Whether you're a fan of video games, anime, J-pop, film, or anything else, you owe it to yourself to visit it at least once. It's not a cheap place to get to, but you're bound to make memories that will last a lifetime. Maybe you've recently been trawling through its streets in Yakuza, or have spent hundreds of hours living a rural life in Persona 4, but I'm willing to bet you've alღways been curious as to what it's really like, right?

The answer is that it's pretty darn cool, and unlike anywhere else on earth. Everyone knows about the most obvious pilgrimage sites for geeks, be they Shibuya Crossing, the arcades of Shinjuku, or the Tokyo Game Show, but there are tons upon tons of places that you probably don't know about. In this article, we've🐼 pulled together a list of lesser-known, but equally awesome places and purchases that you should add to your bucket list. Whether you want to pick up rare video games, buy vintage systems, visit a cafe that's decked with anime memorabilia, go to probably the coolest arcade in the world, or eat a video game themed cake, you'll find out where you can do that, and what you should buy, on this list. Have you been to Japan and think we've missed something? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

25 Pokémꦕon Centers

Are you a fan of Pokémon? For many people, including myself, they were their first real foray into RPGs, and maybe you want to show your love for the franchise with a pilgrimage. You can find Pokémon Centers across Japan, with the largest located in Ikebukuro, and another great one at the Tokyo Skytree. What will you find within? Acres and acres of Pokémon merch, food, drink, plushes, and more. You're very unlikely to find one outside of Japan anytime soon, so bri💎ng plenty of cash.

24 ﷺ Tetris For The Genesis 🍒

If you want to talk about rarities, they don't come much rarer than Tetris for the Genesis. What makes it so rare, you ask? Well, Sega fell into legal issues, since their version of the game...wasn't licensed, and Nintendo got t♉he exclusive rights to release their unlicensed version instead. Yeah. As such, it never got an official release, but some copies managed to sneak themselves out of the factory, with ten (count 'em!) copies thought to be floating around. Just how much would you have to pay for one of these? Well, up to 16,000 dollars. Get saving!

23 Full-Sized Ca𒀰rs In Arcad✅es

Japan does do arcades like nowhere else. If you want to grab a seat in a full-size car and race your way through twisty tracks, go to Tokyo Joypolis. Here, you’ll find Initial D Arcade Stage 4, where you can do just that! This is a particularly good opportunity🤪 for European games, as this machine has never made its way to Europe. It should also be noted that Tokyo Joypolis is also full of a cat🅰alog of other games, each worth your time and yen.

22 ☂ The Nintendo 64DD

This add-on for the Nintendo 64 expanded data storage, and featured a real-time clock for persistent games. While it was a commercial failure, it was one with a lot of potential. The 64DD featured an online service, Randnet, and a modem cartridge, alongside a host of first and third-party games. Titles available include Doshin the Giant 1, Sim City 64, and the F-Zero X Expansion Kit. Unfortu🥂nately, Nintendo failed to capitaliz🔥e on what it could have been, making it a classic commercial flop.

21 🌊 Super Potato: A Video Game Museum

Another incredible store located in Akihabra, this location is legendary with gamers around the world. If you want to explore what is essentially a video game museum (complete with life-sized Naked Snake statue), but one where you can purchase the exhibits, you cannot afford to miss Super Potato. The only sad part about visits 🌌there these days is that the throne made from Famicom cartridges appears to have disappeared of late. Regardless, this place is famous with geeks all around the world, and there's a good reason for that.

20 𝔉 Massive Arcades 🦂

While video game arcades may have somewhat collapsed in the rest of the world, they’re still big in Japan. The Yakuza franchise has made Club Sega famous, but there’s another location wel꧑l worth visiting: Taito Station. You'll find these scattered around the country. Enter, and you'll be met with an electronic paradise. The games are many and varied, from classics to the latest and greatest, and are always priced very reasonably. A great way to while away the afternoon, a b💦ustling arcade is an experience that, today, you'll only find in Japan.

19 💦 A VR Theme Park ⭕

Want to try VR but can’t muster up the money for a headset? Should you find yourself in Tokyo, head over to VR Park in Shibuya, one of the country’s first VR theme 🤡parks. Here you can strap on a headset and flail to your heart’s content. It's based on the fourth floor of the Adores Shibuya arcade, so you can have some fun on the way in and way out. Two warnings before you go: if you get motion sick, I would highly recommend you don't go, and it's fairly expensive, costing 3300 yen on the door🦹.

18 🐻 Kunio-Kun's Dodgeball Tournament Special

This game was released back in 1987 in the west too, but here it was known as Super Dodgeball. What's so special about the Japanese version, you ask? Well, it was the second game to feature Technos Japan's character Kunio-Kun, also featured in their version of Renegade, Nekketsu Koha Kunio-Kun. While the 𒁃base game is not super rare in Japan, the Tournament Special absolutely is: coming on a gold cartridge ♏and featuring special tweaks, the game can fetch prices of 98000 yen.

17 Try Resident Evil Cakes At Cap🍸com Bar 🍬

Located in Shinjuku, this place is incredible. It’s a Western-style restaurant that serves food and drinks related to Capcom games, including Resident Evil cakes, and Devil May Cry pizza. Unlike many places in Japan, the bar takes credit cards, and many of the staff also speak decent English. Weapon replicas on the walls, consoles to play, and good food and drink...what more could the well-traveled geek want? It's a perfect place to rest up after a l🌞ong 💎day of gaming, shopping, and exploration.

16 44 Sonic

Do you enjoy a drink? Are you a nerd? If you said yes to both of these, then you owe it to yourself to go to 44 Sonic. Located three minutes from JR Asagaya Station’s north exit, the bar is run by a former film director who has dedicated the place to anime and film. There’s regular karao𒊎ke, and they’ll make you a drink based on any anime character of your choice. It's a popular place for foreigners, so get there in plenty of time, and be sure to enjoy your st🌸ay.