GEE!STORE is hosting a special, time-limited SciADV pop-up store in their Akihabara location, and we were fortunate enough to be in Tokyo during that period. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to finally check out a Science Adventure event in person.
Finding the store, however, proved to be more difficult than expected. We had no issue locating the building itself, as it is clearly marked from the outside. The floor plan also indicated that GEE!STORE was located on the fourth floor. After heading up, we found some Steins;Gate merchandise along with a large sign stating that the SciADV pop-up store was on the first floor. We went back down, only to find… nothing.
Eventually, we decided to give up and leave. However, by taking the wrong exit, which led to a backstreet, we finally stumbled upon it — the SciADV pop-up store.
So the main entry to the pop-up store is from the back. Not exactly a great start.
The first thing we noticed upon entering was that the room hosting the event was far larger than necessary, making the entire store feel quite empty. This was a stark contrast to the cramped interiors of nearby stores such as Sofmap or Animate. Another thing we quickly noticed was that we were the only customers present. If you’re casually walking along Akihabara’s main street, it’s very easy to miss this store entirely. In one corner, a TV played visual novel opening movies on loop.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the merchandise.
Most of the available items consisted of acrylic stands featuring the main SciADV characters. There were also Steins;Gate character keychains, logo stickers for each title, and a large number of pins with various character artwork. Additionally, several Steins;Gate-themed T-shirts were available, most of them featuring Kurisu. One particularly strange item was a set of keychains based on the cover art of the CD dramas.
What we genuinely liked, however, were the framed cover arts from several of the games. Unfortunately, these were very expensive, and we would have preferred an option to simply buy the posters and frame them ourselves.
Another interesting item was a tote bag featuring the event’s key visual, which combined cover art from each main visual novel. However, the bag was given only to purchases over 6,000 yen. In comparison, other themed stores we visited — such as the Final Fantasy XIV goods shop — include a themed bag with any purchases.
With any purchase, customers also receive a “Polaroid”-style card featuring a random SciADV character. These are free, and since we spent slightly over 3,000 yen, we received three cards. We assume this works out to one card per 1,000 yen spent.
Overall, the merchandise selection felt quite mediocre. The items that stood out were, in our opinion, unnecessarily expensive when compared to similar merchandise available elsewhere in Akihabara and across other franchises. The overall presentation of the store was also rather lackluster, as the empty space and looping opening movies gave the impression that the event was put together at the last minute.
Perhaps this is simply due to the intense competition in Akihabara, or maybe our expectations were higher than they should have been. However, as it stands, you can find much better SciADV merchandise at nearby stores, often at better prices. For example, just across the street in a figure shop under the bridge, decent Kurisu figures were available for around 4,000 yen. For 24,000 yen, you could even purchase an impressive, high-quality Kurisu figure — still cheaper than the framed SciADV cover art sold at the pop-up store.
Despite its shortcomings, it was still interesting to see a dedicated SciADV store in Akihabara, especially for fans who rarely get the chance to experience official events in person. However, beyond the novelty of a limited-time event, the store does not offer much incentive compared to the wide range of SciADV merchandise available elsewhere in the area. With a stronger presentation, clearer location guidance, and more thoughtfully priced merchandise, future SciADV events could learn a thing or two from this one.
The pop-up store will be in Akihabara until February 1, before moving to Osaka from February 7 to February 15, Sendai from February 21 to March 1, Kokura from March 14 to March 22, and finally Nagoya from March 28 to April 5.
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