Unique Places & Events For Otakus To Check Out In Toronto (2024)

So, I already made an article on various anime shops, Japanese snack and dessert cafes, and some cool activities to check out in the city, but what about the places in between? No worries, I got you covered!!

If you’re an anime fan, be sure to show your support to these places and events. We may be a big city with lots of anime fans, but we’ve also lost a lot of anime-related cafes and activities due to lack of support and funds.

I initially wrote this article in 2022 as I knew the pandemic has been hard for everyone, ad quite a few restaurants, events, and conventions ceased to exist as they couldn’t recover. To my surprise, 2023 was an amazing year with the fandom coming back stronger than ever!

If you’re an anime fan, you’re more likely a Japan fan, and probably like video games and kawaii stuff too, so below are places I think otakus would be interested in! Be sure to stop by and let your otaku friends know about them!

Attend an Anime Convention

Anime Conventions Schedule

I’m sure you’ve heard of Anime North, but did you know there are quite a few events for anime fans throughout the year?

There is the Pretty Heroes convention which started as a Sailormoon Con but extended to all strong female heroes. There’s of course FanExpo/Comicon which has a huge anime portion as well. And there’s also Yeticon which takes place at the Blue Mountain resort!

And while some newer conventions and events like Kimikon and Anime Shogatsu couldn’t make a recovery, there’s been a few new kids on the block, such as Anime Toronto, a conventional convention, and Anime Fiesta which came out of the blue and had both an indoor portion and a lot going outside in the parking lot!

Go To A Kawaii Bass Event/Concert

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube

What is Kawaii Bass? As their website puts it, “Kawaii Bass is a collective of DJs and producers in Toronto that combines kawaii soundscapes and otaku culture. Founded in 2013 by Epikuro, Kawaii Bass has been a part of the Toronto music scene partnering up with anime conventions, parties, and hosting their own parties to promote kawaii and otaku culture and music throughout Canada.” If you’re interested in dancing the night away but would rather do so to Vocaloid, Eurobeat, or Anime music, keep an eye on their site for upcoming events!

Eat Some Anime Styled Chicken @ Crave Wings

Website | Instagram
557 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto

With Luffy D. Monkey as their logo, you know that anime is at the heart of this new chicken wing restaurant. You can order some anime related meals like the Death Note Wrap, Akatsuki Deal and “Crave Like Luffy”. Their flavors range from Asian, to Caribbean to Mexican. They also have a variety of fries, quesadillas, salads and wraps, so matter what you’re craving, you can find it here or try something new.

Grab The Cutest Desserts @ Oishii Sweets

Website | Instagram
2-3376 Kennedy Road, Scarborough

If you’re just looking for some adorable cupcakes and baked goods, definitely check out this little shop. While the alpaca may be their mascot, you’ll find many adorable characters incorporated into their sweets, such as Pokemon macarons or Totoro cookies. It looks like they host pop-up maid cafes with Sweet Dreamin’ Idols, and have other anime themed events as well, so keep an eye on their Instagram!

Chill With Manga & Coffee @ The One-Shot Manga Café (NEW!!)

Website | Facebook | Instagram
1344 Danforth Ave, Toronto

It’s been a long wait, but Toronto finally has their own manga cafe! And I do mean TORONTO, not Markham like Akiba Kissa which existed (and sadly close down) before it. If you’re in the area or just looking for a relaxing way to spend your evening or weekend, why not head down here?

The-One Shot Cafe is an anime themed café and manga bookstore. They sell sandwiches, coffee, bubble tea, Japanese snacks, and of course manga! They have a manga library compiled from donated volumes from manga readers from Toronto and the GTA. They also started hosting events, so you can build a community with other otakus. And if you’re just hoping to build your own Japanese book collection, you can check out their e-commerce store for manga, light novels, and art books!

Get The Anime Tattoo Of Your Dreams @ Off The Ground Ink

Website | Instagram
7061 Yonge St 2nd floor, Thornhill

When you’re dealing with something as permanent and something emotional as tattoos, you’ll want to make you pick the right artist.

So, if you’re interested in getting an anime-related tattoo with someone who understands the art form and won’t judge you, there’s no better place than this. On their Instagram, you can see their portfolio of Japanese and anime related tats they’ve done in the past.

