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Akihabara

Pop Culture Paradise

Akihabara is known as a heaven for anime fans. It emerged after World War II, from radios, to later TVs and refrigerators. To this day, you can find any digital and electrical product you want in Akihabara, hence the name Akihabara Electric Town.

After World War II, some school students in Tokyo bought discarded parts from the military to earn money and put together their own radios to sell on the street. Radios were high-end appliances at the time, and their fame grew, gradually forming a shopping street with home appliances as the main business, which is today’s Akihabara 秋葉原, also known as Akihabara Electric Town, or simply referred to as Akiba.

Akihabara brings together all the major Japanese electrical appliance stores: BIC CAMERA, YODOBASHI, EDION, LAOX, Yamada…… where you can buy any digital electrical products you want. With so many choices, comes a wide range of prices. To get the best value for money, shopping around is an essential process. Of course, to save money, you can also consider buying second-hand goods, and if you see a store with the word “vintage” written on the front door, go in bravely.

Manywhere Trivia:
Young Tokyoites call Akihabara Akiba for short and Roppongi giRoppon in reverse.

In recent years, the focus of Akihabara has shifted from the electrical street to the modern Japanese popular culture industry. In the eyes of Anime Fans around the World, Akihabara is the ideal mecca for them, and many describe shopping in Akihabara as a Pilgrimage.

AKB48 is a girl idol star group that started in Akihabara and has a strong appeal in Japan. The AKB48 Theater in the Don Quijote Akihabara building has public performances from time to time, giving audiences the opportunity to get up close to their idols, and the energy and dynamism emanating from dozens of young girls singing and dancing is intoxicating.

Akihabara Maid Café is also a must-see here. Girls at the café are all dressed as maids, and the first thing they say to customers is “Welcome home, my master”, which is a big hit for otakus who usually don’t have much contact with girls. In addition to dining, you can also play various games with the girl maids after paying an extra fee.

The old station by the Akihabara Mansei Bridge was built in 1921 and was once an important transportation hub in the area. Today, the once-abandoned red brick building has been transformed into a modern commercial district called mAAch ecute Kanda Manseibashi. Sitting inside a riverside cafe, watching the crowds and neon of Akiba across the street is a unique experience.