The wonderfully colorful and chaotic neighborhood of Akihabara is high on the list of must-see destinations for many Tokyo-bound tourists. Just as popular with shoppers seeking the latest electronic goods as it is with anime fans looking for manga, games, figurines and various goods, Akihabara never disappoints. When it comes to dining and drinking options, the neighborhood's iconic maid cafes are a popular choice. However, true to its nature as a center for Japanese subculture, Akihabara also caters to a wide variety of more minor genres, with their own set of dining and drinking options which cater to their respective populations.

If your hobby is competitive airsoft, known as "survival games" in Japan, or if you just like to practice shooting with airsoft guns, you're going to love Akiba Base Shooting Cafe & Bar.

Akiba Base is a one-stop entertainment spot for airsoft and gun enthusiasts

On Akihabara's main avenue, Chuo Dori, between the Don Quijote shopping outlet (also home to the AKB48 theater) and the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line's Suehirocho Station, you'll find a big panel shaped like a human silhouette target. The Akiba Base Shooting Cafe and Bar is here on the 3rd floor of this building.

Spacious seating area and DJ booth

First, you'll want to put your name on the waiting list at the reception if you intend to use the shooting range. Even if you're going to start with drinks at the bar or have lunch, dinner or a light meal in the seating area, it should be the first thing you do. You'll be able to choose from specific options later when you're seated. In fact, they're part of the menu!

Here's the spacious interior. There are plenty of seats to accommodate groups of different sizes.

On special days and for private parties, there's a fully equipped DJ booth.

Cool gun-themed interior

Guns and military paraphernalia set the mood.

You can tell that Akiba Base gets a lot of love. Lining their "Friends of Akiba Base" display, you'll find signed placards from minor personalities such as gun idol" Kumi Sakachi and Airsoft enthusiast Isis, among others.

Order food, drinks and shooting range options from the comfort of your seat

Speaking of personalities, meet Kasumi Takara, who kindly agreed to show us around at Akiba Base. "Kasumin," as she's known by her fans, is a 7-year veteran of airsoft gaming and lead member of the four-member survival game idol group F.PRiNCESS, as well as being an anisong singer. (See her profile below).

As you can see, Kasumin had her trusty Tokyo Marui Glock 18c. Bringing in your own gun is not only allowed but encouraged at Akiba Base. But before we had a chance to see her use it, it was time to order some food and drinks.

We reviewed the shooting range options too.

Our waiter, Daisuke, who also tends the bar, gave us some helpful pointers.

Kasumin started out with a cola float.

Their takoyaki is a standout, and goes well with their special sauce and a Tabasco-mayo blend.

Following Daisuke's recommendation, we tried their "spicy curried rice," satisfying with a pungent mix of spices.

Have a few shots at the bar before taking your best shot

If you'd rather have a cocktail while you wait for your turn at the shooting range, their fully stocked bar can satisfy most requests.

The camouflage leaf screen and the decorations at the bar counter and along the walls add to the atmosphere.

At the range: choose your weapon and shoot

An expert range staff member is on hand to explain safety precautions, guide you through your choice of guns and go through the basics of shooting if you're a novice. Since they use the NEOX shooting system, tracking your score is a breeze.

Fortunately, we had Kasumin to help us out. She explained how warming up the magazine with a drier led to better performance, and she showed us how to load it with gas.

The gas blowback airsoft gun we tried was surprisingly easy to handle, and we almost hit the target.

Kasumin was obviously a much better shot, and her shooting pose was very convincing.

She wanted to show us her favorite gun at Akiba Base, a Tokyo Marui VSR-10, special edition used by Nipako, an anthropomorphic set of pliers created by tool maker Godhand.

Get your Akiba Base gear

Akiba Base T-shirts, badges, and specially themed Hello Kitty badges are on sale.

Shop Details

• Name: Akiba Base Shooting Cafe and Bar
• Cafe Time: 11:00-17:00 (No Table charge)
• Bar time: 17:00-23:00（Table charge: 500 JPY)
• L.O.: Food:22:00 Drink:22:30
• Address: SIL Building 3F, 4-4-3, Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
• Tel: 03-5244-4066
• Website (English): LINK

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Please read our interview with Kasumi Takara on airsoft culture and guns in Japan.

You can follow Kasumi Takara on Twitter and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

If you’d like to see her sing live, you’ll find her at The Anime Land F, a live event for anime songs, game songs and character songs held every second Friday of the month at Asagaya Drum in the Asagaya neighborhood of Tokyo. See their calendar for details.