Akihabara is known for a lot of things, such as anime, electronics, maid cafes, and goods for seemingly all manner of hobbies in the world, but just slightly off the beaten path (though not too far from Yodobashi) there is a themed café that is different from all the others in the Akiba neighborhood. An owl café, called Akiba Fukurou.
Yes, owls!
Owls are pretty mysterious birds to me, so getting to meet them up close and personal was certainly an eye opening experience. They are actually quite tame, calm, and in most cases here very friendly to the human visitors.
Upon entering the café at the appointed reserved time you're given a short briefing on the do's and don't in the café. The guidelines that stuck out in my mind were no flash photography and to only touch the owls on the top of their heads with your finger tips, as Sensei demonstrates in the following photos:
And then, you have the rest of your time at the café free to socialize with the owls! If you want to, you can have the staff "perch" your favorite owl on your arm for a while. For the bigger owls, they will give you a gauntlet-type glove to protect your arm/hand from their talons.
One additional treat from this café is that they will take a photo of your group (or just you if visiting solo) with one of the stars of Akiba Fukurou on your arm! They'll give you a fancy laminated printout, and will send your digital photo to your email!
If you haven't met owls up close before, Akiba Fukurou is a great chance to do so in a very pleasant and unique environment. Even for me, having spent some time with the owls previously, I still return on occasion, as I've found it to be a relaxing and relatively peaceful time to connect with some different inhabitants of this beautiful country.
Recommendations:
- Reservations in advance are highly recommended, on their website.
- If you're a family unit and the younger ones tend to be on the uncontrollable side of what's considered acceptable behavior in Japan, you might want to rethink bringing the kids here as it would be bad for the resident owls as well as fellow customers. Otherwise, if your kids are behaved and love animals, they will enjoy this place.
- Ensure you know how to turn the flash off on your camera before coming, as the light is bad/disturbing for the birds.
Aside from kimonos, perhaps one of the iconic outfits one would associate with Japan are the armor of the Samurai. They have a historic, rugged look to them, but when looked at closer, they certainly have a style, a fashionable flair (even the old school Japanese had an eye for fashion, apparently!), and they certainly bring about curious thoughts of the long history behind them.
With the opportunity to wear and be photographed in samurai armor, and having a pretty significant personal connection with Japan, I thought, why not give Samurai Armor Photo Studio a try?
Having a friend equally enthusiastic about becoming a Samurai for a day also adds to the excitement and fun.
As we were outfitted, the resident "warrior" as I'll refer to him, Takemura-san, informed us about the history of the particular suits of armor we were donning, the historical figures who made the armor famous, and various other trivia that made the experience even more immersive. Not that it needed more flavor, but it certainly gave us a greater appreciation for what we were experiencing. And once the process was done in less than half an hour, it felt like we were transformed into different people.
We posed for some photos in the studio, before we made our way to street level and then, two Samurai were spotted on the streets of Shibuya!
We're friends of course, but even friends can have the occasional beef. Especially for the sake of good cosplay:
And we shared a moment with the warrior himself:
Similar to the kimono, one of the best feelings from this experience from a physical standpoint is getting out of the armor, because of the weight/pressure it puts on you from just wearing it.
This studio and experience was great in so many ways, from absorbing the history to the actual wearing and posing for photographs. The most memorable part, and surreal part of the experience was being out on the street in armour. It’s similar to the feeling of wearing kimonos out in the modern Tokyo setting, but you kind of stand out a lot more so while you're in the samurai form because it isn’t as normal to see.
Also, the staff were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic in their support, and added to the value/enjoyment of the experience. They conversed with us both English and Japanese. If you are visiting Tokyo and have limited time to get one experience in, this would be one of the few things I’d highly recommend in that situation.
Recommendations:
- The studio offers both "studio-only" experience and the opportunity to go out on the streets in Shibuya. Though it will cost more, I can't recommend the street experience enough! Putting on the armor is a unique experience in itself, but walking the streets of Tokyo as a Samurai is indescribable. Just go for it!
- The armor is a bit heavy, and it will wear you down after some time of wearing it. Don't go in to the experience hungry; have a snack/meal before. And don't do strenuous activity/exercise right before it either.
- Don’t worry too much about taking photos; the staff will take plenty for you (and will give you the data/files afterwards)!
- The studio has a restroom for customer use; recommend using it right before they start getting you into the armor.
Wonder Festival; a one-day event that has something for everyone
Wonder Festival, the semiannual one day event at Makuhari Messe, originated from the sale of "garage kits", which are toys/figures/models that are similar to that of anime/manga/video games. Actually, it's very much like Comiket but in a more three-dimensional form. So, if you like photography as much as I do, Wonder Festival offers a lot for the camera.
It's not just the small toys, either. There are things here on display that you can actually get into (no pun intended)!
