The ultimate geek’s guide to Tokyo

Joshua Mellin, CNN
Published 7:20 PM EST, Mon December 17, 2018
<strong>Tokyo: </strong>There's something for everyone in Japan's busy and bustling capital, where no geeky obsession is overlooked.
Tokyo: There's something for everyone in Japan's busy and bustling capital, where no geeky obsession is overlooked.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Shinjuku: </strong>This is where you'll find Godzilla Road, the famed Robot Restaurant and more lights than you can imagine.
Shinjuku: This is where you'll find Godzilla Road, the famed Robot Restaurant and more lights than you can imagine.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>City of the beast:</strong> Godzilla Road's neon main street is a grand shrine to the rubber-suited golden age of Japan's greatest Kaiju.
City of the beast: Godzilla Road's neon main street is a grand shrine to the rubber-suited golden age of Japan's greatest Kaiju.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Robot Restaurant: </strong>Mention to anyone who has ever been to Tokyo that you're planning a visit, and they'll likely recommend this unusual and hilarious attraction. Western food dominates the menu, but you're there for the performing robots.
Robot Restaurant: Mention to anyone who has ever been to Tokyo that you're planning a visit, and they'll likely recommend this unusual and hilarious attraction. Western food dominates the menu, but you're there for the performing robots.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>"The Town of Otaku": </strong>Akihabara, one of Tokyo's most vibrant neighborhoods, is the center of anime and video game culture in Tokyo.
"The Town of Otaku": Akihabara, one of Tokyo's most vibrant neighborhoods, is the center of anime and video game culture in Tokyo.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Gundam:</strong> Life size and formidable, the statue greets visitors on Odaiba, a man-made island in Tokyo. True devotees can try to build their own models in The Gundam Base Tokyo shop.
Gundam: Life size and formidable, the statue greets visitors on Odaiba, a man-made island in Tokyo. True devotees can try to build their own models in The Gundam Base Tokyo shop.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Up-and-comer Ikebekuro: </strong>Niche subcultures abound here, and Sunshine City, a mall with a 60-story skyscraper is home to organized gatherings for a diverse range of otaku.
Up-and-comer Ikebekuro: Niche subcultures abound here, and Sunshine City, a mall with a 60-story skyscraper is home to organized gatherings for a diverse range of otaku.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Souvenir shopping: </strong>The Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo is where Pokemon fans can find obscure editions and cool figurines.
Souvenir shopping: The Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo is where Pokemon fans can find obscure editions and cool figurines.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Let's play ball: </strong>A visit to The Tokyo Dome -- home to The Yomiuri Giants, "The New York Yankees of Japan" -- is a must for baseball lovers and geeks alike.
Let's play ball: A visit to The Tokyo Dome -- home to The Yomiuri Giants, "The New York Yankees of Japan" -- is a must for baseball lovers and geeks alike.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Fans and food: </strong>Try the takoyaki (fried dough balls stuffed with octopus) and join the fans when they begin boisterously cheering from the stands.
Fans and food: Try the takoyaki (fried dough balls stuffed with octopus) and join the fans when they begin boisterously cheering from the stands.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Harajuku: </strong>Fashionistas flock to this area in search of bold and colorful clothing. Vintage finds are a delightful reward after a day shopping elbow-to-elbow.
Harajuku: Fashionistas flock to this area in search of bold and colorful clothing. Vintage finds are a delightful reward after a day shopping elbow-to-elbow.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>For the 'gram: </strong>Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku's mirrored entranceway makes for a multi-dimensional photo shoot location to show off your trendy threads.
For the 'gram: Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku's mirrored entranceway makes for a multi-dimensional photo shoot location to show off your trendy threads.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Shibuya Scramble: </strong>You never know what you'll see in this major intersection, where vehicles are stopped in all directions to allow for pedestrian crossing.
Shibuya Scramble: You never know what you'll see in this major intersection, where vehicles are stopped in all directions to allow for pedestrian crossing.
Joshua Mellin
<strong>Hello Kitty: </strong>EVA's themed airplanes feature a fleet of Sanrio character designs, and Hello Kitty is, of course, one of the most popular ones.
Hello Kitty: EVA's themed airplanes feature a fleet of Sanrio character designs, and Hello Kitty is, of course, one of the most popular ones.
Joshua Mellin
Explore your geeky obsessions in Tokyo
Tokyo CNN  — 

Otaku, which means “your house” in Japanese, was a term used to (snidely) describe people with obsessive hobbies. To wit: An otaku was seen as a shut-in.

While originally used to negatively characterize people with interests in anime and manga comics, the label, first coined by essayist Akio Nakamori in the 1980s, has grown to include a wide variety of fandoms and is no longer used with disdain.

There’s a warm community for cos-players, online gamers, railfans (otaku preoccupied with trains), music lovers and countless other subcultures. A growing number of people in Japan now self-identify as otaku – and it’s a judgment-free zone.

Nowhere is the thriving otaku culture more on display than the futuristic Japanese capital of Tokyo, where several whole neighborhoods tend to a diverse range of desires and obsessions.

Geeks, rejoice!