AniON Station (アニON STATION): A Guide and Tips
In this post, I’ll be sharing about the AniOn Station (Akihabara) in Japan. Get tips on reservations, directions and a brief overview on this anime/character cafe in Japan. Add this to your list of anime escapades in Japan!
Note: This was originally a section in my Detective Conan AniOn Station post. To allow for easier reading and DIRECT access to the information, I have updated the content to a stand-alone post.
Page Contents
What is AniON Station?
アニON STATION(アニオンステーション)は
大好きなアニメやアーティストの音楽と映像に囲まれた空間で
コラボ料理が楽しめる次世代キャラクターカフェです
楽曲リクエストやMCトークなど、アニONならではの演出も盛りだくさん
アニONでしか味わえない空間をぜひご体験ください♪
*Taken from the official AniON STATION website
The official description of AniON STATION states that it sees itself as the NEXT generation of character cafes. It is a space where you can enjoy music and images from your favorite anime and artistes over themed drinks and food. At AniON Station, you can do music (songs) requests and listen to MC talks.
Okay, what THAT means is simply this: AniOn Station is a place where you can chillax over anime-themed drinks and food while listening to anime songs.
As such, the main difference between Ani ON Station and the other anime/character cafes in JAPAN is its focus on anime songs and music. Think of it akin to a lounge space or pub atmosphere where you’ll get to listen to anime music songs via a jukebox selection over character themed drinks and food.
You’ll get to put in requests of (anime) songs from a given set list that you want to hear. There are also novelty items (e.g. coasters) you can get with your food/drinks orders.
In addition, there will sometimes be screenings of specially created anime episode clips (related to the anime collaboration campaign) that you can watch as well. Often times there will be some MC talk-show by that particular anime’s seiyuus that accompanies the (anime) music over the speakers.
As with every character and anime themed cafe in Japan, AniON Station also has its own exclusive collaboration goods. Depending on the collaboration campaign, there’s both a free admission system and an advanced reservation paid system. (Check out the section “Advance Reservations” for more details).
AniON Station currently only has the Akihabara (Tokyo) branch. The other 2 branches located at Namba (Osaka); Hakata (Fukuoka) have closed with effect from February 2021.
Akihabara’s branch is the flagship station. It is also the one that I am most familiar with. ^ ^ It has 3 “Studio Rooms” which potentially allows for 3 different anime collaborations to be held at the same time!
Here’s the layout of the Akihabara’s flagship store:
For more information and official pictures of the space, please visit: https://bandainamco-am.co.jp/cafe_and_bar/anionstation/about/
How to make an advance reservation?
AniON Station generally has a free admission system and a reservation system. This differs from campaign to campaign. For example, some campaigns allow for primary kids and below to enter for free; while others (like Detective Conan) requires an admission fee for all ages. There might be times that you would need to make an advance reservation (online) as well.
So my advice is to never assume and always check the collaboration news page for instructions. When in doubt, always refer to the official collaboration AniON STATION website.
Case in point: For the Detective Conan x AniOn Station campaign in 2018 & 2019, I was required to pay an admission fee of 1000 yen before tax and to make an advance reservation via the LivePocket platform. As such, I believe it is extremely likely that it will be the same for 2020 and beyond.
The LivePocket links are usually included in the official AniON Station campaign website for every new AniOn campaign.
What is LivePocket?
LivePocket is basically a ticketing website where you will be issued a QR code in lieu of a physical ticket for events and activities. On the day of the event, just show the QR code on your mobile (or via a print-out) and that’s it! Easy Peasy!
This ticketing and reservation platform is super user-friendly, accepts international credit cards and even has an English Language Option! ^ ^ The best thing about LivePocket is that there isn’t a need for a Japan registered mobile number to purchase tickets. This means that you can actually purchase your tickets and make reservations prior to your trip!
Recently, I’ve noticed an increased in cafes and anime events using LivePocket , so it is good to familiarize yourself with this platform. For example, ufotable has started using LivePocket for some of its special events held at Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba ufotable cafe. (Check out my super fun 2019 experience!)
As such, I highly encourage you to create a LivePocket account so that you can access your ticketing details and purchase history easily.
For your easy access, here are the links to LivePocket
- LivePocket main page: https://t.livepocket.jp/login
- For more information about LivePocket in English: https://t.livepocket.jp/regist_navigation/user
AniOn Station Directions and Information
Official Website: https://bandainamco-am.co.jp/cafe_and_bar/anionstation/collaborations/
Official Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/anion_akihabara
Akihabara Store Address:
〒101-0021
東京都千代田区外神田3-1-16 ダイドーリミテッドビル1F
店休日:1月1日
お客様センター TEL:050-5835-2263（受付時間：9時30分～19時）
遺失物のお問い合わせ、上記受付時間外のお問い合わせ TEL:03-6262-9850
Directions: How to travel to AniOn Station Akihabara?
Check out the google map shortcut to the Akihabara Store on the official website. Alternatively, you can refer to their video for directions on their YouTube channel.
And this wraps up my brief guide and overview on AniOn Station! ^ ^ As always, if you find this guide useful, please don’t forget to share it. Do feel free to send questions or any feedback to me via my Instagram; Email or leave a comment below.
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