And then when you get to the parts where the anime/manga/video game companies also establish a presence at Wonder Festival alongside the garage kit sellers/exhibitors, it has the look and feel of Comiket. If you have the money, there is a lot available here, catering to interests as wide as anime, manga, video games, television shows/movies, military, art, cars, home furnishing/decoration, costumes/cosplay goods, books, and even "adult" goods.
And then, there are a lot cosplayers here as well. Not as many as at Comiket (I don't think any event will ever compete with Comiket in terms of volume) but they have a formidable presence at Wonder Festival.
The only negative I can think of regarding this event is that it's only for one day. Because of that, the line/crowds at the start of the event are pretty big (circling around the entire Makuhari Messe main building) and it can take a while to get in at that part of the day. Also, to prepare you for the unusual/unorthodox... when you pay for your admission to the event, they will give you a pretty big guide/catalog book. Don't lose it; that is your event ticket.
Wonder Festival is one of the best fan/shopping/photography events to go to in Japan, which is saying something considering how many events are held in this area (I've only blogged about a few so far). I'd recommend attending at least once; the event still manages to captivate a veteran like me every time and the day gets filled with meaningful sights and experiences.
Recommendations:
- If attending the winter event, keep the season in mind as February is pretty cold in Tokyo/Chiba!
- If attending the summer event, it is in the heat of summer (July) so prepare accordingly.
- If you want to avoid lines/crowds as much as possible but still allow for maximum time to see everything there, plan to arrive about one hour after event opening
- Bring a camera!
Specifics: Wonder Festival
Held twice a year (in February and July) at Makuhari Messe
Cost: 2500 yen
Location:
Akihabara, also known as Electric Town in Tokyo, has so much to offer to geeks of all kinds. Seriously, no matter what hobby you might have, "Akiba" is bound to have it in some form.
Most prominent, though, when you get out of Akihabara Station, is the anime and manga (Japanese comics). You'll see it everywhere on street level, and above!
The main part of Akihabara is Chuo Street. On both sides, you'll find the most popular shops for "otaku" (obsessive enthusiasts is the most popular definition, or geeks). Not only will you notice the shops selling anime and manga (and related goods), but you'll also notice the arcades. And at the arcades the first thing usually spotted upon entry are the UFO catcher games.
And those world-famous "capsule machines" are everywhere here as well, offering random cool things for a few coins (anywhere from 200 to 500 yen, usually).
Another thing you might notice are the maids on the street, women dressed in maid costumes advertising and reach out to get customers for their cafes:
Those maid cafes are fun! I'd recommend them for a unique Japan experience in itself, especially with friends (more in detail on this in a future posting on this part of the internets).
Akiba is rooted in its "Electric Town" origins, when it was the destination for finding electronic goods, shortly after the second World War. You'll still see a lot of that everywhere, at the Duty Free shops and the many used electronic shops.
On Sunday afternoons in clear (non-rainy weather) Chuo Street is open to everyone! No vehicles are allowed on the street during this time, so you have free access on and across Akiba's main street.
And, once you become a more frequent visitor to Akihabara, you'll start to notice the seemingly random "events" that occur, sometimes at the shops, more often at the event areas such as the UDX building and belle salle. More often than not, they'll catch your eye with impressive static displays and/or cosplayers.
Even at JR Akihabara Station, you're bound to find something fun, often warranting a photo op:
And just in case you're not so much into photos, Akiba's shops and establishments have items and various other activities that will appeal to your interests:
- Toys (of all kinds)
- Household appliances
- Music
- Clothes/fashion (though, not as much as, say, Shibuya)
- Guns/shooting ranges
- Video Games (modern AND retro!)
- Model building
- Sporting goods
- Computers and accessories
- Smartphones (new/used), and accessories
- Cameras (new/used)
- "Adult" goods (DVDs/media, toys, etc)
- Costumes/cosplay goods
- Japan souvenirs - Animal cafes (cat, rabbit, owl, etc)
- And probably much more that escapes my memory!
In the neighborhood, there's also Kanda Shrine... smaller than most others in the city, but it is the geekiest shrine in Japan (you'll have to see it and the goods sold there to believe it!), worth a visit as well.
So there you have it... Akiba has a lot, and can easily provide for a fun filled and interesting day in the big city, whether you are a full-fledged otaku or not. Not everything may fall within your preference range, but even the geeks who go there every weekend don't go to see and do everything there, either. You can easily stick to what you like and feel like you've experienced a day in the life of a (geeky) king/queen in the end!
Recommendations:
- Go on a Sunday afternoon! Sure, it's most crowded at this time, but Chuo Street will be open to pedestrians (as long as the weather is good) and gives some nice, "You're in Japan" type photo backgrounds.
- Many food/restaurant options here. Some of my future posts will be devoted to some of the ones unique to Akihabara.
- Give yourself at least 3 hours here, if you're tight on time. It's that good and there's that many things here... that'll give you one hour at a maid/theme café and two hours to see other things.
Specifics:
Akihabara "Electric Town"
Open street: Sunday afternoons (if weather is clear / not rainy)
Location:
