Akiba Drug & Cafe, also known as Akidora, is one of the most unique places in Akihabara, or anywhere else for that matter! They literally have it all. When you walk in there is a fully-stocked drug store on the right. Continue forward and you’ll find a lot of tables in front of a stage. Keep going towards the back and you’ll pass another eating space on your right, then a photo studio on the left, and a massage room on the right before you pop out the other end of the building. Let me run that by you again. A drug store, event stage, cafe, photography room, AND massage parlor all under one roof. Yeah. Strap yourself in buddy, here we go!
Drug Store – Putting the Drug in Akiba Drug & Cafe, Literally
Akihabara isn’t known for its drug stores, but if you need something from the pharmacy, make it Akidora! They’ve got a huge selection of items at very reasonable prices. You’d think it would just be a scaled-down store, but it’s about the same as any typical Japanese pharmacy.
Event Stage – Where the Magic Happens
[metaslider id=2170]
(The girls in the performance we saw were Missa, Yun, Sora Ruru, and Maki! Check em out on Twitter!)
There are a lot of events that go down at Akidora and that’s to be expected with such a large facility. Even if you don’t catch one of the larger events, they have performances scheduled throughout the day by the girls! That’s right, these maids aren’t just there for looks, they’re also very talented with singing and dancing. They even have their own idol group here, The Ikoku no Pharmacistas (The Exotic Pharmacistas)! And when they’re not performing or working in other parts of the store, you may find the girls practicing in front of the mirrors next to the stage. Dedication!
[metaslider id=2172]
Cafe – All You’d Want from Snacks to Feasts
You can’t have cafe in your name without having a legit cafe, and Akidora doesn’t disappoint. Besides having no table charge, they have all the cute things you’d expect from a maid cafe―omelette over rice with cute things drawn in ketchup, hamburgs, pasta, etc.―but they throw some curveballs, too! For example, their specialty is hand-made rice balls! You select which maid you’d like and can chit-chat while she rolls some rice balls for you. We got ours from Akane!
[metaslider id=2175]
Another awesome thing about Akidora is that they have a special MEGA MENU! Yeah, it’s as awesome as it sounds. The Mega Menu is full of ridiculous portions, like the 3x beer, 1.5kg curry, and 35cm tall parfait! I ain’t no punk-ass sissy boots, so you can be sure that the next time I go I’m gonna take down that katsu curry all by myself to a chorus of ‘Sugo—-i!’s from the ladies.
If you’re looking for something to take home as a present, they also sell light up wands (for use during live performances) and pictures, etc. of the girls!
Massage Space – Eye Massages?!
[metaslider id=2171]
Tired from walking all around Akihabara or playing too many video games? Akidora also has you covered here as well! In the massage space there is a wide variety of different massage courses to get you refreshed and back at it. The calf massage sounds good to me, but I’m sure the full body, foot, hand, and even eye massage are great as well. Our new recruit CETUS came along with us, so we let him be the massage model.
Photo Studio – Capture the Kawaii
[metaslider id=2174]
Our last stop was at the photo booth. Whether you like taking pictures or having them taken of you, Akidora has a great photo studio with professional lighting and background to capture the essence of you kawaii poses! We met up again with Missa and were also joined by Natsuki for a really fun photography session! Whether you need to capture some nice pics of your latest cosplay or just really want a pic of your favorite maid, you can do it all here.
Hours and Other Information
[metaslider id=2173]
Akiba Drug & Cafe is chock full of fun things to do and enjoy. With no table charge and also massage space, it’s a great place to go and relax after all the adventures you’ve had in Akihabara. Make sure to drop by and see a live show or two the next time you’re around Akiba!
[cft format=0]
