Where Manga & Anime Were Born — A Tour Only Locals Know
Most anime tours take you to Akihabara — the modern shopping district full of merchandise and maid cafés. This tour goes deeper. You'll walk the actual streets where the legends lived, worked, and created the stories that shaped global pop culture. This is the only guided tour to Tokyo's original manga and anime creator district.
Stop 1: Tokiwa-so Manga Museum — Where It All Began
In the 1950s, a small wooden apartment in Toshima became the most creative address in manga history. Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion, lived here. So did Fujiko Fujio, the duo behind Doraemon. And Shotaro Ishinomori, creator of Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009. Inside this faithful reconstruction of the original building, feel their passion in re-created rooms — desks piled with ink pots and unfinished pages, left exactly as they were after all-night drawing sessions. Your guide will bring their personal stories to life — the struggles, the friendships, and the breakthroughs that changed entertainment forever.
The Streets Between: A Living Showa-Era Area
Between the museums, walk streets that still feel like 1950s Japan. Browse vintage manga at local second-hand bookshops — the kind of hidden gems only locals know. Your guide will share stories about the artists who once walked these same streets, the cafés they frequented, and the area that quietly inspired some of the world's most beloved characters.
Stop 2 (Extended option only): Oizumi Gakuen — Tokyo's Anime Town
Note: This stop is included only if you book the Extended option. The Standard option ends after Stop 1 with lunch at Matsuba ramen.
Known locally as “Anime Town,” this quiet residential area is home to the Toei Animation Museum — where Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, and PreCure were born. Explore behind-the-scenes exhibits revealing how Japanese animation is actually made: from early storyboards and hand-drawn keyframes to voice acting booths and editing suites. Try simple drawing activities, take photos with popular anime characters, and browse the museum shop for exclusive items available nowhere else.
This Tour is Perfect For:

Fans of Astro Boy, Doraemon, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, and Kamen Rider
Travellers who want to go beyond Akihabara and experience the real roots of anime culture
First-time visitors and Japan repeat travellers seeking something genuinely unique
Solo travellers, couples, and small groups of all ages

What Makes This Experience Unique
Your guide Hide is a lifelong manga and anime enthusiast with deep knowledge of the creators, the history, and the area. This is not a scripted group bus tour. It is a private, personal walk through living history — with someone who genuinely loves the subject and knows every corner of these streets.
Come and stand where Tezuka stood. Walk where Doraemon was imagined. This is where it all began.