For Mobile Suit Gundam fans who are visiting Tokyo for the first time, many are excited to try out Gundam Cafe.
Located in Akihabara, next door to the AKB48 Cafe, Gundam Cafe is a place that people visit for the atmosphere and being surround by Gundam merchandise, Gundam-related autographs, mecha aplenty. And of course, a place where you can grab a light snack that’s listed on the menu.
For the most part, Gundam Cafe is more about the atmosphere than the food. The food is good but for the price, one should not expect to get great cuisine, nor should one expect to be full by a meal. You can order a few things on the menu, spend about 2000 yen and feel that you are still hungry.
But this is Gundam Cafe…where you come for the atmosphere and for my otaku friend who is into building Perfect Grade models, he had one of the most unusual moments in his life while talking to one of the waitresses about building Gundam models, their interest in “Gundam Unicorn” and having an enjoyable time discussing “Mobile Suit Gundam”.
And for him, it’s one of those rare experiences that one probably will never have in the U.S. but in Japan, to find who are knowledgeable, passionate and interested in Gundam is a rarity.
While Gundam Cafe can be found in Odaiba, the Akihabara location has its allure because it’s in Akihabara and it justs feels right for an otaku to be in a city that is quite accommodating to otaku tastes.
For me, I’ve grown accustomed to knowing these niche cafes are about the atmosphere, while to eat at the cafe, you will need to order something and pay quite a bit for it. But for Gundam Cafe, if you are a Gundam fan, it’s no doubt a cafe that you would very much want to visit!
