japan, the concept of collaboration cafes offering beverages and dishes related to a certain anime, game work or a character attracts more and more visitors to them. Akihabara, the capital of the Japanese subculture, is scattered with many attractive and popular collaboration cafes among which, the iconic GUNDAM Café will unfortunately close at the end of January. In this issue, let’s take you to the collaboration cafe hopping to enjoy GUNDAM Café and 2 other collaborationcafes. FYI, all of them are within a walking distance from Akihabara Washington Hotel.

Put yourself in the world of GUNDAM for the last time at “GUNDAM Café TOKYO BRAND CORE”

The famous “GUNDAM Café TOKYO BRAND CORE” is a concept cafe allowing you to fully experience the world of Mobile Suit Gundam with all five senses. Though this cafe has been long loved by Gundam fans from around the world since its opening in 2010, it’d been decided to close at the end of January 2022. For commemorating its closure, ‘GUNDAM Café ARIGATO Project’ is being carried away for the whole of January. As a part of this, the special menu items reproducing the meals that appear in Gundam series such as the hamburger eaten by Bright Noa are offered. Also, you can also enjoy short movies ‘GUMDAM Pilot Retsuden’ (GUNDAMパイロット列伝) in which successive Gundam pilots have talks with newly recorded voices. Besides, you’ll get to have the memorial coaster gift to commemorate your visit.

Opening Hours	Refer to its official site *Advanced reservation is required
Address	1-1 Kandahanaokacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo Prefecture
Access	A 2-minute walk from Akihabara Washington Hotel
URL	https://g-cafe.jp/en/

Immerse yourself in the world of games produced by SQUARE ENIX at “SQUARE ENIX CAFE”

At “SQUARE ENIX CAFE”, a cafe where you can feel the stories of the famous game works produced by SQUARE ENIX such as FINAL FANTASY and DRAGON QUEST, you will enjoy regular menu items including ‘Slime Nikuman’ (スライム肉まん, a pork ban shaped as ‘Slime’), and limited ones according to special seasonal events. Until 28th January, ‘FFBE (FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS) Series Joint Collaboration’ is being held, and you will have the original placemat by ordering collab food items. If you find yourself a fan of the series, you can’t miss the exhibition of beautiful game illustrations as well as the interior designed using pixel art that appears in the games. Don’t forget to check out the special merchandise sales related to the limited collab.

Opening Hours	9:00AM – 9:00PM / Open All Year Round *Make a reservation at the reception during its business hours, or advanced reservation is available
Address	At Akihabara East-West Passage (秋葉原東西自由通路), 1-6-1 Kandasakumacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo Prefecture
Access	A 1-minute walk from Akihabara Washington Hotel
URL	https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1310/A131001/13243952/

A study room themed cafe with the concept of Taisho Roman, “Akihabara Nagomido” to have occasional special collabs

“Akihabara Nagomido” (秋葉原和堂) is a study room cafe with the concept of the ‘mixing’ and ‘Taisho Roman’ (大正浪漫, a style of culture conveying the atmosphere of the Taisho era where Japan survived a dynamic change by mixing Japanese and Western cultures), and used to have collab events with the hit Vocaloid song ‘Senbonzakura’ (千本桜) and the anime ‘Taisho Otome Otogibanashi’ (大正オトメ御伽噺). Open the antique door decorated with stained glass and you’ll be welcomed by vintage furniture imported from the UK. The common way to enjoy the cafe is to get relaxed while enjoying old books or magazines from the Taisho era. Since private cabins that can be locked are installed, it is also a good place to get focused on reading for those who prefer doing so in calm and peace. In the public cafe space, you can enjoy a retro-style float and Japanized pasta using pickled ginger. As a 24-hour stay plan is available, why not be immersed in the world of ‘Taisho Roman’ while forgetting about the time?

Opening Hours	24/7
Address	Sakai Suehiro Bldg. B1F, 6-14-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo Prefecture
Access	A 10-minute walk from Akihabara Washington Hotel
URL	https://nagomi-cafe.com/