Akira presents Neo-Tokyo, a hyper-dense, neon-soaked megalopolis constructed on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay following a fictional Third World War in 1988. The world is a quintessential cyberpunk landscape where skyscraper-sized LED displays and advanced infrastructure loom over crumbling housing projects, highlighting a massive wealth gap and a society on the brink of collapse.

Societal dynamics are defined by a militarized police state struggling to contain student-led riots, religious cults, and violent motorcycle gangs. The film suggests an Earth that has undergone a radical geopolitical shift following a nuclear event, leaving Japan in a state of rapid, yet unstable, technological reconstruction. This world reflects post-war Japanese anxieties regarding nuclear power and the dehumanizing effects of rapid economic growth, as seen through the lens of human experimentation and biological evolution.

The film is most famous for its eerily accurate prediction of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, even featuring a sign counting down to the event with the phrase "Just cancel it!"—a sentiment that mirrored real-world public opinion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technological predictions include portable tablet-like displays used by military personnel and orbital kinetic weapons (the SOL satellite) that predate modern discussions on space-based defense. While the telekinetic "Espers" remain firmly in the realm of science fiction, the film's depiction of digital surveillance and the algorithmic management of civil disorder aligns closely with contemporary urban governance in the early 21st century.