Eat, Drink, And Dance @ Japan Festival Canada

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300 City Centre Dr, Mississauga

Japan Festival Canada is the biggest Japanese festival in North America and it has been going on every year since 2016. With the help of countless sponsors, they are able to host this huge event at Mississauga Celebration Square and have countless local vendors offering various foods, drinks, snacks, toys, and other cool Japanese-related collectables.

This event is divided into two days. The first day (Saturday) has many local acts on their stage, including dancers (lots of Yosakoi groups), Jpop idol groups, cosplayers, singers, and musicians (my Chromatic Dreamers band got to perform in 2023!). The second day (Sunday) is more of a cultural stage with more traditional Japanese acts, including dances and games that the crowd can participate in.

It’s definitely a fun and unique event with good vibes that you can spend countless hours in. Grab some friends and a blanket, buy some traditional Japanese snacks that you can’t find elsewhere, and enjoy some mesmerizing acts!

Browse And (Literally) Get Lost @ Pacific Mall

Instagram
4300 Steeles Ave E, Markham

Every long term anime fan in the city knows about this place and probably has been here at least once. Before many other anime shops popped up, P-Mall was there.

This mall has many mini shops, and many of them may feature similar things, but it’s still fun to go and explore, see what you will find. There are a few anime merch shops where you can buy plushies, importer merch, cosplay accessories, and other gems. There are also stores that sell Japanese imported snacks and kawaii clothes!

Pro-tip: Pick a unique location like the Arcade or Pet Store to meet up your friends, cause there are too many phone case, bubble tea, and bootleg DVD stores in this mall. You won’t be able to tell north from south or if you’re walking in circles. You’ve been warned.

Learn More About The Land Of Anime @ JCCC

Website | Facebook | Instagram
6 Sakura Way, North York

The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre always has something going on. The Pretty Heroes convention (formally a Sailormoon Convention) usually takes place here, and you can also catch their yearly anime matsuri event.

Outside of that, they have various Japanese martial arts lessons, origami & cooking classes, the yearly Japanese Film Festival, and other Japanese guests coming by now and then, so definitely keep an eye on their website or Facebook for future events!

Relive Your Childhood With Retro Games @ Den360

Website | Instagram
3-60 Main St. N., Markham

Looking for a chill place for you and your friends to forget the outside world and have some fun? Why not check out Den360. They have a wide collection of retro games available, along with fancy drinks for the duration of your stay.

If you didn’t know, many video games were made in japan. Nintendo, Sega, and PlayStation (Sony) were invented in Japan, and thus games like Mario, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, Streetfighter, Castlevania, and other retro games were also made in Japan. And they wonder why most Otakus are also gamers 😛

Check Out Some Local Art @ AltF4

Facebook | Instagram
393 Keele St, Toronto

This little ‘tattoo parlour’ just opened up this month! (April 2022). Don’t let their description fool you though! As their first Instagram posts states, “Are you a tattoo lover, creative, video gamer, anime watcher, movie goer, board game enthusiast? WE ARE TOO!” They aim to create a space for local artists to showcase their art and host events for people with similar interests

Test Your Luck With Claw Machine Games

There’s been a surprising boom regarding claw or UFO machine game stores popping up in the city. Just between Yonge & Finch and Yonge & Sheppard, I saw 3! And there’s definitely more around the city. A lot of these machines are filled with anime plushies like Pokemon characters, along with other popular Japanese characters like Hello Kitty.

I passed by CLAW ME BABY (5580 Yonge Street | 3278 Midland Avenue | 4300 Steeles Avenue East) as I walked down Yonge Street (I know that area well. Bubble Tea, Karaoke, cute stationary shops, you can consider it the J-town/K-town of North York haha). The store was brand new as they only opened up weeks prior. Not only do they have claw machines, but you can also purchase plushies, trading cards, accessories, and other anime merch here.

There is OHYO on the bottom floor of Empress Walk, right as you exit North York Centre Station. There is PAW AND CLAW (Pop-Up). And then there is CLAW WORLD at Centrepoint mall (6464 Yonge Street) and Woodside Square (1571 Sandhurst Circle).

Join An Anime Meetup Group

Anime Fan Club | Anime Social Hangouts | Anime & Otaku Culture | Anime Cosplay Hangout Group | Anime Karaoke Club

Finally, if you’re looking to become part of a community and regularly hangout with individuals who have similar interests, why not join a local Meetup group? Once you join these groups, you’ll get heads up of any future events they will host. They’re bound to be activities you may enjoy like Karaoke, Arcades or Obstacle courses.