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:
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