Radio Kaikan is the tower right outside the station — ten floors of independent shops covering figures, trading cards, models and collectibles. It is the single most efficient building in Akihabara if you are short on time.
The Basics
- Address: 1-15-16 Sotokanda, Chiyoda
- Floors: 10, filled with independent tenants
- Walk: right outside the Electric Town Exit
- Notable tenants: Card Labo, Volks, K-BOOKS, AmiAmi, Yellow Submarine, BIG MAGIC
The building sits directly outside the Electric Town Exit — about a one-minute walk. You cannot miss the yellow signage.
Floor by Floor
Radio Kaikan is ten floors of independent tenants rather than one shop. Card Labo sits on the ninth floor, and K-BOOKS runs both its main store and a MEN’S branch here. BIG MAGIC, Yellow Submarine, Volks and AmiAmi also have space in the building.
The practical consequence is that each tenant keeps its own counter and its own stock. You are not shopping in one store — you are shopping in ten, stacked vertically.
Which Floors Are Worth Your Time
If you have limited time, the ninth floor (Card Labo) and the K-BOOKS floors are the densest. Trading cards, second-hand character goods and doujinshi are all covered without leaving the building.
Getting Around the Building
It gets busy. On our visit the building was crowded and the K-BOOKS floors in particular were full. The lifts fill up quickly, so if you are only going up two or three floors the stairs are usually faster.
Before You Go
Hours: 10:00–20:00. Getting there: one minute from the Electric Town Exit — it is directly in front of you as you leave the station.
Crowded on our visit, particularly the K-BOOKS floors. Individual tenants keep their own hours and counters, so treat it as ten shops rather than one.
English: do not count on staff speaking it. Signage is a different story — floor guides and some price labels carry English, and that is usually enough to find what you need.
Tax-free: available at some shops but not all, and the counter is not always on the ground floor. Check before you carry purchases around the building. Note that Japan’s tax-free system changes on 1 November 2026, moving from exemption at the register to a refund at the airport.
Payment: cards are widely accepted at the larger shops, but carrying ¥10,000–20,000 in cash avoids surprises.